<p>I was accepted into Duke Class of 2018 during the RD round and was pleasantly surprised at the EFC listed under my financial aid package. I have always been told that you would have to be nearly "dirt poor" for Duke to offer truly generous aid. Yet, my family's income is a little over $150,000 and my EFC is around $30,000 (excluding work-study). None of my other schools, including my flagship state school and Dartmouth, offer as much as Duke has and I am a little wary because my acceptance of Duke's offer is heavily dependent upon my family's ability to afford it. Is the offer really too good to be true?</p>
<p>I do have a sister who currently attends college at a branch of our flagship state school. Does that strongly affect the amount of aid I receive? If she were to graduate in early 2016, should I expect Duke's aid to take a nose dive?</p>
<p>Another potential cause for concern is Duke's work-study program. I plan on pursuing the pre-med track at Duke and, though it is difficult in any school, I know it will be especially challenging at this particular institution. Would the demands of work-study negatively impact my success in school? Would I be guaranteed to earn $2,200 as indicated in my financial aid package?</p>
<p>Finally, the estimated total coast for the 2014-2015 school year is around $65,000 without any sort of financial aid and including room/board/books. Generally, how accurate is this estimate? Some people have warned that the total cost is alarmingly close to the estimate. Others assured me that it is much lower, especially if I plan on purchasing the smallest meal plan and buying most if not all of my books used.</p>
<p>Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated. Duke is my dream school but, as difficult as the decision may be, I can't justify bankrupting my family for the Blue Devil name. Thank you in advance!</p>
I wouldn’t worry about work-study negatively impacting your success at school. You’re not ‘guarenteed’ to earn anything-- you earn it through working and the schedule you set for yourself. For example,I’m an America Reads/America Counts tutor at the moment (working in Durham Public Schools) which pays $13.75/hr and does some incredible work in the community. I’m able to earn my W-S alottment by working about 6-7 hours a week. If you’re working in a lab at a lower rate (I also work for a department making $8.25), you can calculate how many hrs/week you’ll need.</p>
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In your first year, the meal plan differential will not be that large because all first years are on a board plan (with a set number of meals at Marketplace). That’ll change when after your first-year though, when you’ll have a little flexibility. Used books are possible, but if you’re pre-med, a lot of those courses have online interactive requirements where buying used isn’t possible.</p>
<p>Please please have a conversation about money after your sibling graduates NOW. I want you to come to Duke too, but I want it to be the right choice for you.</p>
<p>@WhiteTopaz: First, my sincere congratulations on your acceptance and welcome to the global community of Dukies, of all ages, all backgrounds, and all philosophies – but, also, all Duke. I am glad you have found your financial assistance package to be generous – and it is NOT too good to be true. Duke has worked very hard, throughout the last forty years, to increase massively grants (and other FA) in order to make a superb undergraduate education available to the most deserving individuals, with the greatest potential, regardless of family affluence I hope you’ll seize this opportunity; it will forever enhance your life. I also hope you’ll do one other thing, although it is far in the future. Several decades from now, when you (and your family) are in excellent shape (in significant part, due to Duke – education and more), please remember that earlier generations of Dukies made substantial sacrifices to endow scholarships and to donate yearly in support of your FA. Therefore, please make support of FA/scholarships at Duke a true priority in your future, so you can enable the same sort of life-altering advantages to the generations that will follow you, which others have done for you. </p>