Financial Literacy, Wellness, and Policies

•  MD Students:  CSS Profile
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• FAFSA on the Web
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• IRS Form 4506-T - Requesting a tax transcript (required if selected for federal verification)
  • IRS Data Retrieval Tool – Allows students and parents to access the IRS tax return information needed to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and transfer the data directly into their FAFSA from the IRS Web site.
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  • AAMC Financial Wellness Program
• How To Create a Budget 
  • Monthly Budget - excel 
• How to Manage Your Student Loans
• Repayment: What to Expect
• Personal Finance: Duke Personal Finance has launched Borrowing 101 for incoming Graduate Students, the sessions are designed to review important terms within the federal loan program.  To register, go to their website using the link above and look for Scheduled Seminars & Events.

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    • Benefits Outreach Coordinators are available to help answer questions about eligibility and the application process and assist with completing SNAP/FNS/Food Stamp application online or over the phone.https://foodbankcenc.org/our-work/programs/bene... or phone: 919-909-7469

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Loans for Graduate and Professional Students

Eligibility and Disbursement of Refunds

• Financial Aid Recipients: Students receiving financial aid are eligible for refunds starting the first week of classes, provided they have completed all required forms. The amount refunded will reflect any overpayment resulting from financial aid that exceeds tuition and fees.

• Students on Sanction and Appealing:  

• Students who are currently under disciplinary sanction and prohibited from attending class will have aid cancelled until permitted to allow to return.
• Students who are currently under disciplinary sanction and have requested an appeal and are permitted to attend class during the appeal process are entitled to receive aid and refunds 

                          ▪ Students that successfully appeal and are permitted to continue enrollment will have no changes to aid.

                          ▪ Students whose appeal is denied but are allowed to continue enrollment will have no change to aid.

                          ▪ Students whose appeal is denied and the student is not permitted to continue enrollment will be subject to R2T4.

 Additional Notes:

• Refunds are processed according to institutional policies and federal financial aid regulations.

• Students are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office for updates regarding disbursements and eligibility. 

The Duke University School of Medicine Financial Aid Office may consider special circumstances to adjust a student’s expected family contribution, standard cost of attendance (COA), and/or financial aid dependency status in accordance with federal guidelines. Any adjustment requests must be well-documented, reasonable in relation to the cost of attendance, and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

However, adjustments to this standard budget may be considered for documented special circumstances. These are evaluated on a case-by-case basis through a process known as Professional Judgment. Students seeking an adjustment should contact our office by phone or email to determine the specific documentation required for review. Any approved expense increase will be offered as a federal direct loan if a student has completed the FAFSA. Any approved professional judgement expense will not be awarded in grants and/or scholarships.

Please note: Professional Judgment requests apply only to expenses for the 2026-2027 academic year, based on your program’s start and end dates.

Important Information:

•Requests will be considered only if the student has accepted all offered financial aid, including federal loans.
•Students who decline federal loans are not eligible to submit a Professional Judgment request.
•Approved increases to your cost of attendance will be offered only as a Federal Direct Loan, provided a valid FAFSA is on file.
•Grants and scholarships will not be awarded to cover request increase in Cost of Attendance.
•Students should allow up to 10 business days to receive a decision via their Duke student email account.
•If approved, you will receive a breakdown of the approved expenses along with steps to accept additional loan funding. If denied, you will be notified by email.

The Duke University School of Medicine Financial Aid Office follows federal regulations in establishing a standard student budget for all aid recipients. This budget includes estimated tuition and fees, average housing costs, typical expenses for books and supplies, and standard transportation costs for commuting students within Durham, Wake, and Orange counties, however, adjustments may be made for the following documented circumstances:

CHILD CARE EXPENSES: Costs for childcare may be considered for dependent children who are younger than school age or have special needs, as documented by a medical provider. Please note that increases cannot be made in terms of food or shelter costs for dependents.

The maximum allowances are:
     •Full-day daycare: $1,100 per month, Half-day daycare: $458 per month (per qualifying child)

If a student has an employed partner contributing to household income, the maximum allowance is limited to 50% of the monthly amount per dependent child.

Submission Requirements:

            Requests must include a statement with the student’s name and the name of each child. Please specify the childcare payment amount, either per week or per month, for each child.

Please note, under federal student loan guidelines, childcare costs cannot be considered for married students whose spouse is a stay-at-home parent. Additionally, in-home care provided by a nanny or similar service is not eligible for consideration.

HOUSING EXPENSES
Include rent or mortgage plus utilities for a student’s portion only. If a student shares the housing/utilities with a roommate, partner, or spouse, the request of the housing will be divided in half. The allowable housing increase request cannot exceed 125% of the housing amount of $1,580 listed in the Cost of Attendance. Maximum amount requested, including utilities, cannot exceed $1,975.

Submission Requirements: Student name listed on lease (start and end dates) or mortgage statement and 3 months of utility bills (average will be determined).

