Frequently Asked Questions

While we recognize that many students are financially dependent on others, the student is financially responsible for his/her Tulane account, and is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).  Students may authorize parents/others to access their account online.  Students may also sign release forms authorizing Accounts Receivable staff to share information with parents over the phone and in person. Completing the paper form does not grant online access to records.

Students may authorize each parent to access their online student account directly. Once each account is created, authorized users will have access to view electronic billing statements, account activity and history, and utilize electronic payment options. Additionally, authorized users will receive direct billing notifications by email when new statements are available.

If requested, Tulane will issue one paper statement per student per month to a billing address provided.

Click this link to learn how to create an Authorized User.

Parents and others must be authorized by student to view online billing information. Upon authorization, parents and other payers will receive an enrollment invitation containing account registration instructions.

Click this link to learn how to create an Authorized User.

As an alternative, you may mail a check payment or initiate a wire transfer from your bank after consulting with your student to obtain the amount due.  Payments must be received by the billing due date.  More information about payment options are available online: http://studentaccounts.tulane.edu/content/payment-options

Students: Your username is your Tulane email username (the part of your email address before the "@tulane.edu"). Your password is your Tulane email password. If you have forgotten your username or password, please contact the Help Desk at (504) 862-8888.

Authorized Users (Parents): Your username is the email address at which you receive billing notifications. If you do not know your password, follow these simple steps:

    1) Go to: https://secure.touchnet.net/C21526_tsa/web/login.jsp
    2) Type your E-mail Address
    3) Click the "e-mailed" link in the "Forgot your password?" box

You will receive a new password, usually in less than one minute. If you do not receive it quickly, check your junk/spam folder.  If you have not received a password after five minutes, or receive an error message on this page, please contact Accounts Receivable at acctrec@tulane.edu or (504) 865-5368.

The most efficient and timely way to make a payment to your account is to make an electronic check payment from a US checking or savings account online at https://studentaccounts.tulane.edu .  After log in, click Make a Payment to access electronic check payment options.  Electronic check payments are posted to student accounts immediately.  You will need your bank routing and account number to complete the transaction.

Accounts Receivable does not accept any form of payment by phone.

Yes. TouchNet PayPath, a third-party processor, accepts all major credit cards on our behalf. A non-refundable PayPath Payment Service charge of 2.85% (minimum $3.00) will be added to the payment. The service fee will appear as a separate line item on your bank statement, and is not collected by Tulane University. Only the principal payment amount is received by Tulane and credited to your student account.

Important: TouchNet PayPath processes all debit cards as credit card payments.  An easy way to avoid the service fee is to record an electronic check payment from a US checking or savings account, using your routing and account numbers.  

Accounts Receivable does not accept credit card payments in the office or by phone.

No. Accounts Receivable does not accept any form of payment by phone.

Checks or money orders should be made payable to Tulane University and mailed to:

Bursar Office #1685
Tulane University
35 McAlister Drive
New Orleans, LA 70118-5645

Please do not mail cash payments.

Payment must be received by the due date. If a previous balance remains after the due date, a finance charge is automatically assessed. Please mail any payment 7 business days in advance to ensure timely posting.

You may have selected a payment date in the future.  If so, your payment will not credit until that date.  To see if this is the case, log in to your Student Account and access the Make Payment tab.  If you have any pending payments, it will be listed near the bottom of the tab.

The linked PDF document below may be used to initiate a domestic wire transfer to Tulane for payment on a student account.

Domestic Wire Transfer Instructions (PDF)

International wire transfers and additional payment options with non-US currencies are available here:

International Payment Options

No. If you make partial payments on a past due account, finance charges will continue to accrue and your registration, transcript and diploma may be encumbered until the balance is paid in full.

• Tuition and Fees - Tuition and fees are automatically calculated based on the student’s curriculum and registration (school/college, level or program of study, number of hours, etc.)  If you feel that a tuition or fee charge is incorrect, please verify your curriculum with your school, or contact Accounts Receivable at (504) 865-5368 or acctrec@tulane.edu for assistance.

• Library Fines -  Library Circulation Desk at (504) 865-5689 or circ@tulane.edu

• Traffic Permits and Citations (Main Campus) - Public Safety Traffic Office at (504) 865-5424 or traffic@tulane.edu

• Parking Fees (Health Sciences Center) - Parking Services (504) 988-5577

• Bookstore Charges - Tulane Bookstore at (504) 865-5913 or bkstulane@bncollege.com

• Scholarships, Grants and Loans - Office of Financial Aid at (504) 865-5723 or finaid@tulane.edu

• Housing Charges / Damage Charges -  Housing and Residence Life at (504) 865-5724 or housing@tulane.edu

• Meal Plan Charges - Dining Services at (504) 865-5441 or mealplan@tulane.edu

• Refunds, Missing payments & 1098T form questions -  Accounts Receivable at (504) 865-5368 or acctrec@tulane.edu

Academic Support Services Fee Mandatory
The Academic Support Services Fee provides certain academic resources to all Tulane students. The fee enables students to have access to the University's computer services, data, voice, and internet hook-ups, including those services provided by all outside vendors. In addition, tutoring and counseling services, on-line library, inter loan services and other support services, such as the language and science laboratories, are covered by this fee.

