I looked up Tulane’s COA before I posted above, and they are showing $69,764 per year excluding transportation. There is some play in that in terms of books and personal expenses, but a $32,000 merit award won’t get him close to $30,000. And counting on a competitive RA position is never a good strategy. R&B is over $14,000/yr; does he drop out if he isn’t selected as an RA?
OP, you may have a good shot at a Tulane or DHS award. Work hard on those if you like the school.