In the 2014-15 academic year, Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, awarded $269 million in student financial aid. Yet only 15 percent of all Duke students receive federal Pell Grants, which are reserved for students from low-income families. The percentage of students receiving Pell Grants is a common measure to determine the socioeconomic diversity of a particular educational institution.
In an effort to boost the socioeconomic diversity of its student body, Duke University has announced that is has become the 37th university partner of the QuestBridge program. QuestBridge, based in Palo Alto, California, connects high-achieving students from low-income families to the nation’s most selective colleges and universities. Students submit applications through the QuestBridge National College Match program and indicate which college or university partners they would like to attend. QuestBridge determines whether the student is qualified and if so, notifies its member institution. If the student is matched to the college that he or she indicated, they agree to enroll at that school and receive a full-tuition scholarship.
Christoph Guttentag, dean of undergraduate admissions at Duke, said that “we’re delighted to begin this partnership with QuestBridge. They have a well-established record of success in providing opportunities to students from low-income families. Colleges are uniformly impressed with the students that enroll through the QuestBridge process.”
