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Duke Kunshan University

Duke Kunshan University

DKU Global Leaders Full Scholarship

Check providerFull RideNeed-BasedMerit-BasedBachelor's

About the Scholarship

Up to three awards. Start there, because the coverage is unusually generous and the odds are not: alongside tuition-free enrolment for four years, the award carries housing, meals, book subsidies, insurance, annual round-trip airfare, a laptop stipend and the costs of the Study Away semester at Duke in junior year, including essential Duke charges plus assistance with visa fees and airfare.

Selection combines hardship with achievement. Candidates must show evidence of low income and also land in the top 10 per cent of the application pool, so neither a strong financial case nor a strong academic one carries this alone.

The deadlines are the part that catches people. Each round has three of them, and they run in order: the Common Application first, the CSS Profile next, the scholarship form last. Early Decision runs 2, 5 and 15 November; Regular Decision runs 4 January, 15 January and 1 February. The scholarship form date is the one most people write down, and it is the least useful of the three, because missing either earlier step makes it unreachable.

Eligibility is by applicant category rather than passport. Any nationality can apply as a first-year international student applicant.

The scholarship page was checked on 16 September 2026.

What It Covers

  • Tuition
  • Housing
  • Living stipend
  • Health insurance
  • Travel
  • Books & materials
  • Other

Tuition-free enrolment across four consecutive years, with housing, meal stipends, book subsidies and an insurance plan alongside it. The award also covers annual round-trip airfare, a one-off laptop stipend and the costs of the Study Away Semester at Duke University in junior year, including essential Duke charges plus assistance with visa fees and airfare. Up to three are offered for the Class of 2031.

Eligibility

Apply as a first-year international student applicant and provide evidence of low income, since this is assessed on financial hardship as well as achievement. Candidates also need outstanding accomplishments and academic excellence, and must place in the top 10 per cent of the application pool. The award runs for four consecutive years of undergraduate enrolment.

Eligible Countries

Open to first-year international student applicants of any nationality.

All countries

How to Apply

Three separate submissions per round, each with its own date. Early Decision candidates file the Common Application by 2 November, the CSS Profile by 5 November and the full scholarship form by 15 November. Regular Decision candidates file the Common Application by 4 January, the CSS Profile by 15 January and the full scholarship form by 1 February. Missing an earlier step removes the later ones, so the admission application rather than the scholarship form is the first real deadline.

Application Routes and Dates

Early Decision

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Class of 2031

Deadline: 2 nov 2026 (Asia/Shanghai)

Applications close: 15 nov 2026 (Asia/Shanghai).

Required application steps

All steps must be completed by their own deadlines.

  • Common Application: 2 nov 2026 (Asia/Shanghai) · Source
  • CSS Profile: 5 nov 2026 (Asia/Shanghai) · Source

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-16

Regular Decision

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Class of 2031

Deadline: 4 ene 2027 (Asia/Shanghai)

Applications close: 1 feb 2027 (Asia/Shanghai).

Required application steps

All steps must be completed by their own deadlines.

  • Common Application: 4 ene 2027 (Asia/Shanghai) · Source
  • CSS Profile: 15 ene 2027 (Asia/Shanghai) · Source

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-16