The Academic Achievement Award (AAA) and Exceptional Funding will remain in place with its current eligibility criteria, according to Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Andrew T. Guzman.
“We received feedback from the community about sunsetting the programs, including from students affected by this change, and we listened. Supporting our students is a top priority of all of us at USC,” said Guzman in an announcement. “Funding will continue for current students who included this tuition benefit in their academic plans.”
USC had previously shared with students that the AAA and Exceptional Funding would be discontinued starting Fall of 2024 on March 7.
Through AAA, qualified students pursuing multiple undergraduate degrees are able to take up to 21 units at the standard full tuition rate. “The purpose of the award is to allow highly motivated students with excellent academic records to complete multiple undergraduate degrees without delaying the time to their graduation,” said Guzman.
Similarly, the Exceptional Funding scholarship covers tuition for Presidential and Trustee scholars who want to enroll in more than 18 units during the fall and spring semesters.
Students relying on these scholarships immediately expressed concern when USC shared that the program would no longer be available. A petition on Change.org encouraged USC undergrads to sign and contact the USC Board of Trustees to further voice the potential financial burden this decision would have on students.
“We are calling on USC administration not only to reconsider their decision but also ensure that all current students who had factored AAA into their plans receive the opportunity to apply for the funds they were promised,” the petition stated. “We urge you to stand with us against this unjust policy change by signing this petition today.”
This petition gained more than 2,500 signatures.
On March 15, Andrew McConnell Scott, USC’s vice provost for academic programs and the dean of the graduate school, told Annenberg Media and Daily Trojan that the Academic Achievement Award would only be available for some current students.
“No new incoming students with Presidential or Trustee scholarships will be able to access Exceptional Funding moving forward, but current students who have that as part of their admission letter, they can still access it until they graduate,” Stott said.
The AAA scholarship would only have been available through the 2024-2024 academic year and only to students who would graduate in December 2024, May 2025 or August 2025, according to Scott.
However, Scott had reiterated that this change would have minimal effect on students.
In an effort to support students, USC’s Undergraduate Student Government developed a form where students and alumni could share their experiences with AAA and give feedback on how revoking this funding could impact their academic journey.
But as of today, AAA will now return with its prior qualifications.
“It’s super exciting to see that the work we put in to spread the word…has all been worth it,” said Mustafa Ali Khan, Chief Communications Officer of USC’s Undergraduate Student Government. “I think we’re going to see a greater utilization of the AAA scholarship amongst the other ones available to students. I’m excited to see students really taking advantage of all of the financial resources that the institution has to offer.”
With the recent announcement of USC’s tuition increase, Guzman emphasized the university’s commitment towards acknowledging academic potential by providing a variety of funding opportunities for students.
“To that end, more than $814 million in financial assistance was awarded from all sources for the 2022-23 academic year, including work-study and loans,” said Guzman in the announcement. “We will continue to work with all of our students to ensure they can meet their academic goals.”