Throughout the plan, we renew our commitment to being a university composed of different people from different parts of the country and the world. With a major Financial Aid Initiative under way, Duke is strengthening a need-blind admissions policy that keeps the door open to all qualified applicants, regardless of their family incomes.

On June 30, 2007, the university development office reported a Duke Annual Fund record of more than $26.5 million and approximately $80 million in cash-giving for financial aid, which helped propel the pledge and gift total of Duke's Financial Aid Initiative to about three-quarters of its $300-million goal.

This fund-raising success has a direct impact on the lives of students like Nena Sanderson T’07. The daughter of two Raleigh teachers, Nena knew she would need help paying for college, but she never dreamed Duke would be an option. Her financial aid package made it possible for Nena, a public policy major, to explore her varied interests at Duke and in the world at large. “I wouldn’t be who I am without all that Duke has given me.”

In addition to her policy studies, Nena worked as a Chronicle photographer, shooting visiting speakers and sports events. For three years, she helped fourth graders write storybooks at a Durham public school. She studied French, Southern history, and Latin dance. Her financial aid package also allowed Nena to study abroad in Paris, intern in Washington, D.C., and complete a summer research project in Durham.

Nena’s experience at Duke was further enhanced by the enormous support she received from Duke faculty, staff, and alumni. For example, professor Betsy Alden’s “Women as Leaders” class led Nena to consider issues that she’d never thought about before. Alden encouraged Nena to write a manual that she used in a program for adolescent girls.

“Betsy really mentored me in trying to figure out what I want to do with my life and what I believe in,” Nena says. Nena’s thesis advisor, Robert Korstad, also pushed her to produce a thesis that she was really proud of. She easily rattles off several other sources of encouragement at Duke. “I really had a lot of support at Duke.”

These personal relationships, and a financial package that allowed her to delve into new intellectual realms, opened up a new world for Nena. “I have completely changed as a person since coming to Duke. You get so much more than a book education. I have a whole new world view.”