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Books are technically factored into the "cost of attendance" which is the monstrous $53K or whatever figure given. Specifically, on your financial aid package it is listed as a part of the "Personal Costs" which this year should be $3340. Also included in there are stuff like travel expenses etc. The cost of attendance is what is used to determine your demonstrated needed and how much financial aid you'll get. The simple formula is: Need = Cost of att. - total family contribution.
That said, the cost of books is money that isn't paid to Duke (bursar's office) and isn't something that Duke will bill you for (unless you charge it to FLEX at the bookstore and it ends up on your bursar's bill). I believe the way Duke gives aid for part of it is in terms of work-study. It is the only item in that whole family contribution + financial aid that does not go to Duke directly. The money you earn from work-study goes directly to you in the form of a paycheck. What you decide to do with it is your choice (spending money, books, pr0n, etc etc). Of course, ideally, it should be to cover portions of that $3340 in personal costs.
Since there are still a portion of personal costs not covered by work study and all of the rest of the cost of attendance besides work study goes to Duke directly, I think it is covered by whatever refund Duke give you at the end of the year for the "personal costs" they factored in at the beginning.
I know that was really confusing, but it becomes a lot more clear if you take a pencil and a legal pad and sit down and do the calculations out by hand.
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