FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATE DIVISION INCOMING STUDENT 2013-2014 STEPS

We offer the following information to help full-time undergraduate division incoming freshmen and transfer student and their families with the financial aid process:
1.       If seeking Tulane merit scholarship consideration
2.       If seeking Federal student aid consideration
3.       If seeking Tulane need-based scholarship consideration

1.       If seeking Tulane merit scholarship consideration, please note that all merit scholarship decisions are determined by the Tulane Undergraduate Admission Office.  While a few of Tulane's merit scholarship offerings require a separate special application, most of Tulane's merit scholarships DO NOT require any additional application, as students are evaluated solely on the applicant's admission application materials.

Below is a listing of Tulane merit scholarships requiring a special application process:

Dean's Honor Scholarship
Paul Tulane Award
Community Service Scholarship
Tuition Exchange Scholarship
John Hainkel Louisiana Scholars Award (only available to Louisiana students)
Valedictorian Scholarship (only available to Louisiana students)
Legislative Scholarship (only available to Louisiana students)
Mayoral Scholarship (only available to New Orleans students)

Check the Undergraduate Admission website for respective deadline and application information.    

Below is a listing of Tulane merit scholarships NOT requiring a special application process.  All admitted students will be automatically considered for any of these merit awards using your admission application materials:

Presidential Scholar Award
Distinguished Scholar Award
Academic Achievement Award
Founders Scholarship
Leadership Award
Phi Theta Kappa Award (only available to transfer students)
Collegiate Achievement Award (only available to transfer students)

2.       If seeking Federal student aid consideration, then you must complete the 2013-2014 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and provide any additional documentation that might be requested. 

Below is a listing of Federal student aid available to qualifying undergraduate students/parents who successfully complete the FAFSA application process:

Federal Pell Grant
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
Federal TEACH Grant
Federal Work Study
Federal Perkins Loan
Federal Direct Stafford Loan (subsidized and unsubsidized)
Federal PLUS Loan (for parents of an undergraduate student)

Below is a listing of State of Louisiana student aid available to qualifying undergraduate students from Louisiana who successfully complete the FAFSA application process:

Louisiana Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS)
Louisiana GO Grant

Aside from completing the 2013-2014 FAFSA, a student may be required to provide additional documentation (if requested).  The U.S. Department of Education will randomly select FAFSA applicants for verification of the data reported on the FAFSA.  Tulane will notify all students selected for federal verification as to the exact documentation needed: often this includes copies of 2012 IRS tax transcripts (for student and parents).

3.       If seeking Tulane need-based scholarship consideration, then you must complete the 2013-2014 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) AND the 2013-2014 College Scholarship Service (CSS) PROFILE application (and provide any additional documentation that might be requested).    Consideration for Tulane's NOLA (No Loan Assistance) Scholarship requires that the two aforementioned applications (2013-14 FAFSA & 2013-14 CSS PROFILE) be completed by our February 15, 2013 deadline!  Absolutely no exceptions are made to this deadline!

Below is a listing of documents Tulane must receive for our initial review of a student's eligibility for Tulane need-based scholarship:

2013-2014 FAFSA
2013-2014 CSS PROFILE
2013-2014 CSS Non-Custodial PROFILE (in cases where parents are separated or divorced)

Below is a listing of some of the documents Tulane may identify as being needed prior to our initial review and that we must receive prior to our finalizing a student's eligibility for Tulane need-based scholarship (initial awards are often made without these documents, yet necessary award adjustments will occur if our review of these documents reflects discrepancies from the reported application data):

• Signed copy of parent(s) 2012 federal income tax return (note: if parent will not file a 2012 federal income tax return, then a 2012 parent non-filer form must be completed)
• Copy of all of parents' 2012 W-2 forms (if applicable)
• Signed copy of student's 2012 federal income tax return (note: if student will not file a 2012 federal income tax return, then a 2012 student non-filer form must be completed)
• Copy of all of student's 2012 W-2 forms (if applicable)
• Verification of sibling enrollment (form needed for each sibling who will be attending at an undergraduate level during the 2013-14 academic year). Note: This documentation is required to be submitted during the start of the 2013 fall semester.
• Copies of 2012 partnership; s-corporation; and/or corporation returns
• Business/Farm Supplement (if requested)
• Other documentation as requested

