Ph.D. students enrolled at Duke University will receive 12-month stipends beginning in fall 2022, the school announced on Thursday.
With this policy change, the university will replace its earlier policy where Ph.D. students were given nine or 12-month stipends, depending on each program’s resources.
In 2022, more than 2,400 Ph.D. students enrolled in 54 programs at Duke will receive year-round stipends and fully paid health insurance.
“Our Ph.D. students make vital contributions to Duke as well as to their disciplines. This represents Duke’s strong commitment to graduate education,” provost Sally Kornbluth said.
“It will require us to identify and sustain the necessary resources and to make what may be difficult choices around enrollment management and internal allocation of funds, but it will also ensure that Duke can continue to compete for the best students and provide the most fulfilling educational experience. These decisions will be made in close collaboration with faculty across the university.”
The school’s Graduate and Professional Student Council was at the forefront of advocating for an increase in the stipend period.
In the past, the university has undertaken various other measures to benefit Ph.D. students as well, including giving them early access to stipend funds to cover the cost of relocating to Durham, extending the length of the accommodation period after the birth or adoption of a child, and increasing how much Ph.D. students can receive from stipend supplementation
