Financial Aid & the RA Position
Financial Aid & the RA Position
HOW DOES THE RA POSITION AFFECT FINANCIAL AID?
Your RA benefits change the housing and dining amounts used in your estimated Cost of Attendance.
USC fully meets the demonstrated need of eligible students through a combination of work-study, loans, and grants. Becoming a Resident Assistant (RA) does not change your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is calculated based on your family’s financial circumstances. Your financial need is determined by comparing your Cost of Attendance with your EFC.
How RA Benefits Affect Your Cost of Attendance
The estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) is adjusted to account for the housing and dining provided to RAs.
HOUSING
The COA does not include a housing amount for RAs because RA housing is provided by USC.
DINING
The COA does not include a dining amount for RAs because RAs receive a residential meal plan through USC at no cost.
The lower COA may reduce a student’s calculated financial need and affect the amount or types of need-based aid offered. Recognizing the important leadership role of RAs at USC, the USC Financial Aid Office provides undergraduate RAs with gift aid equal to their demonstrated need, including the minimum student contribution. This may help reduce or replace work-study and loans used to meet an RA’s need.
Please note: Some students with additional merit or externally funded scholarships may already have loans or work-study replaced in their Financial Aid Summary and may not be eligible for additional gift aid. Graduate students should contact Financial Aid about how their adjusted COA may affect loan eligibility or coordination with fellowships and stipends.
Have questions about your financial aid?
Contact the USC Financial Aid Office and let them know you are considering becoming an RA.
2026–2027 Estimated Cost of Attendance
The comparison below uses USC’s estimated two-semester budget for a full-time undergraduate taking 12–18 units each semester. View USC’s full 2026–2027 Cost of Attendance.
| Estimated COA | USC On-Campus | RA Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $75,384 | $75,384 |
| Fees | $1,952 | $1,952 |
| Housing | $13,510 | $0 |
| Food / Dining | $8,442 | $0 |
| Books and Supplies | $670 | $670 |
| Transportation | $1,188 | $1,188 |
| Personal and Miscellaneous | $2,016 | $2,016 |
| Total COA | $103,162 | $81,210 |
USC notes that a $450 new student fee is added for a student’s first semester, if applicable. COA amounts are estimates and individual budgets may vary.
How will being a Resident Assistant (RA) affect my financial aid?