Duke to Expand Aid for NC and SC Students
Duke to provide full tuition for eligible students with family incomes below $150,000
鈥淭his additional financial support for undergraduates reflects Duke鈥檚 commitment to our students from the Carolinas,鈥 President Vincent Price said. 鈥淏y 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.鈥
For more information about the program, visit a on the Financial Aid website.
All current undergraduates from the Carolinas who qualify will be eligible for the additional assistance starting in the fall 2023 semester. Qualifying first-year students, sophomores, juniors and seniors from the Carolinas will receive financial aid statements by July 1 that reflect this new commitment. About 340 students are expected to benefit in the next academic year.
鈥淲e want to make it easier for families to choose Duke,鈥 said Gary Bennett, dean of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, which admits about 80 percent of Duke鈥檚 undergraduate students. 鈥淎ttending college can expand a family鈥檚 opportunities for generations, and we aim to make the Duke experience as widely accessible as we can.鈥
Duke students from military families who meet the income requirements and whose legal residence is in the Carolinas will also qualify, even if they are stationed elsewhere.
Duke has more undergraduate students from North Carolina than from any other state. In the 2022-23 academic year, 1,131 North Carolina residents from 65 counties were enrolled as undergraduates, representing 16 percent of the undergraduate student body. More than half attended public high schools. A further 160 are from South Carolina.
鈥淭his is our home, and it's where we have our most longstanding commitment,鈥 Price said. 鈥淲e 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.鈥
This expansion of financial support will be funded through university resources, and is expected to increase grant assistance to North and South Carolina students by about $2 million for the 2023-24 academic year.
鈥淲e 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,鈥 Bennett said. 鈥淩etaining talent is critical to our region鈥檚 success; Duke鈥檚 commitment to these students is also a commitment to the North and South Carolina communities they call home.鈥
Duke expects to enroll more eligible students from the Carolinas over the next five years and anticipates investing an additional $6 million to $7 million per year to provide the increased assistance.
The new program adds to Duke鈥檚 array of financial and structural support for students, including more than $130 million each year in financial aid grant assistance, and the program to support first-generation and lower-income students. Duke is committed to providing qualifying students the financial resources that help them get to Duke, as well as additional programming and resources to support them throughout their time at Duke.
In addition, the university鈥檚 include two programs specifically for students from the Carolinas, the Trinity Scholarships and the Benjamin N. Duke Memorial Scholars program.
More details about the program and eligibility requirements can be found at . Learn more about Duke鈥檚 engagement in North Carolina .