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Duke University Scholarships
By
Kira Ranieri
Kira is a content writer at Scholarships360. Kira earned a Bachelor of Media and Journalism with a concentration in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University.
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Gabriel Jimenez-Ekman is the Director of Content at Scholarships360. He has written over 300 articles on college admissions, financial aid, and scholarships, in addition to spearheading research projects for Scholarships360's Top Colleges resource. Gabriel graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in sociology.
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Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina is an elite research university that is considered one of the top institutions in the world. While many people probably know Duke from their storied basketball team, the University has a variety of strong academic programs across the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and the Pratt School of Engineering.
Duke has a high sticker price, as it is a private university, but many students who are accepted end up receiving substantial financial aid. Unlike some other elite institutions (such as the Ivy League schools), Duke University scholarships include both need-based and merit-based awards for incoming students.
Let’s take a look at the scholarships Duke offers:
Duke’s Merit scholarships
Duke’s merit scholarships simply require a candidate to submit their admissions application–no other forms are needed (students also do not need to submit the financial aid documents to be considered for merit scholarships). The one exception to this is the Robertson Scholarship which is awarded to students with a strong track record of leadership. Other Duke University scholarships include:
- A. B. Duke Memorial Scholars Program
- Alumni Endowed Scholars Program
- B.N. Duke Scholars Program
- Clark Scholars Program
- Karsh International Scholars Program
- Nakayama Public Service Scholars Program
- Reginaldo Howard Memorial Scholars Program
- Robertson Scholars Leadership Program
- Trinity Scholars Program
- University Scholars Program
Also see: Merit-Based vs. Need-Based Aid: Everything You Need to Know
Need-based scholarships
Duke is one of the few colleges in the country to be both need-blind in admissions (meaning that they do not take financial need into account when making admissions decisions) and meet 100% of a student’s demonstrated financial need.
In order to apply for need-based financial aid, students must submit both the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile. Duke also provides grants based on need. When you apply for financial aid, Duke takes your financial circumstances into consideration to see if you qualify for receiving grants, so you don’t have to apply for them separately.
Outside financial aid
Duke’s merit scholarships can be quite competitive, so it’s a good idea to also look into outside scholarships. With an acceptance rate of only 6%, Duke is a very prestigious university. If you are accepted then it is likely that you’ll qualify for other competitive merit scholarships.
Some of the top national merit scholarships include the QuestBridge Scholars Program, the Taco Bell Live Mas Scholarship, and the Generation Google Scholarship. These are just a few of the outside national merit scholarships to consider, but check out our full list of merit scholarships for more options!
There’s also plenty of outside financial aid available for students who demonstrate financial need. These could include scholarships or grants, such as the Pell Grant.
Check out: Top Need Based Scholarships