Grants & Scholarships

Duke provides three different types of scholarships:

 

 

Need-based grants & scholarships

Need-based grants & scholarships such as the Duke University Scholarship are funds that Duke provides to students to help cover their cost of attendance.  This funding is free to the student and never has to be repaid.  How much grant funding a student is eligible to receive is based on their demonstrated need. 

Some need-based grants from Duke come from endowment donations from alumni and loyal friends of the University, and are therefore named after the benefactor(s).  The criteria for some of these named scholarships are very general, while other named scholarships support students from a certain state or town or with a specific major.  Just like the Duke University Scholarship, however, these named scholarships are purely need-based grants and are only provided to those with demonstrated need.

Duke University Scholarships and endowed scholarships can go to students who have been determined to have institutional need.  These scholarships can be used to pay any of the expenses associated with the student’s total cost of attendance including but not limited to: tuition and mandatory fees, room, board, other institutional fees, course fees, travel included in budget, health insurance, books and supplies, personal expenses.  Exceptions to this general rule are the Braxton-Craven Scholarships and NC Math Scholarships; both are restricted to tuition only.

 

Athletic Scholarships

Duke offers a limited number of athletic scholarships to undergraduates of extraordinary talent and accomplishment. 

Many years ago, Duke made an institutional decision to build a strong athletics program, which enabled the university’s teams to excel in competition against the best teams in the country. In 2007 - 2008 Duke allocated full scholarships to more than 300 student-athletes.  These full scholarships were divided among 18 Duke athletic teams, proportionally between men and women.

Please visit the Athletics and Recreation website for more information on Athletics at Duke. 

 

 

Merit Scholarships

Duke University also offers a limited number of merit scholarships. All applicants for admission are automatically considered for any available merit scholarship; specific applications are not required, and are not available. Our merit scholarship programs do not require that the winner demonstrate need; merit scholarships are based on the student's academic and personal profile.

Currently enrolled students are not eligible for merit scholarship consideration. The Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows (OUSF) is responsible for the selection of merit scholars. For more information, please visit the Office of Scholars and Fellows.  Scholarship descriptions are available below:

 

 

Angier B. Duke Memorial Scholarship - The Angier B. Duke Memorial Scholarships were created to recognize young men and women who have demonstrated, through their excellent academic and personal records, outstanding promise of achievement in their chosen fields. These merit scholarships stem from the Angier B. Duke Memorial, Inc., established in 1925 by Benjamin N. Duke and Sarah P. Duke to honor their son, Angier Buchanan Duke. The award is subject to renewal for the scholar's four years of undergraduate study. In addition to full tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board, A. B. Duke Scholars spend one summer studying in New College at Oxford University through the Duke in Oxford Study Abroad Program and are offered up to $5,000 for research or other educational enrichment programs.  Up to 15 students are offered the A.B. Duke Scholarship from the entering freshman class.  There is no separate application, and students are chosen by the Office of University Scholars and Fellows.


Benjamin N. Duke Scholarship - The Benjamin N. Duke Memorial Scholarship Program was established in 1986 to attract the most exceptional students from the Carolinas to Duke University. The B.N. Duke Scholarship covers tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board, and also provides summer leadership experiences in the Carolinas.  The program recognizes North and South Carolina's brightest and most highly motivated leaders and recruits them to Duke in order to apply their talents and energy in enhancing the academic atmosphere, as well as student body activism. B.N. Duke Scholars are provided not only with an intellectually challenging environment but also with opportunities to utilize their leadership skills within the University and surrounding communities.  Every year, 10 students chosen by the Office of University Scholars and Fellows are accepted into the program.


Reginaldo Howard Scholarship - Through the generosity of the Reginaldo Howard Memorial Scholarship Fund and the family of Reginaldo Howard, Duke University provides five scholarships annually to first-year students of African heritage who demonstrate outstanding leadership ability, scholastic achievement, community involvement, and evidence of serious commitment to a life of service to others. The award covers full tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and is subject to renewal for the scholar's four years of undergraduate study. In addition, Reggie Howard scholars are offered up to $5,000 for research, study abroad, or other educational enrichment programs. Recipients can expect that any demonstrated financial need beyond the award value will be covered by grants.


University Scholars Program - Designed to stimulate an interdisciplinary, intergenerational community of scholars, the University Scholars Program was created in 1998 with a gift from Duke University Trustee Melinda French Gates and her husband Bill Gates, through the William H. Gates Foundation. University Scholars from the undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools are selected for their ability to explore new academic horizons. They represent a range of personal and intellectual backgrounds and share an excitement for original research, collaborative thinking, and innovative scholarship.  Every year, about 10 students are offered this exciting scholarship opportunity which covers tuition, fees, room and board.


Alumni Endowed Scholars - In 1979, the Duke Alumni Association (DAA) established The Alumni Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship to recognize the academic and personal achievements of children or grandchildren of Duke alumni who are accepted for undergraduate admission to Duke University. The Alumni Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship is awarded on the basis of academic achievement, leadership performance, and meritorious activity outside the classroom. Scholarship recipients also must demonstrate some financial assistance from Duke as determined by the director of Financial Aid.  The scholarship covers tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board, and is offered to one incoming student a year.


Robertson Scholars Program - This history-making undergraduate scholarship program was created and funded by visionary alumnus Julian Robertson and his wife, Josie. Each year, the Robertson Scholars Program selects 30 new scholars - half matriculate at Duke University and half at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. All exhibit academic excellence, leadership potential, a commitment to community service, and behavior that is grounded in strong ethical principles. And every Robertson Scholar has two dynamic intellectual homes at two superb universities: Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill.