Financial Policies

Fall & Spring Student Bills

The Bursar’s Office prepares students’ bills for tuition and fees. Tuition and fees are due before the start of each term. Please consult the Bursar’s Office website for a complete billing schedule (finance.duke.edu/bursar). Students applying for financial aid should complete that process by the assigned due date.

Bills are available electronically on DukeHub, and students will receive a bill via email. Students may view bills and up-to-date student account history on DukeHub. Email bills will also be sent to anyone the student has designated as a guest with access to view online bills.

Payment

Students are encouraged to pay by e-check, a fast and convenient method for paying their bills. To pay by e-check, visit DukeHub or finance.duke.edu/bursar and click the DukePay icon. Payment also may be mailed to the address listed on the bill.

Payment Plan

Duke partners with Nelnet to provide a payment plan for current term charges. For additional information please visit mycollegepaymentplan.com/duke or finance.duke.edu/bursar.

Additional reference information regarding student accounts is available at finance.duke.edu/bursar. Students may also contact the Bursar’s Office for questions regarding their student account. Email bursar@duke.edu, call (919) 684-3531, or fax (919) 684-3091.

Restrictions on Past Due Accounts

As noted above, tuition and fees are due before the start of each term. If a student’s account becomes past due, a late payment penalty charge (not to exceed 1.25 percent of the past due balance from the prior bill) will be assessed on subsequent bills. If the account remains unpaid, a student will not be allowed to register for future semesters and may be administratively withdrawn from Duke. As long as the account is past due, a student will not have access to academic transcripts, have academic credits certified, or receive a diploma at graduation. If the account remains outstanding after a student departs from Duke, it may be referred to a collection agency and reported to a credit bureau.

Summer Student Bills

The Bursar’s Office will prepare bills in April, May, and June for current Duke students enrolled for Summer Session. April and May bills are due on the twelfth of the following month. June bills are due on the first business day of August. Please consult the Bursar’s Office website for a complete billing schedule (finance.duke.edu/bursar). Students will receive bill notifications via their Duke email account and also may view their bills on DukeHub. Email bills will also be sent to anyone the student has designated as a guest with access to view online bills.

Problems meeting these deadlines should be discussed with the Bursar’s Office prior to the start of the term. Failure to meet deadlines may have implications for fall enrollment.

The Summer Session Office will enclose a statement of charges with the confirmation of registration letter sent to all visiting students and Duke graduates. Payment for term charges will be due on the designated due dates.

The Summer Session Office will enclose a statement of charges with the confirmation of registration letter sent to all visiting students and Duke graduates. Payment for term charges will be due on the designated due dates. Summer Session retains the right to withdraw students from classes if they never attend, have not paid tuition and fees, or if they have failed to clear with the Bursar’s Office, by the end of the Drop/Add period. Attendance in classes after the first three days of the term obligates the student to the full tuition and fees for the course.

Students who, subsequent to withdrawal, clear with the Bursar’s Office prior to the midpoint of the particular term may, with written permission of their academic dean, be reinstated in their classes as originally registered and receive regular grades. The administrative withdrawal fee will stand and the student will be liable for full tuition and fees.

Refund Policy

Tuition and mandatory fees are required to be paid in full, regardless of:

• The method of instruction and/or mode of academic delivery;

• Any changes to instructional content, schedule, or duration of the semester;

• Any inability to access Duke University-maintained facilities; and

• Any disruption to or cancellation of activities, events, services, or programs during the academic year.

For the avoidance of doubt, and as has been the Policy of Duke University in the past, tuition and mandatory fees will not be refunded in whole or in part for any reason, except as provided for under the Refund Policy. By paying the tuition and mandatory fees, the student and anyone paying tuition on their behalf acknowledges and accepts these terms.

Fall and Spring Refunds

In the case of withdrawal from the university, tuition will be reduced according to the following schedule: 

Grants or loans will be restored to those funds on the same pro rata basis and will not be refunded or carried forward. In the event of death, a full tuition, fees, and residence hall refund will be granted. In case of a call to military service, a full semester’s tuition, the full purchase price of textbooks from the university’s bookstore, and the pro rata amount of the room charge will be refunded. The outstanding balance of the food service plan will be refunded in case of military service or death.

In the case of dropping special fee courses (e.g., music, art, golf), or of part-time students dropping audit courses, a full refund will be granted to students during the Drop/Add period. Students changing status to part-time are required to request permission at the time of preregistration; therefore, no refunds are granted during the Drop/Add period or subsequently for changes that involve carrying less than a full-time load.

Because Duke University participates in the Title IV federal aid programs, it follows federal guidelines with respect to the refund and repayment of these funds. All first-time students who withdraw within 60 percent of the enrollment period will have their charges and financial aid adjusted according to the federal regulations. Additional information regarding this procedure may be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid. 

Summer Administrative Withdrawal Charges and Refunds

Drop or Administrative Withdrawal Charges. Students who will not be attending a summer term or course for which they have registered must officially drop the course(s) prior to the beginning of the term whether or not they have paid tuition and fees. (See the section Course Changes after Class Begin: Summer Terms in Registration & Courses), Students who fail to drop the course(s) prior to the beginning of the term will be charged $150 per course.

Refunds (Except Study Abroad Programs). Students who will not be attending a summer term or course for which tuition and fees have been paid are eligible for refunds according to the following policy: There is a financial obligation of full tuition and fees if the student withdraws from a course(s) or withdraws from the term after the third day. Full tuition and fees are refunded if the student officially drops a course(s) or withdraws from the term before the first day.