AUTO EXPENSES
Include major car repairs (beyond regular maintenance and normal wear and tear).
        Submitted Requirements: Student name listed on date and paid receipt(s) and a description of the work completed.

DOCUMENTED SPECIAL NEEDS OR DISABILITY EXPENSES that may be considered include special services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment, and supplies that are reasonably incurred and not provided by other agencies. Proof of specific disability from agency or provider and documentation of expenses, such as receipts or statement of services is required.

MEDICAL/DENTAL EXPENSES not covered by insurance - Documentation of significant out-of-pocket medical and/or dental expenses not covered by insurance during the current year and paid by the student may be submitted for consideration. Students must provide documentation that details (our office does not need to know what the services are for).
Submitted Requirements:
•Original medical/dental expenses with the patient’s name, date of service(s) and the medical/dental provider contact information
•Amount paid (or to be paid) by insurance and any other amount to be adjusted off the balance due
•Amount actually paid (or to be paid) on this service by the student

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES that have not been addressed above that you would like our office to consider:
•Attach a summary of the circumstance(s)
•Attach documentation that pertains to request

Conditions that do NOT merit COA adjustments include (but are not limited to):
▪Household expenses
▪Consumer indebtedness (including but not limited to, auto loans, credit card payments, student loan payments, income taxes, legal expenses)
▪Financial support of a spouse or dependents
▪Additional food purchases beyond budget

Request for consideration of increasing the Cost of Attendance budget can be emailed to finaid-som@dm.duke.edu:

Please complete this FORM and attach documentation to your request.
If your request is approved, you will receive instructions on how to accept additional federal aid, along with a detailed breakdown of the approved expenses. If your request is denied, you will receive an email explaining the decision.

Please allow up to 10 business days to receive notification.

Financial Aid Policies and Procedures Manual

Federal regulations stipulate that, in order to qualify for any Federal Title IV student aid programs (including Federal Work-Study, Federal Direct/PLUS Loans, and NCFELS Programs), students must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress (SAP). SAP refers to meeting degree requirements according to specific milestones that ensure completion within the designated time frame. There are three criteria for SAP: Qualitative (grades) and Quantitative (pace – time to complete the degree) and Maximum Timeframe.

The chart below outlines the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for each program, including both the Qualitative and Quantitative guidelines as well as the evaluation period for SAP. 

Qualitative

 For SAP calculations, students must successfully complete courses with grades or evaluations such as CR (Credit), NCR (No Credit), S (Satisfactory), H (Honors), HP (High Pass), P (Pass), LP (Low Pass), or letter grades A, B, or C. Grades that could indicate failure to meet the qualitative SAP requirement include F (Fail), I (Incomplete), or U (Unsatisfactory). 

Quantitative (PACE)

Pace is measured by comparing the cumulative number of credit hours a student has successfully completed to the number of credit hours attempted. Alternatively, pace may be determined by assessing whether the student has completed the number of credit hours required by a specific point in time to ensure on-time program completion within the established maximum timeframe. Students must maintain a minimum pace of 70% or 100% (based on program) to remain eligible for financial aid and to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress.

The standard time for completing the required coursework is set by each program. Students have a designated number of years to finish their program, as specified in the chart below under Maximum Timeframe.

Most programs require students to successfully complete at least 70% of the total credit hours in which they are enrolled. Progress is assessed by dividing the number of successfully completed credits by the number of credits attempted. The chart below details the completion percentage required for each program. 

The federal government defines the maximum timeframe for degree completion as 150% of the program’s published length, measured in credit hours. For example, if a program requires 120 credit hours to graduate, the maximum timeframe would be 180 attempted credit hours (120 x 150%).

To maintain eligibility for federal financial aid (including loans), students must be able to complete all degree requirements before exceeding this maximum timeframe. If the Financial Aid Office determines at any point that it is mathematically impossible for a student to complete their program within the maximum timeframe, federal aid eligibility must be terminated immediately—not when the limit is reached, but when it is determined it will be exceeded. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is reviewed annually after grades are posted at the end of each program's academic year. A student who does not meet any of the SAP standards outlined above will lose eligibility for Title IV federal aid until they either meet the SAP requirements again or submit an appeal that is approved. Students are encouraged to regularly review their grades and compare them to the criteria established in the SAP Policy to assess whether they are meeting the required standards. Those not meeting these requirements will be notified via their Duke email account.

Students will have 3 business days to notify the financial aid office of their intent to appeal or not to appeal.  

Students who lose eligibility for Title IV aid can appeal the decision if they believe there are extraordinary circumstances that prevented them from meeting SAP standards. To initiate an appeal, the student must submit a letter, either in writing or by email, to the financial aid office. The office will then forward the appeal to the SAP Title IV committee. While a letter of support from the student's academic dean is helpful, it is not required. Additional documentation, such as letters from medical professionals, counselors, or other non-family third-party professionals familiar with the situation, may also be submitted to support the appeal. The students should also explain what changes in their circumstances will enable them to meet SAP requirements in the next review period.