Some students will receive a huge reprieve this fall.
Duke University will give full tuition grants to undergraduate students with North Carolina and/or South Carolina residencies that meet certain income restrictions per a recent announcement made by the school.
admitted to Duke from North Carolina and South Carolina whose family incomes are $150,000 or less.
The grants will be for Carolina families who can prove annual earnings of $65,000 or less, Duke will provide full tuition grants, in addition to financial assistance for housing, meals and some course materials or other campus expenses.
“This additional financial support for undergraduates reflects Duke’s commitment to our students from the Carolinas,” President Vincent Price said in a statement. “By 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.”
This comes at a time when student loan debt is at an all-time high and borrowers are facing deep concerns about their ability to pay back sizable sums taken out to cover their expensive tuition.
As previously reported by ESSENCE, college tuition costs have risen 180% over the last 40 years, and the average cost per year is around $28k.
This can be traced to the uptick in student loan debt, which is at $1.75 trillion according to Nerdwallet. A student, on average borrows up to $30,030 for a bachelor’s degree at a non-private college according to the Education Data Initiative.
“We want to make it easier for families to choose Duke,” said Gary Bennett, dean of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, which admits about 80 percent of Duke’s undergraduate students. “Attending college can expand a family’s opportunities for generations, and we aim to make the Duke experience as widely accessible as we can.”