Karsh International Scholarship at Duke University

The Karsh International Scholarship is a need-based merit award offered by Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, for international undergraduate students. Duke is a private research university founded in 1838 with 10 schools and colleges and a student community of roughly 16,000, and the Karsh programme is designed for students who combine financial need with a commitment to interdisciplinary study and community service. The scholarship is fully funded: it covers tuition, mandatory fees, and housing and meals, and provides additional aid if a student's documented costs exceed those items. Karsh Scholars also receive funding across 3 summers for research, unpaid internships or other academic enrichment, plus mentoring and a dedicated scholar community. The award is open to international applicants of all nationalities, and candidates apply for first-year admission while indicating their interest in financial aid. Application deadlines follow Duke's first-year cycle, with Regular Decision typically due in early January 2027. Because the exact award value, covered items and dates are set by Duke each cycle, confirm the current-cycle details on Duke's official financial aid page before you apply.

What's covered

• Tuition — Complete coverage of undergraduate tuition for the Bachelor's degree at Duke University.
• Housing and meals — Full funding of on-campus accommodation and a meal plan for the academic year.
• Mandatory fees — All required university fees are included in the award.
• Additional financial aid — If documented costs exceed tuition, room, board and fees, the scholarship helps cover the remaining gap.
• Summer enrichment funding — Funding across three summers for research, unpaid internships or academic enrichment, a package valued at roughly ~USD 80,000+ / year (est.) overall when combined with tuition and living costs.
• Mentoring and scholar community — Access to mentoring, enrichment programming and the wider Karsh Scholars community at Duke.

How to apply

Apply for first-year admission to Duke, indicate your interest in financial aid, and complete all required aid forms within the deadlines.

1. Apply to Duke University — Submit your first-year application to Duke through the Common Application or Coalition Application and indicate your interest in financial aid.
2. Complete financial aid forms — Fill out all required international financial aid forms via Duke's Financial Aid office so your need can be assessed.
3. Submit supporting materials — Provide transcripts, test scores where required, essays and recommendations as part of the admission file.
4. Meet the deadlines — Apply by the Early Decision deadline in November 2026 or the Regular Decision deadline in early January 2027; aid documents must arrive on time.