2013-14 General Requirements

To be assured of consideration for Tulane institutional need-based financial aid as well as federal financial aid, full-time undergraduate students* must complete both the 2013-2014 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the 2013-2014 College Scholarship Services (CSS) Financial Aid Profile by February 15 (April 15 for continuing students) prior to the semester for which aid is sought, and must also complete all additional requirements (including requests that loans and other aid be processed) at least two weeks before the end of the semester for which aid is sought. Availability of limited institutional funding determines whether an applicant may be considered for need-based institutional aid in cases where the application deadline is not met; however, please note that applications not received at Tulane at least four weeks before the end of the semester for which aid is sought will not be reviewed. 

The guaranteed-consideration deadline to complete FAFSA and CSS applications is February 15 for incoming students or April 15 for continuing students (prior to the semester for which aid is sought); however, federal aid will still be available for those who 1.) complete a FAFSA sent to Tulane at least four weeks before the end of the semester for which aid is sought and 2.) complete all additional requirements (including requests that loans and other aid be processed) at least two weeks before the end of the semester for which aid is sought. 

Students can complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov as early as January 1, and Tulane's school code for the FAFSA is 002029. Students can complete the CSS Financial Aid Profile application online at www.collegeboard.com (select "Paying for College" on student's home page) before January 1, and Tulane's school code for the CSS Profile is 6832. Students who only file the FAFSA will be considered for federal aid only.

Validation
Students seeking and/or awarded Tulane need-based scholarship will be required to provide signed copies of parents' 2012 federal tax returns, the student's 2012 federal tax return, parents' 2012 W-2 forms, and the student's 2012 W-2 forms. This documentation is used to validate the data reported on the CSS Profile.

Verification
The U.S. Department of Education randomly selects students for whom their FAFSA data must be verified. Generally, if selected for verification student's seeking need-based federal student aid will be required to provide copies of parents' 2012 IRS tax transcript, the student's 2012 IRS tax transcript, parents' 2012 W-2 forms, the student's 2012 W-2 forms, and a completed 2013-2014 Verification Worksheet. Again, this documentation is used to verify the data reported on the FAFSA.

Note: Per federal regulation, copies of tax returns used for Tulane's validation of CSS Profile data CANNOT be used for federal verification of FAFSA data. IRS tax transcripts are needed to complete the federal verification process, thus we regret that there will be some situations whereby Tulane must collect both copies of tax returns as well as copies of IRS tax transcripts.

Other documents may also be required (for example, proof of citizenship, social security number or Social Security benefits) in some cases, and packaged aid must be accepted to be processed in virtually all cases. Certain other requirements must be completed for educational loans to be processed. Copies of required documents in most cases may be mailed (Tulane University Office of Financial Aid, 205 Science & Engineering Lab Complex, New Orleans, LA 70118), emailed as a scan (finaid@tulane.edu) or faxed (504.862.8750) to the Tulane University Financial Aid Office. Please note the student's name and identification number clearly on the documents and ensure that tax returns are signed; otherwise, a significant delay in processing may occur. Please note that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service website www.irs.gov provides copies of tax forms, instructions on obtaining copies of previously filed tax returns, and answers to frequently asked questions. Students and/or parents not required to file 2012 federal tax returns must complete and submit the appropriate Tulane 2013-2014 Non-Filer Worksheet.

*Please note: This page contains information for those applying to or enrolled in a full-time division at Tulane University as a Freshman, Sophomore, Junior or Senior (undergraduate) during the fall-spring academic year in New Orleans.

Students who plan to study full-time in the part-time division (that is, who will be enrolled full or part-time in Tulane's School of Continuing Studies) should visit the link Aid for School of Continuing Studies Students for instructions.  Students who are not undergraduates should visit the link Aid for Graduate and Professional Students.

Students who are planning to study abroad or take summer classes should visit the appropriate link for more information regarding the financial aid application process: Aid for Study Abroad Programs and/or Aid for Summer Session.

Page last modified on February 19, 2013.