How do I compare financial aid packages from Tulane and Emory?

Compare the packages by calculating each school’s net price from gift aid only: Tulane’s or Emory’s published cost of attendance minus scholarships and grants that do not need to be repaid. A package with less grant aid but more loans can look larger on paper while costing your family more over time.

For each offer, make a simple first-year worksheet using the same categories: tuition and required fees, housing, meal plan, health insurance if required or not waived, books, travel, and personal expenses. Tulane’s New Orleans location may produce different travel and off-campus spending assumptions than Emory’s Atlanta setting, so use your own realistic travel budget rather than relying only on each school’s estimate.

The Tulane package may be more workable for a student whose grant and scholarship aid covers a larger share of billed charges, especially if the award is renewable on clear academic terms. The Emory package may be more manageable for a student who can realistically earn work-study wages and is comfortable with the listed borrowing, but work-study is paid through a job over the year, not credited upfront as tuition payment.

Check whether every grant and scholarship renews, whether it requires full-time enrollment or a minimum GPA, and whether any award is one-time. Also separate federal Direct Loans from Parent PLUS or private loans; the latter should not be viewed as institutional aid.

If one school’s gift-aid total leaves a meaningful affordability gap, send its financial aid office the other school’s offer and ask for a reconsideration based on the competing award. State the exact additional grant amount needed to make enrollment feasible, and include the competing letter rather than simply asking for a better package.