By DKU Staff
Duke Kunshan has launched a special Global Education Assistance Fund (GEAF) to support eligible students in covering the direct cost of an on-campus study away program. This fall, the fund distributed grants to more than 50 undergraduates to assist with accommodation, transportation, housing, insurance, and other expenses.
The financial aid was available to all students planning to study away in fall 2021 or spring 2022 at Duke University in the United States or through the DKU Global Opportunities (DKU GO) or DKU GO Flexible Learning Experience (DKU GO-Flex) programs.
Students received grants of up to US$5,000, with priority given to those who demonstrated significant financial need, and for whom this funding would help make an in-person experience possible.
“The GEAF aimed to make the study away semester more financially accessible for students who may be experiencing financial difficulties, especially given the current circumstances around the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Christopher Van Velzer, director of global education at Duke Kunshan.
“Study away is an opportunity for academic and personal growth. We also recognize the role that in-person instruction plays in the academic experience, and this funding was secured specifically to make this an option for as many students as possible.”
Funding for the GEAF came from the DKU Education Foundation, donors and university partners, with applications reviewed by financial aid teams in the Office of Chinese Enrollment Management and Office of International Enrollment Management.
Duke Kunshan introduced DKU GO and DKU GO-Flex in response to the disruption to international travel caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. DKU GO allows students unable to study in Kunshan or study away at Duke to choose from a range of approved programs at institutions vetted by DKU for their academic rigor and student support services. Alternatively, DKU GO-Flex enables students to petition approval to spend a semester at a four-year accredited college or university of their choosing.
Duke’s Durham campus welcomed more than 200 students from Duke Kunshan this fall and is expecting 300 in the spring semester.
Find out more about the global education opportunities at Duke Kunshan.
