Kelsey Atlas said she visited the Financial Aid Office three times in the span of a few weeks. During one visit, Atlas said she waited for around three hours, while other visits and phone calls averaged about a two-hour wait. 

“It’s not really feasible to go in person because the lines take upwards of an hour,” said Atlas, a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law. “I was sitting there for three hours but I can only do that in between classes.”

Atlas isn’t alone. 

Multiple students seeking assistance from the Financial Aid Office have faced long wait times both over the phone and in person at the start of the fall semester, with some reporting waits of several hours to resolve their financial aid issues.

Jessika Rai, a junior majoring in neuroscience, said she’s experienced financial aid delays throughout her time at USC. Rai said she waited around an hour when she called the office this summer and received her financial aid package the weekend before the fall semester began.

“[The delays have] been constant,” Rai said. “They always kept piling on more, like ‘Oh, we didn’t see this,’ and then I just resend them the same document that they already had, and then they resolve it.”

In a statement to the Daily Trojan, the University acknowledged students’ frustration and said it is working to address service issues.

“The university is committed to providing excellent service to our students and families, and we are working diligently to ensure prompt and efficient service going forward,” the statement read. “We understand the frustration and appreciate our community’s patience as we add staff and resolve phone-related issues.”

The University did not specify what caused the current delays or whether recent changes to federal financial aid programs contributed.

Atlas said her financial aid package has remained relatively consistent and that she was told by the Financial Aid Office that the long waits were a result of the beginning of the semester being a busy period.

She said she had contacted the office in previous years but had never needed to visit as frequently as she has this semester.

This fall is the first semester since several changes to federal student aid were enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The law was signed July 4, 2025, and major changes to federal loan programs took effect July 1, 2026. USC said in guidance updated in June that it was reviewing the legislation as additional guidance became available from the U.S. Department of Education.

USC did not attribute the current Financial Aid Office wait times to implementation of the law.

Beyond in-person wait times, some students said difficulties communicating with the office have complicated the process of resolving individual financial aid issues.

Lily Emery, a freshman majoring in economics and data science, has been trying to appeal her financial aid package after a change in her family’s financial circumstances. Emery said she resubmitted information during the appeal process multiple times and being the sole communicator with the office is difficult as a freshman since her parents are abroad.

“It’s a frustrating process simply because they don’t give me details on why my appeal didn’t go through, so we have to resubmit and resubmit,” Emery said.

Emery’s experience was frustrating in particular as she was told her appeals were too vague regarding personal financial changes from a parent’s retirement due to health reasons, leaving her concerned for her family abroad.

“My appeals were mostly concerning my mom’s recent retirement. She retired due to health reasons and our appeals were ‘too vague’ about that,” Emery said. “My mom is dealing with health and wellness issues, so I’m concerned for both her and my dad.”The University said it plans to continue updating its Financial Aid website and expanding its frequently asked questions to address new financial aid concerns.

“We will continue to update our website and expand the FAQs to address emerging financial aid questions,” the University statement read.