Duke is offering some students free tuition. What about other NC colleges? What we know

Evan Moore
·2 min read

In an effort to make education more affordable and accessible, Duke University will provide free tuition to undergraduate students from North Carolina and South Carolina with family incomes of $150,000 or less starting this fall, the university announced Tuesday.

For undergraduate students in the Carolinas whose family incomes are $65,000 or less, Duke will provide additional financial assistance for the costs of housing, meals, course materials, and other campus expenses, as well as free tuition, The News & Observer reported.

Though students with family incomes between $65,000-$150,000 will still be required to pay fees for housing and meal plans, covering tuition will cover “the vast majority” of the expenses associated with attending Duke, Gary Bennett, dean of Duke’s Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, told the N&O.

The Duke bursar’s website lists the cost of undergraduate tuition for the 2023-2024 school year as $31,725 per semester, for a total of almost $63,500 for the year.

Like Duke, other colleges in the Carolinas provide assistance that could save students thousands in expenses.

Here are programs that offer free or discounted tuition rates for North Carolina and South Carolina residents.

NC Promise

The NC Promise program lowers tuition costs to $500 per semester at four UNC System schools for North Carolina residents: Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, UNC Pembroke, and Western Carolina University.

According to the UNC System, the program has no eligibility requirements, but the discount does not apply to graduate programs.

Students who enroll in the program may still have to pay additional housing and meal plan fees.

Free tuition in SC

According to the S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs, South Carolina provides free tuition at state-supported universities for residents who are the children of certain veterans.

Those eligible include children of veterans who:

  • Were killed in action

  • Died from other causes while in the service

  • Died from a disease or disability resulting from the service

  • Were prisoners of war

  • Are permanently disabled

  • Were awarded a Purple Heart or Congressional Medal of Honor

Applications for tuition assistance for children of veterans can be completed online.

Children of firefighters, law enforcement officers, or government employees who were killed or disabled in the line of duty also receive free tuition at state universities, according to South Carolina law.

Certification is required from the agency of the parent’s employment, according to Clemson University.