Financial Support

Full Tuition Grants for Students from the Carolinas

Duke provides full tuition grants for undergraduate students admitted to Duke from North Carolina and South Carolina whose family incomes are $150,000 or less.

For Duke undergraduate students from North Carolina and South Carolina with total family incomes of $65,000 or less, Duke provides full tuition grants plus financial assistance for housing, meals and some course materials or other campus expenses, without the need for student loans.

Need-Based and Merit Scholarships

Need-based and merit scholarships are awarded to incoming students as part of the undergraduate application process; there is no additional application to complete. Current undergrads renew their aid applications every year. We also encourage you to seek out scholarships from third-party organizations to help fund your education.

Financial Support for Master’s Students

Because support for master’s students varies by program, prospective and current students are encouraged to speak to their department program director for details on available financial support, including these opportunities:

Civil & Environmental Engineering Scholarships

Competitive masters students in ourDepartment of Civil & Environmental Engineeringreceive scholarships that typically range from $20,000 to $30,000.

Mission Scholarships

Selected students demonstrating a commitment to fostering a community of unique lived experiences and inclusive perspectives may receive up to 50 percent tuition scholarship annually through our Duke Mission Scholarships. Additional opportunities include up to $10,000 per year for students to engage in research under the guidance of a principal investigator.Contact usfor more details.

Duke Graduate School Fellowships and Scholarships

The Duke Graduate School offers numerous fellowships and other types of funding to support Master of Science students. Find opportunities using thefilterable database here.

Externally Funded Scholarships

For Master of Science and Master of Engineering students, we offer support to recipients of select competitive externally funded scholarships, such as National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellowships and Fulbright Scholarships.

Federal Direct Loan Program

Through the Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, eligible students borrow directly from the U.S. Department of Education to fund study at participating schools. For your FAFSA application, Duke’s school code is 002920. More details are at thegovernment’s student aid website.

Outside Funding Opportunities

Master’s students are encouraged to seek out financial support from third-party organizations to help pay for their education. As a resource, we have compiledthis list of independent third-party funding opportunities.

On-Campus Work

Many master’s students work on the Duke campus, including for libraries or departments. Teaching assistantships are available in various departments, and some departments have research assistantships as well. These positions are paid an hourly rate, and most students work between 10 to 20 hours per week. Generally, positions are posted and filled a week or two before classes begin each semester.

Funding for Doctoral Students is Guaranteed

Duke provides a competitive, guaranteed support package:

• Five years of stipend
• Five years of paid tuition and fees
• Six years of health and dental insurance coverage

Plus, academic departments may provide support beyond the guaranteed funding package.

Prospective and current students should talk to their program’sdirector of graduate studies (DGS)to learn about specific opportunities.

Stipend

All Duke PhD students in their five-year guaranteed funding period receive 12-month stipends.

In Year 6 and beyond, stipend support is at the discretion of each program.

Students with questions about funding resources should contact the engineering school’sAssociate Dean for Doctoral Education.

Paid Tuition & Fees

Tuition and fees are covered for the first five years for all Duke PhD students by either Duke’s Graduate School or external fellowships.

In Year 6, as long as students make an effort to get tuition and fee support from their department or an external source, their tuition and mandatory fees are covered. Most sixth-year students receive external or departmental funding to cover tuition and fees, and those who apply for funding but don’t receive it are eligible for asixth-year tuition and fee scholarshipfrom Duke.

In Year 7 and beyond, tuition and fees are paid by external funding, departmental funding or the student. PhD programs differ in whether they provide support, so check with your DGS.

Health and Dental Insurance Coverage

Duke’s Graduate School covers the full premiums for medical and dental insurance for all PhD students in their first six years of study, as long as they are on the Duke student medical insurance plan and student dental plan.Learn more about the plans. Students are responsible for any dependent coverage premiums.

In Year 7 and beyond, students are responsible for paying premiums. The premiums could also be covered by external fellowships or departmental funding, if available. Alternately, premiums of PhD students serving as research assistants are covered no matter what year they are in.

Additional Opportunities

Sloan Scholarships

Duke awards Sloan Scholarships each year in nine academic departments, including the four departments of the Pratt School of Duke Engineering:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science

In addition to Duke’s guaranteed funding package, Sloan Scholars receive $40,000 over five years and benefit from the guidance of designated faculty champions.

External Research Fellowships

During your first year at Duke, we’ll help you develop a strong proposal for a major external fellowship.

Opportunities include:

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship(NSF GRFP)
• National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship(NDSEG)
• Department of Defense Science, Mathematics & Research for Transformation Scholarship(DoD SMART)