Scholarship Assistance

Duke Law School offers scholarship assistance to selected incoming students. Although most scholarships are based on merit and financial need, a number of scholarships are granted based solely on the applicant’s potential, as reflected by the strength of the admission application.

Scholarship awards are generally made in the form of a contract committing the school to a total grant to be disbursed over six semesters or three years of full-time law school enrollment. Students seeking scholarship assistance should file a scholarship application soon after being selected for admission to the law school. The fact that a student plans to apply for financial aid will not affect the decision on the application for admission.

Specially Funded Scholarships

Many of the law school’s scholarships are funded from general endowment and other law school revenues. Some scholarship candidates are selected each year for support from one of several specially endowed scholarship funds. The criteria for these named awards vary; all students applying for aid will be considered for any special scholarships for which they may be eligible.

Upper-Level Awards

Virtually all available scholarship funds are allocated to entering students and to students continuing under a scholarship contract awarded at the time of admission. No additional scholarship funding is typically available to upper-level students.