Applying for Scholarships
Section 2
Scholarship Applications
Duke Law School awards three-year scholarships to entering law students. All scholarships are based in part on merit, defined broadly to include academic excellence as well as a range of other personal accomplishments and experiences.
If you wish to be considered for scholarship assistance, you must complete the Scholarship Application Form and Need Access.
Beginning in December, we will send selected applicants the Duke Law Scholarship Application Form. You will use this form to indicate whether you would like to be evaluated for a scholarship using one of two options: (1) on the basis of both merit and financial need, or (2) on the basis of merit only. Candidates who wish to be considered for assistance based on both merit and financial need will be asked to provide personal and family financial information through Need Access. Except for those students who have significant personal and/or family resources, all candidates are urged to complete Need Access so that they can be considered for the full range of available need- and merit-based scholarships.
Note: In determining need, the law school considers all sources of income, including parents' income and financial situation.
Some scholarship candidates are selected each year to receive special recognition as named scholars. Applicants are considered for these scholarships based on their scholarship application; no separate application is necessary. The most significant scholarship offered by Duke Law School is the Samuel Fox Mordecai Scholarship. It is a merit-based scholarship that covers full tuition for three years of law school. The scholarship is designed to recognize and continue to nurture outstanding leaders. Recipients are selected based on their academic records and demonstrated accomplishments.
Students that are selected for admission are encouraged to apply for scholarship funding as early as possible. Materials submitted late in the admissions decision process will put the student at a disadvantage; as our funding is limited, we may not be able to fund late applicants.
External Scholarship Opportunities
We strongly recommend that you take advantage of external scholarship opportunities and services. The internet is a valuable tool to use in search of scholarships from organizations outside the Law School, such as non-profit, civic, and faith-based organizations. The Office of Financial Aid also maintains a list of applicable external scholarship opportunities. Additionally, we recommend that you perform searches through local and state Bar Associations.
