Official source: Duke University — Karsh International Scholars Program
The Karsh International Scholars Program is a Duke University scholarship for international applicants with demonstrated financial need. Duke states that applicants must apply to Duke University and request financial aid; there is no separate Karsh application and no nomination process.
Use Duke's current admissions and financial-aid pages before applying. Dates and requirements can change by admission cycle.
Quick overview
| Feature | Official Duke information |
|---|---|
| Programme | Karsh International Scholars Program |
| Applicant route | Apply to Duke University and request financial aid |
| Separate Karsh form | No |
| Nomination process | No |
| Applicant group | International applicants with demonstrated financial need |
| Application type | Duke incoming first-year merit-scholarship process |
Eligibility
Duke's Karsh FAQ states that a student who is a citizen of a country outside the United States can be considered. The programme also requires demonstrated financial need.
Duke states that the following applicants cannot be considered for Karsh:
- applicants with dual U.S. and other-country citizenship; and
- applicants who already hold a BA or BS degree.
Duke's merit-scholarship information places Karsh among its scholarships for incoming first-year students. Applicants should review Duke's current admissions and financial-aid requirements for their own application route.
What Duke says the scholarship covers
Duke lists the following coverage for selected Karsh Scholars:
- tuition;
- room and board;
- mandatory fees;
- demonstrated need beyond those costs; and
- three summers of funding for research, unpaid internships, and other opportunities that advance an academic career.
This is Duke's published coverage description. It should not be read as a promise of every possible personal, travel, visa, insurance, or other expense.
How the application route works
1. Apply to Duke University. Duke says the Duke application is the basis for merit-scholarship eligibility for incoming first-year students.
2. Request financial aid. The Karsh programme requires demonstrated financial need, and Duke directs applicants to complete its financial-aid process.
3. Follow Duke's current admissions checklist. Duke's published 2026–27 checklist lists Early Decision and Regular Decision application and financial-aid milestones. There is no separate Karsh deadline.
4. Watch for Duke follow-up. Duke says that merit-scholarship finalists are notified by email in the spring and then interview with selection committees.
For the current 2026–27 admission cycle, Duke's admissions checklist lists an Early Decision application deadline of 2 November and a Regular Decision application deadline of 4 January. It lists Regular Decision financial-aid applications by 1 February. For Early Decision financial aid, Duke's admissions checklist includes financial-aid applications with the 2 November materials, while Duke's financial-aid page lists 3 November for the CSS Profile and FAFSA. Because those official pages differ, confirm the applicable Early Decision financial-aid deadline directly with Duke and in the applicant portal; do not rely on this article for that date.
Before you apply
- Check the official Karsh page for current eligibility and coverage.
- Read the Duke application checklist for the live admission-cycle deadlines and required materials.
- Follow Duke's financial-aid instructions and any requests shown in your applicant portal.
- Do not rely on a separate Karsh application, nomination, guaranteed selection, or an unofficial deadline summary.