Frequently Asked Questions

I completed the FAFSA using estimated tax information. Do I need to do anything else?

Yes. Once you have filed your 2012 federal tax returns (and your parent(s) have filed their 2012 return, if you are an ABSN student who is considered a dependent student), please log into the FAFSA application to update it with the correct information. We recommend that you use the new IRS Data Retrieval feature on the FAFSA to pull in the updated tax information which is available one to two weeks after filing taxes electronically (e-file). In most cases, your financial aid award will remain the same. However, if there is a change in your award, we will notify you.

I am an ABSN student. I am 23 and I support myself. How can I become independent for financial aid purposes?

Federal guidelines determine whether you are considered independent or dependent for financial aid purposes. This is determined by a series of FAFSA dependency questions. Please note that not being claimed on your parents’ taxes and working to support yourself are NOT factors in determining your dependency status.

My aid award includes information for the 2013-14 year. What about aid during my final semesters?

Financial aid eligibility is reviewed each academic year. Therefore, you will need to complete a 2014-15 FAFSA application in order to receive financial aid for your final semesters. The 2014-15 FAFSA will be available January 1, 2014.

How do I accept my financial aid?

Once you have accepted the offer of admission and forwarded your deposit, you will receive a NETID and password from Duke’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) that you can use to log into ACES. Within ACES, you can review and accept your financial aid. View financial aid acceptance instructions.

I am receiving an outside scholarship. Do I need to report this?

Yes, any outside scholarships must be reported to DUSON’s Office of Financial Aid. You may report the scholarships through email; or through ACES: under the Financial Aid tab, click "report external aid." View outside scholarship reporting instructions.

My 2012 tax return does not reflect my current income. How should I report this?

If you have had an involuntary change in your or your spouse’s/parents’ financial circumstances, such as loss of employment, please send us appropriate documentation and we can review to determine if we are able to make a professional judgment. Please note that leaving your job to participate in a nursing program does NOT constitute an extenuating circumstance that we can consider.

I have other circumstances that I wasn’t able to indicate on the FAFSA or the DUSON Financial Aid application. How can I report this?

If you have high non-discretionary expenses, such as medical or daycare, please provide us with dollar-specific documentation of these expenses. Note that routine medical expenses are already factored in to the Cost of Attendance budget, so we are only able to consider expenses in excess of that allowance. We are NOT able to make adjustments for consumer or routine household expenses, such as credit card debt, car payments, rent/mortgage payments, etc.

When will my financial aid disburse?

Financial aid disburses about a week before classes begin. View disbursement date instructions.

When will I receive my refund check?

The Bursar’s Office begins reviewing account balances prior to the start of classes and begins processing refund checks by the first day of classes. For the quickest delivery of your refund, consider Direct Deposit through the Bursar’s Office. Your funding will be deposited directly into your bank account instead of a paper check being mailed through Campus Mail. You can view your account information through ACES to see if you have a credit balance and when a refund was issued.

How many credit hours do I need to take to receive federal loans?

To receive federal student loans (Stafford, Grad PLUS, Nurse Faculty Loan), a graduate student must be enrolled at least 4.5 credit hours each semester during the fall/spring semesters and 3.0 credit hours during the summer semester. An ABSN student must be enrolled at least 6 credit hours each semester to receive federal student loans. Federal policy does not allow disbursement of a loan during a semester in which a student is enrolled for fewer than the required credit hours.

Follow this link to the Loan FAQs for more information about loans.

How do I access my 1098-t for tax reporting?

Please go to the Bursar website to view this information.

I’m having difficulty understanding how to use my ACES account.

Please refer to the ACES How-To from the SISS Office or the FAQ on the University Registrar page for more information.