Duke University officials announced on Tuesday that, beginning in the fall 2023 semester, they will provide full tuition grants to admitted undergraduate students from North Carolina and South Carolina whose family incomes are $150,000 or less.
Additionally, Duke students from the Carolinas with family incomes of $65,000 or less will receive full tuition grants and financial assistance for housing, meals and other educational expenses without needing student loan assistance. Students from military families who meet the income requirements with a legal residence in the Carolinas will also qualify, even if they are stationed somewhere else.
Beginning this fall, Duke will provide full tuition grants for undergraduate students from North and South Carolina whose family incomes are $150,000 or less. Learn more: https://t.co/O7G4iOhZpG
— Duke University (@DukeU) June 20, 2023
This expansion of financial support will be funded through university resources and is expected to increase grant assistance to North Carolina and South Carolina students by about $2 million for the 2023-24 academic year.
“This additional financial support for undergraduates reflects Duke’s commitment to our students from the Carolinas,” President Vincent Price said. “By providing even more equitable access to a Duke education, and ensuring students have the resources they need to truly thrive while here at Duke, we will also make our campus community stronger.”
According to university officials, all current qualifying undergraduate students from the Carolinas will be eligible for the additional assistance starting in the upcoming fall semester.
First-year students, sophomores, juniors and seniors from the Carolinas who qualify will receive financial aid statements reflecting this new commitment by July 1. Around 340 students are expected to benefit in the upcoming academic year. Gary Bennett is the dean of Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, which admits about 80% of Duke’s undergraduate students.
“We want to make it easier for families to choose Duke,” he said. “Attending college can expand a family’s opportunities for generations, and we aim to make the Duke experience as widely accessible as we can.”
Duke anticipates investing an additional $6 million to $7 million per year to provide increased assistance for the added eligible students they expect to admit from the Carolinas. The institutional grants used to meet the commitment will be in coordination with other sources of support, including federal, state and institutional aid. The total will cover the cost of Duke tuition, which is $63,450 for the 2023-2024 academic year.
“We know that students with greater financial constraints are more likely to choose colleges that are closer to their homes and that many of those students will also choose to stay closer to home after they graduate,” Bennett said. “Retaining talent is critical to our region’s success; Duke’s commitment to these students is also a commitment to the North and South Carolina communities they call home.”
According to Forbes, 1,131 North Carolina residents were enrolled as undergraduates at Duke in the 2022-23 academic year, equaling about 16% of the undergraduate student body — the most of any state. 160 students more were from South Carolina.
“This is our home, and it’s where we have our most long standing commitment,” Price said. “We want families in the Carolinas to know that a Duke education can be affordable and that we will provide support and resources so all students who are admitted to Duke can have an exceptional college experience.”
For more information regarding the program and eligibility requirements, visit financialaid.duke.edu.
