Tulane STAR Award

Stellar Tulane Academic Recognition (STAR) Award Tulane University seeks to recognize currently enrolled full-time Newcomb-Tulane undergraduate students who have demonstrated stellar academic performance since their matriculation at Tulane and who will continue to enroll as a full-time Newcomb-Tulane undergraduate student in the subsequent academic year.

Such “rising stars” are invited to apply for Tulane’s competitive STAR Award. The STAR Award selection committee anticipates identifying eligible candidates so that approximately 2 up to 25 STAR Awards will be awarded each spring ranging in value from $2,500 to $5,000. All awards will be offered towards a student’s subsequent academic year of attendance, and will be continued annually for the remainder of a student’s undergraduate career assuming that all STAR Award retention criteria are successfully met.

Application Procedure

Here are the details concerning the STAR Award application process which is open each spring from January 1st through April 1st:

1. Only currently enrolled full-time Newcomb-Tulane freshmen, sophomores, and/or juniors who have completed at least one semester of full-time enrollment at Tulane and currently have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.60 or higher are eligible for consideration.
2. The application process consists of writing a brief essay (maximum of 500 words) on the following topic: Describe what you have valued most of your Tulane education to date and how you plan on contributing to the Tulane community during the remainder of your undergraduate career?
3. The deadline for submission of applications/essays for the STAR Award is April 1st each year.
4. Information regarding the STAR Award will be posted on the Office of Financial Aid’s website.
5. All applications must be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid prior to the deadline: late or incomplete applications cannot be considered.
6. Preference will be given to those eligible applicants who have not been awarded any Tulane merit scholarship, although all who are eligible may apply.
7. STAR Award applicants are strongly encouraged to have filed for Tulane financial aid consideration during the current academic year through completion of the College Scholarship Services (CSS) Profile AND the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). While STAR Awards are not based on demonstrating a financial need, preference is given to those applicants who applied for financial assistance.
8. The STAR Award Selection Committee, composed of individuals appointed by the Dean of Newcomb-Tulane College, will review all applicants and announce all decisions by April 30th each spring. All committee decisions are final.
9. STAR Award retention/renewal requirements are listed in the section below and include but are not limited to the requirement that recipients maintain full-time enrollment and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.700. Loss of STAR Awards due to failure to meet retention/renewal requirements will not be subject to appeal.
10. STAR Awards will be reduced for the corresponding period of time if a.) total financial aid exceeds the Tulane financial aid cost of attendance, unless other aid is reduced so that total aid does not exceed the Tulane financial aid cost of attendance, and/or if b.) tuition charged is anything other than the standard full-time undergraduate rate for a fall or spring semester of full-time enrollment.
11. STAR Awards cease at the conclusion of a student’s primary enrollment as an undergraduate in a Tulane-Newcomb college.
12. STAR Awards are not awarded for summer periods of enrollment.

The Tulane STAR Award application may be found on this website during the application period, which opens January 1 and closes April 1.

General Retention/Renewal Conditions

The Tulane STAR Award is renewed for fall and spring semesters of enrollment provided the student maintains a 2.70 cumulative grade point average and continuous enrollment in a full-time Newcomb-Tulane undergraduate division, up to the point that financial aid does not exceed the financial aid cost of attendance; however, students guilty of violations of the Code of Student Conduct or Code of Academic Conduct will forfeit all remaining portions of the Tulane STAR Award that they have been offered.

Seniors in their final semester who enroll less than full-time may still receive the award, but the amount will be reduced, prorated by the amount of the tuition and mandatory fee reduction.

Other students who enroll in or drop to less than full-time in their fall semester will have their Tulane STAR Award reduced, prorated by their tuition and mandatory fee reduction, if any. They will be allowed to retain their Tulane STAR Award for the spring semester provided they enroll full-time, but may lose eligibility for all following years since the scholarship guidelines require that students maintain continuous full-time enrollment. Students who enroll in or drop to less than full-time in the spring semester will have their Tulane STAR Award reduced, prorated by their tuition and mandatory fee reduction, if any, but may lose eligibility for the scholarship in future semesters.

Students who take an approved leave of absence may regain their scholarship upon their return provided they continue to meet all academic and enrollment conditions and submit documentation verifying the approved leave of absence. Acceptable documentation is either a copy of their college's approved leave of absence form or a letter from their academic dean's office confirming the terms and length of the student's approved leave of absence.