Town and Gown of USC is proud to offer approximately 170 merit-based scholarships totaling $1,700,000 to deserving incoming freshmen, current undergraduate, and graduate students.

Scholarships of up to $15,000 are awarded annually and are for tuition only. Qualified applicants must meet all eligibility requirements listed below. Please note an in-person interview is a prerequisite for scholarship consideration.

Town and Gown of USC Scholarship Eligibility Requirements

Scholarships are for tuition only. Tuition remission disqualifies an applicant for a Town and Gown of USC Scholarship award. Please review the eligibility requirements before completing an application. Applicants are required to:

  • Demonstrate academic strengths, leadership, and community involvement.
  • Be a citizen of the United States.
  • Be a permanent resident of Southern California (area defined from the Kern County border to the California/Mexico border).
  • Be unrelated to any member of Town and Gown of USC who is currently actively involved in the selection and funding of scholarships at the time of the scholarship application.
  • Not be a current member of Town and Gown of USC.
  • Not be receiving tuition remission, i.e., a Trustee Scholarship (full-tuition), Presidential Scholarship (half-tuition), or any other combination of scholarships totaling 50% of tuition.
  • Be a full-time student. Undergraduate students must complete 12 to 18 units per semester and achieve degree completion within 4 years, unless in a 5-year program such as Architecture. Graduate students must complete 8 or more units per semester in a Master’s program and 6 or more units per semester in a Doctoral program and be considered full-time by the graduate program. Students working on dissertations do not qualify for scholarships.
  • To maintain the scholarship, Town and Gown of USC scholars must be full-time students as defined by their program and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Additional requirements apply and are detailed in the scholarship contract.

Categories of Applicants

Incoming Freshmen: Incoming freshmen must have taken the most demanding curriculum and achieved the highest academic levels during their high school careers. SAT and ACT scores must fall in the top 2% to 3% of students nationwide. Due to COVID-19, T&GUSC will follow the university’s admissions policy regarding test score submission. Applicants may choose whether to share their test scores or not. Applicants will not be at a disadvantage if they have not taken the SAT or ACT or have chosen not to share the scores. If students choose to submit their scores, T&GUSC will take them into consideration.

The recommended un-weighted GPA is 3.8. Leadership, community involvement, and activities are considered in the award process.

Current Undergraduate Students: Current USC undergraduate student applicants and transfer students who have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.4 are eligible for a scholarship. Leadership, community involvement, and activities are considered in the award process.

Incoming Graduate Students: Students applying for Graduate School who have a GPA of 3.4 or higher are eligible for a scholarship. Leadership, community involvement, and activities are considered in the award process. The applicant must meet all Town and Gown of USC Scholarship eligibility requirements.

Current Graduate Students: Current USC graduate students who have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.4 are eligible. Leadership, community involvement, and activities are considered in the award process.

Current or past undergraduate Town and Gown of USC Scholarship recipients must reapply for a Progressive or Graduate Scholarship.

How do I determine if I am a Permanent Resident of Southern California?

If you are an undergraduate student, you must have graduated from a Southern California high school or equivalent.

Students who have completed 4 years as an undergraduate student at USC also qualify.

If you are a graduate student age 24 or younger, we require one of the following: 4 years of residency documented by a Southern California high school diploma or equivalent, 4 years of undergraduate study at USC, or employer verification.

If you are a graduate student age 25 or older, we require one of the following: 5 years of residency documented by a degree, diploma, or professional certificate from an accredited institution in California; undergraduate degree from USC; or employer verification.

Applications for the 2023-2024 academic year will be accepted between
August 1, 2022 and December 1, 2022.

Successful candidates will be notified of their scholarship by July, 2023.

Questions: Direct any questions regarding the Town and Gown of USC scholarship process not answered above to: scholarship@townandgownofusc.org.