Visit each heading below and go directly to the information:
- Applying for Financial Aid
- Financial Aid Awards
- Student Loans
- Disbursements and Student Bursar Account
- Outside Scholarships
Applying for Financial Aid
I did not submit my financial aid applications by the priority deadline, is it too late to apply for financial aid?
Once ABSN students are admitted, it is too late for Duke School of Nursing need-based scholarship consideration. However, you can still submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to receive federal student loans. Current students who want to receive federal loan funding for the second part of their program, must submit the FAFSA for the upcoming academic year by April 1st to receive a financial aid offer by mid-June. This timeframe will allow current students time to review their financial aid offer, accept their federal loans and apply for private student loans prior to the fall Bursar bill due date.
Can I use financial aid to cover the admission deposit? No, financial aid cannot be used to pay the deposit. The Admissions Office manages the admission deposit, and this funding must be paid out of pocket to their office to secure a spot to enroll.
Will I receive my financial aid offer before I pay the admissions deposit? Yes, students will receive a notification to check their Admission portal within two to three weeks after being admitted if the financial aid applications have been received by the priority deadline. The financial aid offer is posted in the Admissions portal upon receipt of the notification. Newly admitted students will have a couple of weeks to review their financial aid offer prior to the admission deadline. If the FAFSA application was submitted after the priority deadline, students will receive a financial aid offer within two weeks of receipt of the FAFSA by the Financial Aid Office.
I am 23 and support myself. Can I become independent for financial aid purposes? Federal guidelines determine whether a student is considered independent or dependent for federal loan purposes. Please note that filing taxes independently and supporting oneself are NOT factors in determining dependency status. The Financial Aid Office cannot change the dependency status on the FAFSA which is determined by the Department of Education.
How can I report expenses not included in the financial aid budget? Students with high medical or daycare expenses, can email us and we will email a Cost of Attendance Request Form with instructions. Routine medical expenses are already factored in the Cost of Attendance budget, so we will only consider expenses which exceed that allowance. We are NOT able to adjust the budget for consumer or routine household expenses, such as credit card debt, car payments, rent/mortgage payments, etc.
Financial Aid Awards
My aid award only includes part of my program. What about aid during my final semesters? Financial aid eligibility is reviewed each academic year which consists of fall, spring, and summer semesters. Therefore, you will need to complete a new FAFSA each academic year you are enrolled and want to borrow federal student loans. The academic year always begins with the fall semester.
Will I need to fill out the FAFSA each year? Yes, submit the FAFSA each academic year of enrollment to borrow federal student loans. The FAFSA application is available each year on October 1st for the next academic year. However, we recommend waiting until the first of January to submit the FAFSA for the next academic year. There are two FAFSA applications available during this time: one for the current academic year and one for the upcoming academic year. Make sure to submit the FAFSA for the next academic year.
How do I accept my financial aid? Once you have accepted the offer of admission and paid your deposit, you will receive a NetID and password from Duke’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) within a couple of weeks. This will allow you to log in to your DukeHub (student portal) account. Within the “Financials” section of the DukeHub you can view, accept, reduce, or decline your financial aid offer. The SISS Office manages the DukeHub and they provide documentation and screenshots for students to help with navigating on their website.
I am receiving an outside scholarship. Do I need to report this to the Financial Aid office? Yes, outside scholarships must be reported to the Financial Aid office per federal policy if you are receiving federal loans. Email us to report outside scholarships.
I am an international student. What financial aid is available to me? International students are not eligible for federal loans or Duke School of Nursing scholarships. International students may be eligible to apply for private student loans with a U.S. cosigner. Duke provides a Recommended Lender list. You are not required to use any lender on this list but use a lender of your choice even if they aren’t on the list. We recommend applying to several lenders to compare interest rates. Use the lender offering the lowest interest rate and the best terms. The other option is to set up a monthly payment plan in the “Financials” section of the DukeHub under Nelnet Payment Plan. For more information, visit the Bursar website.
I am eligible for Veterans benefits. How do I activate this benefit at DUSON? After paying your admission’s deposit, request a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA and submit this to Duke’s Veterans Education office to begin this process. More information regarding Veterans benefits is available on the University Registrar’s website. The Duke Veterans Education office will only activate VA benefits for students who have accepted the offer to attend.
Student Loans
What are the minimum number of credit hours each semester to be eligible for federal loans? ABSN students must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours each semester to be eligible for federal student loans. If you are below the minimum, the loans will not disburse to your Bursar account even if you have accepted them in the DukeHub.
What are the requirements to be eligible for federal loans?
- Accepted into a degree program
- Enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours per semester
- A U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen
- In good standing, with no federal loan default
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress
What is the difference between a Direct Unsubsidized Loan and a Direct Subsidized Loan? Direct Subsidized Loans are offered to undergraduate students with financial need. The subsidized loan is interest free while enrolled in an undergraduate program like the ABSN program. Direct Unsubsidized Loans are available to undergraduate and graduate students; however, the unsubsidized loan begins accruing interest at the time of disbursement. For more information about federal loans, visit the Student Aid website.
What are the current interest rates on the direct unsubsidized and graduate PLUS federal loans? The interest rates and origination fees change annually. Visit the Student Aid website to view the current year’s interest rates.
