Academic Achievement Award

The Academic Achievement Award (AAA) provides a tuition benefit to students who are pursuing multiple undergraduate degree objectives, have at least 24 units completed at USC (12 units for transfers), and have earned a cumulative USC GPA of at least 3.750. AAA allows for fall and spring registration of up to 21 units at the standard full-time tuition rate.

The purpose of the award is to allow highly motivated students with excellent academic records to complete multiple undergraduate degree objectives without adding to their time-to-degree.

Eligibility

In order to receive the Academic Achievement Award, students must:

Be an undergraduate student
Have officially declared a double major, a double degree, or a major-minor combination
- Multiple undergraduate degree objectives must be officially declared on STARS report at time of application. Progressive degrees are not eligible for funding.
Have earned a cumulative USC GPA of at least 3.750
- Eligibility is based on cumulative GPA and unit count at the time of application.
- No eligibility exceptions are made for applicants below the 3.750 cumulative USC GPA minimum. USC GPA is calculated to the third decimal place and never rounded up or down.
Have earned at least 24 units at USC (12 units for transfers), at the time of application
- Units earned through AP or IB credit do NOT count towards the unit total. Only units earned through USC coursework is considered.
Demonstrate that the additional tuition units will contribute to the completion of multiple undergraduate degree objectives
- All enrolled courses must fulfill major, minor, or GE requirements. See Special Courses for exceptions.
- Students must upload a current Academic Course Plan, developed and approved by their academic advisor to demonstrate feasibility of completing multiple degree objectives.
- Students must be officially enrolled in all proposed courses at time of application. If enrollment requires special clearance, students can provide faculty or advisor documentation indicating their acceptance into the course.
- Courses must be taken for Letter Grade or Pass/No Pass. Courses cannot be audited.
- Applicants pursuing graduate level coursework must demonstrate the course can be applied to undergraduate degree requirements and must retain undergraduate status.
Complete the online application

Dates & Deadlines

Application Timeline

Students will be notified of their award status based on the deadline by which they submit an application. Students should only apply for AAA once they have finalized their scheduled and enrolled in over 18 units and billed for additional tuition. Students may apply at any time before the final deadline at no disadvantage; all applicants will receive an equal chance for award consideration.

Note: Web Registration does not allow enrollment of over 20 units without prior authorization from an academic advisor. Students intending to enroll in 21+ units must contact their major advisor for clearance.

Students who apply by the Round 1 Deadline will be notified of their award status and have their student accounts credited before the January payment due date. Please note we will not review applications for students enrolled in 18 units or below. Students who are unable to fully complete their registration until the start of the Spring semester should wait to submit an application by the Round 2 Deadline.

Students applying by the Round 2 Deadline have two options: they may either pay the additional tuition fees upfront and, if approved, receive the AAA award as a reimbursement; or they can pay all standard tuition and fees, excluding the additional unit tuition, and wait for the AAA award to be applied. Final award notifications will be sent prior to the Add/Drop deadline, allowing students who are not approved to drop additional units if they wish to avoid incurring extra tuition fees.

[Spring 2025 Application Opens] Friday, November 1, 2024

[Round 1 Deadline] Sunday, December 15, 2024 (Notification of award status by Friday, December 20)*

[Round 2 Deadline – Final] Friday, January 24, 2025 (Notification of award status by Thursday, January 30)*

*Notification dates subject to change

Award Details

Application Periods

AAA is available for fall and spring funding only. Students must apply each semester for the award to ensure they continue to meet all eligibility requirements. Students must register in over 18 units before applying.

Disbursement of Funding

Students who apply by the first deadline will receive the funding in their account before the first installment payment is due. Students applying by the final deadline will have their award posted no later than the end of Week 4 in the given term. These students should expect to pay for their additional units upfront until a credit can be applied to their account.

GPA and Unit Requirements

To meet eligibility, students must have at least a 3.75 USC GPA and earned at least 24 USC units (12 units for transfers)

Students who are just under the 3.75 cumulative USC GPA must wait until their current semester’s grades are included to ensure eligibility. If you apply while your cumulative GPA is below the 3.75 minimum, your application will not be approved. There are no exceptions to the GPA or unit requirement.

Number of Units Awarded

AAA is intended to assist students in enrolling up to 21 units. No more than 3 units of undergraduate tuition credit will be awarded to a student in a given term. Cost of additional units will be charged to your bursar account.

Coursework

Generally, AAA funding is approved for students who are enrolled in courses that fulfill major, minor, or general education requirements. Audited coursework is not eligible for AAA funding. All courses must be taken for Letter Grade or Pass/No Pass.

Exceptions

Certain courses do not satisfy degree requirements but have been approved for AAA usage because they satisfy prerequisites or provide specific academic benefits. Exceptions may also be considered for students who are within 2 semesters of graduating and have fulfilled all other degree requirements.

Appeals may be considered for other courses on a case-by-case basis. To submit a course appeal, you must provide verification from your academic advisor and/or faculty mentor as part of your AAA application.

General exceptions include:

490x Directed Research
Foreign Language
Honors Colloquiums
Maymesters and Julymesters
Physical Education (only approved for students within 2 semesters of graduation)
Practicums / Internship-Credit Courses
Pre-Med / Pre-Health requirements
Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Technical Electives

If you have questions about particular courses, please contact Academic Honors and Fellowships at ahfstaff@usc.edu.

Changes and Withdrawals

Award recipients must notify Academic Honors and Fellowships of any changes to their coursework before the Week 3 Add/Drop deadline. Updates must be made by re-submitting the AAA application. Changes must be reviewed and approved to guarantee continued eligibility.

Dropping Courses Between Weeks 3 – 7

If you withdraw from an approved course after the Week 3 Add/Drop Deadline, the AAA award will be withdrawn, and you will be responsible for covering the cost of additional units above standard tuition (12 – 18 units). It is crucial that you talk with your advisors and AHF staff before the Add/Drop deadline.

When students withdraw from courses between Week 3 and Week 7, they do not receive a “W” on their transcript. The extra units are charged as an accountability measure to prevent students from sampling courses without facing academic penalty.

If you do wait until after Week 7 to withdraw from a course and opt to take a “W” on your transcript, you will not be charged for the extra units.