The Duke Graduate School is committed to supporting Ph.D. students facing significant financial hardship or medical expenses due to emergency events. The Medical Assistance and Financial Hardship Support Fund (MAFHSF), first established in 2006 and expanded in 2018, provides grants to help eligible students manage unexpected costs that have a demonstrable impact on their well-being and academic progress.
Assistance takes the form of a grant to cover the expense up to predetermined amount. For medical expenses, applicants should first submit insurance claims and determine out-of-pocket expenses before applying for assistance through this program. Documentation will also be required for non-medical-related expenses.
Eligibility
- You must be a full-time Ph.D. student currently enrolled at the Duke University Graduate School, and the hardship event should have occurred during your enrollment.
- For medical assistance, you must also be enrolled in the Duke Student Medical Insurance Plan.
- For hardship (non-medical) assistance, you must be able to provide documentation that shows evidence of hardship.
- Eligibility ends automatically upon graduation, reduction to less than full-time enrollment, or termination of university affiliation. Registration for continuation is considered full-time enrollment.
Limits and Conditions
The MAFHSF is designed to assist with temporary hardship caused by significant emergency events that have occurred within the same academic year as the application. Eligible Ph.D. students may receive each type of support (medical or financial) once per academic year, with a maximum of:
- $10,000 per academic year (July 1–June 30) for medical assistance.
- $5,000 per academic year (July 1–June 30) for financial hardship support.
- If you are approved for both subsidies in the same year, the combined total you can receive across both awards may not exceed $12,000.
Unqualified Expenses
Support from the MAFHSF is not intended to subsidize the cost of routine and/or chronic expenses. Unqualified expenses include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Credit card debts
- Expenses incurred before enrollment at the Duke University Graduate School
- Health insurance premiums
- Taxes
- Loan repayment
- Routine dental work, unless such work is triggered by unforeseeable and exceptional events
- Pet-related costs
- Relocation costs
- Routine transportation maintenance
- Support for family members
- The purchase of a vehicle or car insurance
- Visa application fees
Application Process
- Complete the online application: Follow the instructions in the sections below for either the Medical Expense Assistance or Hardship (Non-Medical) Assistance application.
- Review Process: Applications will be reviewed by a subsidy committee meeting twice a month.
- Award Decision: After reviewing and discussing your application, the subsidy committee will notify you promptly of the decision and award amount or reason for denial.
- Receiving Funds: If approved, funds are disbursed via direct deposit or mailed check, depending on your setup with Duke.
How to Apply for Medical Expense Assistance
- Schedule an appointment with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (800-579-8022) to review your insurance statements and make sure your bills are correct.
- Complete the Medical Expense Assistance online application.
- The following items are requested with your application:
- A one-page personal statement of need explaining the nature of your illness or medical emergency, how much you are required to pay, why these costs present a hardship for you, and any other pertinent special circumstances.
- A federal income tax statement for the most recent tax year (if you are an international student who will not pay taxes, please contact us about what documents we might need in place of the tax statement).A financial aid letter for the current academic year (can be a letter from a department official, such as the director of graduate study, detailing stipend and fellowship support).
- Copies of insurance statements and copies of the original receipts for medical costs not covered by the Duke Student Medical Insurance Plan to document your out-of-pocket expenses.
- If your receipts span several weeks or treatments, please include an itemized spreadsheet summarizing your costs so we can more easily understand your situation
- If deemed necessary and relevant, a statement from a healthcare provider or counselor regarding the impact of the precipitating emergency event on the bargaining unit member’s mental or physical health may be requested.
- Make sure that all financial information includes your spouse/partner, if applicable.
Once the application is submitted, you will receive an initial response within a few business days. Please note that full application processing may take up to 2–3 weeks. To help expedite the review, ensure that all information above is accurate and submitted in full.
If you need immediate assistance, you can find a central listing of campus resources.
How To Apply for Hardship Assistance (Non-Medical)
- Complete the Financial Hardship Assistance online application.
- The following items are requested with your application:
- A one-page personal statement of need explaining your hardship situation, how much you are/were required to pay, why these costs present a significant difficulty for you, and any other pertinent special circumstances.
- A federal income tax statement for the most recent tax year (if you are an international student who will not pay taxes, please contact us about what documents we might need in place of the tax statement).
- A financial aid letter for the current academic year (can be a letter from a department official, such as the director of graduate study, detailing stipend and fellowship support).
- Documentation detailing the expense, including receipts/statements and a spreadsheet (e.g., Excel file) itemizing your out-of-pocket costs.
- A monthly budget showing the bargaining unit member’s monthly expenses as compared to their monthly income and highlighting the financial shortfall
- If deemed necessary and relevant, a statement from a healthcare provider or counselor regarding the impact of the precipitating emergency event on the bargaining unit member’s mental or physical health may be requested.
- Additional documentation may be requested upon review of your application.
Once the application is submitted, you will receive an initial response within a few business days. Please note that full application processing may take up to 2–3 weeks. To help expedite the review, ensure that all information above is accurate and submitted in full.
If you need immediate assistance, you can find a central listing of campus resources.
Confidentiality
All requests will be reviewed confidentially. You will be notified of the decision in writing.
If you have any questions, please contact grad-hardship@duke.edu.