Tulane University scholarships, grants and student loans

Merit- and need-based funding for NOLA undergrads.

What do you want to read about first?

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  Cost to attend
  

• 
  Scholarships, grants and fellowships
  

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  Student loans options
  

How much does it cost to go to Tulane?

Costs of attending Tulane	Annual cost
Tuition and fees	$56,800
Room	$9,010
Board	$6,764
Books	$1,200
Other expenses	$1,086
Transportation	Varies
Total cost for the 2019–2020 academic year	$74,860

Like other schools, Tulane University’s cost of attendance (COA) goes beyond tuition and fees to include textbooks and other miscellaneous expenses. It also factors in transportation costs, which vary depending on where you live.

How much will I actually pay?

While a price tag nearing $75,000 sounds like a lot, students rarely ever pay the full price, even if they take out student loans. Students typically only pay an average of $34,240 per year, according to the Department of Education (DoE).

Here’s a breakdown of what the average student pays based on family income:

Family income	Average cost
$0 to $30,000	$10,302
$30,001 to $48,000	$18,718
$48,001 to $75,000	$25,120
$75,001 to $110,000	$32,735
$110,000+	$41,942

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What’s the average student debt load for Tulane graduates?

The average Tulane student graduates with a total of $27,000 in student debt after earning a four-year bachelor’s degree, according to the DoE. Around 30% of students receive federal student loans.

Does Tulane offer a tuition payment plan?

Yes, Tulane offers a Tuition Installment Prepayment Plan (TIPP) that allows you to break up your semester cost into installments rather than paying it all at once. It can cover tuition and fees, room and board, and health insurance if you sign up through the school.

It costs $30 a semester to enroll. You have the option of breaking up the cost into three, four or five monthly installments, which begin before the semester begins. The tuition payment plan for the Fall 2019 semester started on April 16, 2019. The Spring 2020 payment plan begins on September 14, 2019.

Tulane scholarships

Tulane offers a variety of merit- and need-based financial aid to students. Unlike other schools, it refers to both types of funding as scholarships. Some might require applications, while Tulane automatically considers all students for others.

Deans’ Honor Scholarship

• Amount

  Full tuition

• Who qualifies

  You can qualify for this scholarship if you meet the following criteria:

  • Complete a creative project
  • Strong academics
  • High test scores
  • Apply for Early Action or Early Decision
  • Submit a scholarship application by December 5th

  While there’s no minimum SAT or ACT score, you generally need an SAT score above 1400 or an ACT score over 31 to receive this award.

This merit-based scholarship covers tuition for graduating high school students with strong academics and community involvement. It requires a separate application, and you must apply for early admission to be considered. The deans of Tulane’s five undergraduate schools review and decide on the applicants. You should find out if you’ve been selected by late February.

Paul Tulane Award

• Amount

  Full tuition

• Who qualifies

  To qualify for this scholarship, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Write two short essays
  • Strong academics
  • High test scores
  • Apply for Early Action or Early Decision
  • Submit the scholarship application by December 5th

  While there’s no minimum SAT or ACT score, you generally need an SAT score above 1400 or an ACT score over 31 to receive this award.

Like the Deans’ Honor Scholarship, this merit-based scholarship is also only available to early-admission students. Instead of submitting a creative project, you’re required to write two short essays, which you submit along with the application. A committee selected by the Dean of Admission chooses the scholars. You should find out if you’re selected by February.

Stamps Scholarship

• Amount

  Total cost of attendance, plus an enrichment fund to cover additional academic-related activities

• Who qualifies

  You must meet the following requirements to qualify for this scholarship:

  • Strong academics
  • High test scores
  • Strong leadership skills
  • Submit an Early Action or Early Decision application
  • Apply for either the Deans’ Honors Scholarship or Paul Tulane Award by December 5th

Only five undergraduate students with demonstrated leadership skills receive Tulane’s most prestigious scholarship. It goes beyond tuition to cover your full cost of attendance plus additional funds to foot the bill for an unpaid internship, study abroad, conference fees or other academic-related endeavors. If you’re selected as a finalist, Tulane will ask you in for an interview in early spring.

Community Service Fellowship

• Amount

  Up to $20,000 per year

• Who qualifies

  To receive this scholarship, you must:

  • Apply for early or regular admission
  • Submit a separate scholarship application by January 15th

  You also must make several commitments during the academic year:

  • Complete 100 community service and leadership hours
  • Join a group of other active Community Service Fellows on campus
  • Maintain a 2.7 GPA or higher
  • Attend monthly meetings

Each year, around 15 undergraduate students with a track record of community service and strong academics receive this award. If you qualify, you can use it in combination with other merit-based scholarships to foot the cost of tuition.

