Financial Support
You Have Questions. Let’s Figure Them Out Together.
As with many big questions, it can help to break it down into manageable chunks. Let’s start with this one: How much will it cost?
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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.
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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 our Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering receive 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 us for 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 the filterable 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 the government’s student aid website.
Outside Funding Opportunities
Master’s students are encouraged to seek out support from organizations whose mission is to help students pay for their educations. One place to start is this list of selected external 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.
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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’s director 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’s Associate 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 a sixth-year tuition and fee scholarship from 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:
Have Questions?
We’re here with answers. Get in touch.
By telephone:
Undergraduate Financial Support: +1 919-684-6225
Graduate School Office of Financial Aid: +1 919-681-3247