What is the aggregate loan limit? The aggregate loan limit is the total amount you may borrow for undergraduate studies. Students who are classified as “dependent” on the FAFSA are eligible to borrow up to $31,000 in total for their undergraduate studies including the ABSN program. Students who are classified as “independent” on the FAFSA are eligible to borrow up to $57,500 in total for their undergraduate studies including the ABSN program. Visit the Student Aid website for more information.
How do I find out if I am near my aggregate loan limit? Federal student loan borrowing history is available at studentloans.gov website by logging in with your FAFSA ID and password. Please note that private education loans borrowed for other degrees are not included. You will need to contact your private lender for this information.
Why am I not eligible for the Pell Grant? Pell grants are awarded to students who have not yet completed a bachelor’s degree. Since the ABSN program is a second bachelor’s degree our students are not eligible for this grant.
Federal Direct Parent Plus Loan
The Parent PLUS Loan is an option for parents of ABSN students who are classified as “dependent” on the FAFSA application. The Federal Direct PLUS loan has a fixed interest rate, generous qualifying credit criteria, and flexible repayment plans. Credit approval is required, and you must submit the FAFSA.
How do I receive the federal loans offered to me? Accept the loans in the “Financials” section of the DukeHub under Accept/Decline Awards. After accepting the federal loans, you will be directed to the Student Loan website to complete the master promissory note and entrance counseling. These items will show up in the DukeHub under My Information-To Do’s until received by Duke. Once they are received the items will disappear which means all requirements have been met. The loan will not disburse if these items have not been completed and received by Duke.
How do I apply for a private loan? After accepting the admissions offer, students will receive an email invitation to attend a financial aid webinar. The webinars will be offered weekly during April and May. Register for a webinar time that is most convenient. Webinars will be offered during the daytime and early evening to accommodate everyone’s schedule. Upon registering for the webinar, we will email an Excel spreadsheet with a breakdown of tuition and fees with the offered financial aid for each individual student. During the webinar we will give detailed instructions of how to apply for private student loans, and how to use the Excel spreadsheet which calculates the amount needed from a private lender. Duke provides a Lender List to help students know which companies offer private student loans. You are not required to use anyone on this list. We recommend students apply to multiple lenders to compare interest rates and use the lender offering the lowest interest rate and best terms.
Disbursements and Student Bursar Account
When will my financial aid disburse? Student loans and DUSON need-based scholarships will disburse one week prior to the start of classes each semester. Other awards such as veteran’s benefits, North Carolina FELS, and HRSA Nurse Corps scholarship will disburse approximately 6-8 weeks after the drop/add date each semester.
Why aren't my loans showing up as anticipated aid in the Bursar section of the DukeHub or on my Bursar bill? Only loans that were accepted prior to the bill processing date will show up on the bill as anticipated aid (credit against the bill). Check to make sure the loans were accepted in the “Financials” section of the DukeHub under View Financial Aid. All other aid such as DUSON scholarships are accepted when financial aid offers are processed since this is money granted to the student and isn’t repaid. To accept the loans, go to the “Financials” section of the DukeHub under Accept/Decline awards. Loans must be accepted, if you wish to use them, by the Bursar bill due date to avoid late fees.
When will I receive my refund check? The Bursar Office begins reviewing account balances once the loan and scholarship funding disburses one week prior to the start of classes each semester. Credit balances will be sent to students as a refund. Their office processes refund checks the first day of classes. To expedite receipt of the refund, set up direct deposit through the "Financials" section in the DukeHub. If direct deposit is not set up, refunds checks will be mailed to your preferred mailing address noted in the DukeHub. View your account information in the “Financials” section of the DukeHub under Account Activity-Classic to see if you have a credit balance and if your refund has been processed. The Financial Aid Office does not process refunds.
Does Duke offer a monthly payment plan? Yes, the Bursar Office (Duke’s central billing office for all schools) offers a monthly payment plan option. You can set up a monthly payment plan in the “Financials” section of the DukeHub under Nelnet Payment Plans. More information is available on the Bursar website.
When are payments due each semester? The Bursar Office (Duke’s central billing office for all the schools) posts billing and payment schedules on their website. The bill due date for Fall is August 1st, Spring is the fourth business day in January and Summer is May 12th.
How do I access my 1098-T for tax reporting? The Bursar Office posts these forms in the “Financials” section of the DukeHub by the end of January. For more information, visit the Bursar website.
What is the cost of the ABSN program? Tuition and fees are posted on the Duke School of Nursing website. Tuition and fees change annually and will be different for subsequent years of enrollment. The tuition rate changes are announced in March.
Outside Scholarships
How do I find outside scholarships? We post outside scholarships we think our students will find interesting and are related to the nursing field on our website. There is also a list of outside organizations and scholarship searches on our website.
What happens if I can’t pay my bill?
ABSN students who have no other resources must be able to secure a private loan on their own or by using a cosigner. The bills must be paid each semester to be able to register for a subsequent semester. The Bursar Office who is the central billing office charges a late fee if the bill is not paid by the due date. If the bill is unpaid, a hold will be placed on your account by the Bursar office that will prevent you from registering for classes or receiving a transcript until the past due balance is paid in full. There is no funding available through the School of Nursing once you are admitted to the program.