To be considered, you must submit a separate application that includes a recommendation from a supervisor at one of your service projects. Applicants should receive a response by April 1st. If you’re selected, you have to commit to 100 hours of community service and participate in leadership activities on campus with the help of the Center for Public Service.

Global Scholarship

• Amount

  Partial or full tuition — renewable for up to four years for most programs, five years for the Architecture program

• Who qualifies

  You must be an international student who meets the following requirements to qualify:

  • Have a GPA and test scores in the top 20% of applicants
  • Apply for Early Action or Early Decision

This merit-based tuition scholarship is only available to international students with strong academics who apply for early admission. Unlike many of Tulane’s other scholarships, you must be invited to apply. If you’re invited, the admissions committee will conduct a video interview with you by March 31st.

Brandt Dixon Scholarship

• Amount

  Partial or full cost of attendance — renewable for up to four years

• Who qualifies

  This scholarship is only available to Latin American women in Tulane’s Liberal Arts program.

This merit-based scholarship is only open to female students from Latin America in the Liberal Arts program. It can cover all or some of your tuition for up to four years. Tulane automatically considers eligible candidates, so there’s no application to submit.

Sub-Saharan Africa Leadership Award

• Amount

  Full tuition — renewable for up to four years

• Who qualifies

  You must be a full-time undergraduate student from a country in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Tulane automatically considers all Sub-Saharan African students for this full-tuition scholarship. Unlike the Brandt Dixon Scholarship, this one is open to all types of undergraduate degrees. The admissions committee selects students based on academic merit and extracurriculars, so there’s no additional application required.

Tulane Need-Based Scholarship

• Amount

  Varies depending on financial need

• Who qualifies

  You must meet the following criteria to qualify:

  • Full-time undergraduate student
  • 2.3 GPA or higher
  • Set to graduate on time

  To apply, you must submit the following:

  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile
  • Your and your parents’ income tax returns

  Tulane might request additional documents to determine your financial need.

This merit- and need-based scholarship considers your academic record and finances when you apply. You can renew it as long as you remain eligible, though it requires you to submit several documents and forms. All students are eligible as long as they meet enrollment and academic standards.

Tulane’s No Loan Assistance (NOLA) Scholarship

• Amount

  The remaining cost of attendance after other scholarships and grants

• Who qualifies

  You must meet the following requirements to qualify for this scholarship:

  • Full-time first-year student
  • Family adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less
  • 2.3 GPA or higher
  • Set to graduate on time

  To apply, you must submit the following:

  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile

This merit- and need-based scholarship is available to students who come from low-income households. It’s a supplementary scholarship meant to cover your cost of attendance after all other aid — so you don’t have to take out student loans. Tulane automatically considers all eligible students who complete the FAFSA and CSS Profile and submit all required documents.

Are there other scholarships and grants available?

Yes, Tulane students are also eligible for the following scholarships and award programs:

• Musicianship Scholarship
• Tulane University Marching Band (TUMB) Scholarship
• Louisiana Resident Awards
• Partial Tuition Merit Scholarship
• Athletic Scholarship
• ROTC Scholarship
• Tuition Exchange Scholarship
• Tulane National Merit Scholarship
• Tuition Waiver Program
• Stellar Tulane Academic Recognition (STAR) Award
• Veteran’s educational benefits — including the Yellow Ribbon Program

Students can also apply for outside scholarships and grants. Louisiana and New Orleans residents have the most options, since they can apply for state- and city-based scholarships and grants. If you’re a resident of another state, you might want to look into financial aid programs back home.

Student loans to pay for Tulane

Didn’t get enough funding? You’re not alone. Around 30% of Tulane students take out federal student loans — and more might borrow privately. You can apply for federal loans by filling out the FAFSA. If you’ve reached your limit, are an international student or otherwise can’t qualify, you might want to consider private student loans.

Compare private student loan providers

Bottom line

Tulane might have a high price tag. But its financial aid program is extensive enough that you might not need to borrow much — if at all — to attend. You can learn more about how to fund your college years by reading our guide to student loans.

Frequently asked questions

• Does Tulane offer financial aid to law students?

  Yes. Tulane offers partial and full-tuition scholarships to Tulane Law’s Master of Laws (LLM) and Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) candidates. However, there’s only a limited amount of funding for SJD students since it’s already a discounted program.

  Students are responsible for covering other costs of attendance, like living expenses. To apply, submit the Financial Data and Scholarship Application form along with your admissions application.

• What salary can I expect after graduating Tulane?

  Tulane graduates earn an average starting salary of $61,700 after completing its four-year bachelor’s degree program, according to the DoE.

• What SAT score do I need to get into Tulane?

  Tulane students who were admitted and enrolled typically had SAT scores ranging from 1330 to 1490 and ACT scores ranging from 30 to 33, according to the DoE.