The Office for Foundation Scholars is proud to support a variety of scholarship programs that help outstanding students pursue higher education, develop leadership skills, and make meaningful contributions to their communities. We work closely with institutional partners, as well as national and local organizations, to ensure our scholars receive the mentorship and resources necessary for academic and professional success.
Chicago Scholars
Chicago Scholars is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that supports high-achieving, first-generation college students from under-resourced communities in Chicago. Founded in 1996 by Tim Schwertfeger and Gail Waller, the foundation began with a vision to expand access to higher education across the city. Today, it offers a rigorous seven-year program that begins in high school and continues through college and into early career. Scholars receive personalized college admissions guidance, leadership development, and career readiness training, all designed to ensure they not only access college but graduate prepared to lead in their communities and professions.
College Track Scholars
Laurene Powell Jobs and Carlos Watson established the College Track Program in 1997 to recruit and mentor students in limited-income communities from their freshman year of high school through college and beyond. The organization partners with twenty-one colleges and universities across the country, assigning mentors to assist College Track Scholars by being their source of academic support and leadership to ensure college readiness.
Tulane became a College Track partner in 2014. College Track students on Tulane’s campus hail from New Orleans, California, Colorado, and the DMV area.
Mayoral Scholars
The Mayoral Scholars Program at Tulane University is a prestigious, full-tuition scholarship awarded annually to ten outstanding students from Orleans Parish. Funded by Tulane and endorsed by the Mayor of New Orleans, the program supports academically accomplished graduates of New Orleans high schools who demonstrate financial need, leadership potential, and a commitment to community engagement. Scholars are selected through a competitive process overseen by a committee that includes representatives from the Mayor’s Office, local universities, and high schools.
Posse Scholars
In 1989, Debra Biel established the Posse Foundation, which recruits students from 10 urban areas, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco Bay Area. The foundation selects students who show extraordinary academic and leadership potential to attend 4-year colleges and universities as Posses of 10 students.
Tulane has been a Posse partner since 2009, when the first cohort of Posse students arrived on campus from Los Angeles. In 2012, Tulane welcomed its first Posse New Orleans cohort to campus. Today, Tulane University welcomes 2 cohorts of Posse Scholars, one from New Orleans and one from Los Angeles, each academic year. Tulane’s Posse scholars have achieved a number of accolades during their time at Tulane and have gone on to careers in law, public health, architecture, and business.
