When can I speak with my financial aid counselor?
Who is eligible for financial aid?
What documentation do I need to turn in to have a complete application?
How do I sign the Master Promissory Note for my Stafford Loan?
Where can I complete the entrance interview for the Stafford loans?
How do I sign the Master Promissory Note for my Perkins Loan?
How do I apply for a PLUS loan? How do I apply for an alternative loan?
When will the PLUS or alternative loan for which we have applied be certified?
Why doesn't all my financial aid appear on my billing statement?
How can I request a refund from Accounts Receivable if I have a credit on my account?
When is my fall tuition bill due?
I have been awarded Federal Work-Study. What do I do next?
Will Federal Work-Study funds I earn be posted on my account?
What if I withdraw from classes during the fall semester?
Why isn't my ROTC scholarship showing on my financial aid award or on my account?

Q: When can I speak with my financial aid counselor?
A: A student may contact their financial aid counselor by mail, by email, by phone or in person. Financial aid counselors are located in building #14 (Science & Engineering Lab Complex, also known as the Mechanical Engineering building) on Tulane's uptown campus. The reception area is located in room 205. Standard counseling hours for undergraduate students and students pursuing a masters or doctoral degree are:
Monday: 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuesday: 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Wednesday: 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Counseling hours are sometimes expanded (the first week of classes for the fall and spring semesters, for example), and sometimes reduced (during heavy spring processing periods and certain special events, for example). Exceptional counseling hour are generally posted in advance on the financial aid office home page.

Q: Who is eligible for financial aid?
A: Federal financial aid is available to students who have not exceeded maximum aggregate loan limits, are not in default on a loan or owe a repayment on a grant, are enrolled in a degree or certificate program, have registered with Selective Service (if male), are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, and are meeting satisfactory academic progress guidelines as outlined by the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy. Institutional aid is either awarded as a merit scholarship to an incoming freshman or transfer student by the admission office based on the strength of the admission application in light of the year's applicant pool and/or is determined by financial need and merit based on information provided on the CSS Profile and FAFSA application completed each year (that is, a Profile application and a FAFSA application must be completed for each year the student wishes to be considered for institutional need-based scholarship aid). Only undergraduates enrolled in a regular full time division are eligible for institutional scholarships.

Q: What documentation do I need to turn in to have a complete application?
A: If you are applying for federal aid, you need to submit a FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov) each year (that is, a FAFSA application must be completed for each year the student wishes to be considered for federal aid) and, if selected for verification, a verification addendum with W2's and tax returns (for both the parents and the students if the student is "dependent" as defined by the Department of Education; for both the student and the student's spouse, if any, if the student is "independent" as defined by the Department of Education). You may also be asked to submit verification of social security card, citizenship, veteran status and benefits, selective service registration and/or up-to-date loan default/overpayment information. If you are applying for institutional aid, in addition to submitting the above-mentioned information, a CSS Profile application (www.collegeboard.com), your complete and signed tax returns, your W2's, and your parents' complete and signed tax returns and all W2's must also be submitted. If you or your parents' operate a business, you also need to submit a business/farm supplement and all business tax returns and schedules. If your parents are divorced or separated, you need to submit a non-custodial parent statement. Additional information may be requested by the financial aid counselor.

Q: How do I sign the Master Promissory Note for my Stafford Loan?
A: You should go to the "Learn about your Lender" section of our website at http://financialaid.tulane.edu/idxlearnaboutyourlender.htm. V iew the list of streamlined lenders and apply directly with the lender of your choice online.

Q: Where can I complete the entrance interview for the Stafford loans?
A: You should do it online at www.mapping-your-future.org .

Q: How do I sign the Master Promissory Note for my Perkins Loan?
A: Once you are eligible to receive the Perkins loan, you will receive an e-mail notification to indicate that your Master Promissory Note is ready for you to sign. When you receive this notification, you can sign in on-line at https://www.acs-education.com/bac/CBSLEsign/Welcome.html

Q: How do I apply for a PLUS loan? How do I apply for an alternative loan?
A: To apply you and your parent should contact the lender directly to initiate the loan application process. Once you complete the application process with the lender and the loan is approved, the lender will send us the necessary information for us to certify your loan. We will be certifying the loans based on your eligibility and send the information back to your lender. After all these steps are taken, the lender will disburse the funds to your Accounts Receivable account. Please go to http://financialaid.tulane.edu/idxplus.htm for more information on PLUS loans, and on http://financialaid.tulane.edu/idxalternativeloan.htm for more information on alternative/private loans. Note: Most lenders will offer you an option to electronically sign the promissory note online.

Q: My parents and I have submitted a PLUS loan application or a Private/ Alternative loan application to the lender and the lender says they are awaiting certification from the school. When will the loan be certified?
A: Our normal processing time is 7 to 10 business days. However, during the month of August and September our office receives a high volume of requests. Requests are processed in the order in which they are received. For the upcoming academic years we begin the certification process in June.

Q: My financial aid does not all appear on my billing statement. What do I do?
A: Please make sure that you know what your financial aid award is for the academic year. You may check your status on-line through our home page at www.finaid.tulane.edu. (Click on View My Financial Aid on-line.) Merit Scholarships will only be posted if you have returned your merit award letter, accepting your scholarship. Please note that the merit award letter is a different letter from the financial aid award letter. Stafford loans will not be credited to your account until the MPN and the entrance interview are complete. Perkins will also not credit until you have completed the MPN. If you are receiving Tulane Need-Based Scholarship funds, please make sure that you have turned in all necessary verification documentations to our office. These funds will not credit until we have received and verified the information. If you are a Louisiana TOPS scholarship recipient, please note that we generally do not receive the funds until halfway through the semester.

Q: How can I request a refund from Accounts Receivable if I have a credit on my Accounts Receivable account?
A: You can request a refund electronically by going to http://pandora.tcs.tulane.edu/acctrec/.

Q: When is my fall tuition bill due?
A: Your fall tuition statement is due at the end of August before interest charges will start accruing. After you have settled your fall tuition statement, you will receive a monthly statement by email which will be due at the end of each month. For more information on billing schedules, you may contact the Accounts Receivable Office.

Q: I have been awarded Federal Work-Study. What do I do next?
A: Please go online to the Tulane Career Center (Student Employment Office) website at http://www.hiretulane.com/ to obtain information regarding how to secure federal work-study employment positions. Their phone number is 865-5147, and they are located in the Diboll complex. Also, a job fair takes place during orientation.

Q: Will Federal Work-Study funds I earn be posted on my account?
A: No, students who earn through federal work-study will be receiving paychecks directly. It is up to the student to deposit those funds to their accounts receivable account.

Q: What if I withdraw from classes during the fall semester?
A: Because your enrollment status may affect your financial aid award, please make sure to consult your academic advisor and your financial aid counselor before deciding to drop and/or withdraw from courses.

Q: I have an ROTC scholarship but it is not showing on my financial aid award or on my accounts receivable statement. What should I do?
A: ROTC will notify our office regarding those students who are eligible and adjustments to financial aid already awarded will occur. Revised award letters will be mailed. The Accounts Receivable office will post these credits to your student bill upon receipt of eligibility from ROTC. This information is usually sent to financial aid and accounts receivable after the first week of class.