I’m surprised that there isn’t just a forum for financial aid for TU. We are thrilled that D received a Presidential Scholarship and that we were visit recently. We were disappointed that she didn’t make the cut for PT or DHS, which is highly competitive I know. After identifying only 4 schools D was really interested, Tulane and U DEL came to the top. From Boston, we made it down to U Del last April but not Tulane until the first TSW weekend. I had hoped that we would hear about financial aid before we went for our visit, but did not until this week. I am surprised hearing that Tulane is so generous with FA that no one is talking about it on the forums. Before any financial award, D received merit scholarships which leveled the financial field (not including transportation cost). With financial awards this week UDel came up with an additional grant (and loans); TU has awarded work study and three loans. She is a great student and will do well in either environment in the sciences. I was hoping that TU would offer something more to help us out (we also have a sophomore D in college). While this D is leaning towards TU, I don’t think we will be able to validate the extra expense. I know all schools have their own calculation for aid which I can certainly appreciate, but my EFC was pretty low, and D’s father (NCP) has to share the expense with me. I have sent in for a reconsideration given our EFC, the award, and that the ex has been unemployed for 10 months now. My questions are: 1) does the reconsideration process generally help, 2) how much impact does a NCP assets or income have if the CP has to pay a large share, 3) are there any other grants that TU has (and what happens to merit given to students that do not accept TU), 4) is there any other contact at TU you would suggest for my D?? I will also add that D has applied to outside scholarships as well, which is necessary and appropriate, but is quite often a very slim chance. Thanks in advance for any knowledge you can share.
@33cd33
Don’t be shy!! Create the thread.
LOL. Hadn’t thought of that (silly).
If anyone has already attended a top scholars weekend, or has insight about what to expect, please post on a thread I started -
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/tulane-university/1737603-top-scholars-honors-weekend-2015.html#latest
@jmek15
I completely forgot you had started that one. It sank out of sight because you started it so far ahead. I should have pinned it. I went ahead and started another one that people have already posted to. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/tulane-university/1748223-tsw-reviews-p1.html
!!! JUST GOT THE CSS PACKAGE IN THE MAIL SO EXCITED!!! I don’t think any other college I applied to can top this kind of generosity 
That’s very cool, @Lemonemon339. Congratulations!
Which merit scholarship did you receive?
@fallenchemist I received the Premier Scholar Award! 
@Lemonemon339 Congrats! Quick question if you wouldn’t mind…Before you received the scholarship information via snail mail, was there any financial information on the Gibson portal?
@Lemonemon339
That’s fantastic. So that is $50,000 total in scholarships! Well, a little less since Tulane caps the sum of the two at full tuition plus fees. But by the time you graduate that will no doubt be $50,000+, so in essence you have a full tuition scholarship for your 4 years at Tulane. You must be more than just a little happy.
@fallenchemist I am soooo happy/grateful!!
@mullaneyj6 I did indeed receive an email a few days ago telling me that Gibson has my financial aid award info. And to be honest, when I saw how little they awarded me, I was pretty disappointed because I definitely wouldn’t have been able to pay that much for Tulane. But, I now have a feeling this could have had something to do with the fact that at that point, they knew I was about to win this scholarship, so they realized I didn’t really need any more aid. But I don’t really know if that’s the reason…I wonder if other CSS winners had the same experience.
@Lemonemon339
That is absolutely why your FA award was small. All scholarship decisions are immediately communicated to the FA office and so your package would have been adjusted before you knew the results. Just unfortunate timing, in your case. But of course it all worked out fine.
@fallenchemist Scholarship awards are not sent with the admission letter are they? Also are you able to see merit aid on Gibson?
@America2468
They are included in the admission letter. Now that the financial aid sections are active on Gibson, you would see it there as well. If you don’t see it in either place, then you probably were not awarded a merit scholarship. But not all the need based packages have been determined yet, so there might be some of that coming still, if you applied for any.
@fallenchemist Thank you!
@fallenchemist If the financial aid sections are active, is that a positive sign even if financial aid decision has not been made or are financial aid sections active for everyone?
@CanIgoback
That is a great question and I am afraid I don’t know. My guess is that it is a global activation for all Gibson portals.
So would deferred applicants hear back together in a batch basically? Or does the later it gets, the lower our chances are still apply to deferred students? @fallenchemist
@cmartin12 I was deferred and I heard back the first week of March. I don’t think they give decisions in a bunch, so don’t lose hope.
I agree that timing is not meaningful at this stage. They just have a lot to finalize.