This form is to be used by graduate student workers with dependents to request short-term hardship grants, taxable to recipients, to help defray costs due to unanticipated emergency or short-term financial hardship.
Hardships may include, but are not limited to, events resulting from a sudden or unexpected illness, imminent loss of housing, loss of property due to natural disaster, or medical, dental, and vision expenditures not covered by any other source. Grants will not be part of any employee benefit plan or program and will be subject to a cap of $2,500 per graduate student worker per semester. Grants may not be used for expenses available through another fund or account or made generally available to graduate students.
The grant is taxable income to the graduate student worker and subject to taxation and reporting on the appropriate forms. The graduate student worker is solely responsible and liable for any tax liability resulting from the grant provided to the graduate student worker. USC is authorized to make any tax withholding as determined by USC.
USC retains sole discretion regarding the selection of grant recipients and whether eligibility criteria have been met.
Eligibility
- Must be a graduate student worker in the bargaining unit in the semester in which the provider expense was incurred.
- Graduate student worker must have a dependent.
- Applicants must furnish supporting documentation as reasonably requested by USC.
Supporting Documents
Requests connected to expenses arising from a dependent may require additional documentation. Please see application form.
Deadline
Grant requests should be submitted as soon as reasonably possible after they are incurred, but no later than the last day of the term.
Payment and Taxation
The grant will be disbursed via Workday payroll. Payments made under this program are reported as income and subject to Federal (including FICA), State and Local withholding taxes. Once this form has been approved, please allow up to 45 days for processing. These payments will be recorded on Form W-2 at calendar (tax) year end.
Note: Applications are processed in the order received. Applications will not be accepted or processed when funds for the academic year have been exhausted.
Application