Student Activity Fee Mandatory
The student body at Tulane assesses itself a Student Activity Fee to support its activities. The Student Activity fee entitles students to participate in or attend supported activities, readership of a weekly student newspaper and admission to many intercollegiate athletic contests, movies, and lectures.

Campus Health Fee Mandatory
The Campus Health fee provides students with access to primary care, preventive care, and medical referrals at the Health Center. It also contributes to counseling services, mental health care coordination, health education programs, drug/alcohol counseling, and Tulane Emergency Medical Services. This fee is not a health insurance premium.

Recreation Center Fee Mandatory
Fulltime students will be assessed for membership to the Reily Recreation Center. Part-time students have the option to join the Recreation Center.

No. The Recreation Center Fee is mandatory for all full time students. It cannot be canceled.

Registration blocks are placed on accounts with past due balances. In order to have the block removed, you must pay your account balance.

Diplomas are financially encumbered if the student account balance is not paid. This encumbrance is applicable to graduating students only. Your account balance must be paid in full for the diploma to be released.

Registration primarily occurs before term tuition and fees are due. Registration blocks can only be removed when the balance due is paid in full. Please contact the Financial Aid Office regarding any outstanding financial aid.

Tuition calculations are processed several times per week. If an adjustment is not posted within a week, please contact your academic advisor or Dean's office to determine if the drop was recorded and is eligible for refund. You may also contact Accounts Receivable at (504) 865-5368 or acctrec@tulane.edu for assistance.

An expected credit of financial aid is posted when semester billing begins in order to provide a more accurate billing statement.  Expected aid will convert to an account credit when the disbursement date has been reached.  For federal direct loans, the disbursement date is typically the first day of classes.  If you are awarded an amount that is not credited, please contact Financial Aid at (504) 865-5723 or finaid@tulane.edu.

Financial Aid credits at the beginning of each semester. It is processed by the Office of Financial Aid. For a specific date of credit, please contact Financial Aid by phone (504) 865-5723 or email: finaid@tulane.edu.

The Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) is a Louisiana state merit-based scholarship for Louisiana residents who attend a Louisiana school.

TOPS Scholarships will credit after receipt of the funds from the State of Louisiana. The funds are generally received near the end of the semester.  The awarded amount will be displayed as Expected Financial Aid until received. Contact Financial Aid at Financial Aid at (504) 865-5723 or email finaid@tulane.edu with any questions you may have about TOPS Scholarships.

Employees must apply for Tuition Waivers each semester on Gibson Online before the posted deadline for each semester. If approved by Human Resources, your waiver will credit to your student account within three business days. Please contact Human Resources if you are not able to access the form via Gibson Online.

For those undergraduate freshmen and transfers who paid a $750.00 Commitment Deposit to accept Tulane's offer of admission, $250.00 of your payment is a housing advance payment. Your advance payment will be added as a credit to your account after you have been billed for your room.  Your advance payment is subject to forfeiture if you cancel your housing contract for any reason. 

Beginning Fall 2019, a $250.00 room retainer / advance payment is required annually to complete your housing application. Your room retainer / advance payment will be applied as a credit to your housing charges, or is forfeited if you cancel your contract after committing. 

For Example:  -$500.00
The minus sign (-) means the amount is a credit or negative amount.  Charges are recorded as positive amounts on your account.  Payments, financial aid, tuition refunds, and other credits are recorded as negative amounts.  A negative account balance indicates a credit balance.

If there is a credit balance on your account, you must request a refund on Gibson Online. Each refund request is reviewed by an analyst for approval. Please allow 1 - 3 business days for a response to your request. If approved, direct deposits will be processed within 1 - 3 business days; checks will be printed and available within 2 - 3 weeks.

Log in to Gibson Online and click View Online Account on the Billing tab. Then, proceed to the Refunds tab and verify or setup a direct deposit account.

Yes. 1098-T statements are mailed to your permanent address as well as published to your online account. Additional information about the 1098-T statement is available here.

Students should log into Gibson Online with their Tulane username and password. An option to Update Addresses and Phones can be found on the left-hand side.