Program Policies

Every USC Summer Programs student is required to submit a Letter of Understanding that details USC Summer Programs regulations and standards of conduct for residential and commuting students. The letter is signed by both the student and their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) after the student is admitted and has secured their enrollment in the program. The documents will be sent through the application portal after the student is admitted and has submitted the nonrefundable deposit.

Residential students must be inside their assigned residential hall by 10 p.m. each night, Sunday through Saturday. The program will observe a “lights out” policy in effect at 11:30 p.m. each night, by which time all residents must be in their assigned rooms and their ceiling lights must be off.

Commuter students must sign out upon departure from campus with their assigned program representative. Commuter students are expected to depart campus at the conclusion of the class day or, with written consent from a parent or legal guardian, by 9 p.m. if they take part in organized evening program activities. No overnight stays on campus are allowed. Any student found in violation of this regulation will be required to leave the program.

USC takes matters of intellectual integrity very seriously. It is the responsibility of the student to uphold the academic integrity of the university. Cheating on examinations and plagiarism — including, but not limited to, submitting work done by another person or purchased from any source and failing to document ideas found in sources, whether phrases or sentences within quotation marks — are considered very serious offenses, and any student found in violation of this regulation will be required to leave the program.

While attending USC Summer Programs, students have access to the academic facilities of the University Park Campus. However, in order to ensure the students’ safety and security, some areas near campus are off limits to all students. Students are permitted to visit select shopping areas located on the perimeter of campus, all of which are about a five-minute walk from the residence halls. These include University Village, University Gateway and Tuscany Plaza. The USC Summer Programs campus boundaries map includes Target, Trader Joe’s, CVS, Starbucks, Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, sandwich shops, pizzerias and several sit-down restaurants. Bank of America and USC Credit Union ATMs are located near the USC Tutor Campus Center. There is also a Bank of America ATM at the University Village and a Chase branch at the University Gateway.

If a student requires medical assistance during non-business hours, their parent or legal guardian will be contacted to assess the proper procedure and circumstance of the individual student. If necessary, the student will be accompanied by a USC Summer Programs admin staff member to the nearest emergency room. The USC Student Health Center refers students to the following hospital in case of emergency: California Hospital Medical Center, located at 1401 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90015. The hospital’s phone number is 213-748-2411.

A parent, legal guardian or an appropriate representative of the family is expected to meet the student at the hospital as soon as possible following notification to take over responsibility of the student’s care from the USC Summer Programs admin staff member.

For life-threatening emergencies on or near the University Park Campus, students should call the USC Department of Public Safety (DPS) at 213-740-4321. DPS response time is faster than calling 911 if a student is on or near campus.

Commuting students are required to attend all program sessions and academic field trips. If a student will be absent, the student or student’s parent must notify the USC Summer Programs office before the scheduled course session or academic field trip.

Students and their families should plan for the student to stay on campus for the duration of the program. Residential students are not permitted to have a personal vehicle on campus or to operate a motor vehicle while attending the program. Residential students are permitted to make off-campus visits if a parent or guardian submits an electronic Absence Request Form at least 72 hours in advance of the students departure, and it is approved by an authorized representative of the USC Summer Programs office. All absences must follow the criteria below:

• Absences cannot conflict with class times or class outings
• No overnight absence is permitted Sunday night through Thursday night
• The adult who picks up the student will be required to show a photo ID to verify that his or her identity matches the person named on the Absence Request Form
• Students are not allowed to use public transportation and/or car services such as Uber or Lyft unaccompanied by an adult family member or relative

We strongly recommend that parents, relatives or friends visit students on Sundays to avoid conflicts with program activities.

Certain actions may result in immediate dismissal from the program. Students dismissed from the program at any time and for any reason will be withdrawn from their course and will not receive academic credit.

Residential students will be required to vacate the residential hall immediately. No refund of tuition, fees, room and board charges, or any other program charges will be provided in cases where a student is dismissed.

All cancellation requests must be made in writing to summer@usc.edu. Application fees or deposits are nonrefundable. Any tuition paid to the university will be refunded, not including fees and deposits, if processed before the university withdrawal date of June 26, 2026. The university will not refund tuition, room and board, or any other program fees for students dismissed from the program or unable to enter the country due to an improper visa.