Exclusive Scholarships in Nebraska to Apply to in 2025

About scholarships in Nebraska

The state of Nebraska is home to thousands of students who choose to continue their education at the college level, though the growing cost of college tuition can stand in the way of these students' educational goals. Scholarship awards are one way that Nebraska residents can secure financial assistance to attend college. Many Nebraska scholarships exist to break down the barriers that stand between university students and their education.

Nebraska students and student debt

Many students turn to student loans in order to afford their rapidly-increasing increasing tuition costs. In Nebraska, 12.4% of state residents have student loan debt. This debt amounts to a total of $7.8 billion. There are 242,700 student borrowers in Nebraska, each with an average student loan debt of $32,138.

57.4% of student loan borrowers In Nebraska are under the age of 35. The prospect of having so much debt at a young age is what deters many students from attending college at all. Since student debt can stand in the way of other life goals, such as owning a home, Nebraska scholarships are a way students can spare themselves from the burden of large student debt.

Grade school students in Nebraska

There are 1,212 K-12 schools in Nebraska with 363,473 total students. 125 of these schools are high schools with a total of 106,438 high school students living in Nebraska. In 2020, the high school graduation rate of Nebraska high school seniors was 87.5%.

Additionally, during the 2021-2022 academic year, 136,915 students received free or reduced-price lunches. This indicates a large proportion of students from low-income households. Typically, students who qualify for the National Lunch Program have significant financial need and fewer resources to fund their college education. As a result, economically disadvantaged students often feel like college is out of their reach, but this does not have to be the case.

Educational attainment in Nebraska

Of the Nebraskans who graduate high school, only 69.6% continue their education. In fact, from 2015 to 2019, just 33.7% of Nebraskan residents aged 22 to 64 had a bachelor’s degree or higher.

This gap in higher education is also seen through a stark difference between the percentage of white students and minority students who attend college in Nebraska. 56.5% of white Nebraskans aged 25 to 44 have completed at least an associate's degree, while only 30.8% of minorities have completed the same level of education. This gap is the third-largest in the nation.

Nebraska is only slightly above the national averages when it comes to how many students actually complete their degrees. The six-year completion rate for public two-year institutions nationally is 40.4% and for four-year public institutions, it is 67.4%. While in Nebraska, the rates are 41.7% for two-year institutions and 69.6% for four-year.

Nebraska scholarships can help assist students and promote higher rates of educational attainment for Nebraskans

Colleges in Nebraska

There are 50 colleges in Nebraska, offering many different options for prospective students. 19 of these institutions are public universities and 31 are private. Additionally, from 2009 to 2019 enrollment in Nebraska colleges decreased by 3.2%, leaving many colleges searching for more students.

The University of Nebraska System is the public university system in Nebraska which has a total of 58,037 students. It consists of 4 universities and 1 community college.

The largest college in the state is the University of Nebraska Lincoln with 27,390 students. The largest private college is Bellevue University with 13,059 students. Other notable colleges include Creighton University, with a student body of 8,770, and Peru State College, with a student body of 3,157.

The most popular undergraduate field of study for Nebraska students is in business, management, or marketing. 4,896degrees were awarded in such programs during the 2020-2021 academic year. Health professions rank as the second most popular degree program with 3,714 degrees awarded during the same period.

College demographics in Nebraska

The total number of undergraduate students in Nebraska was 141,397 during the 2020 academic year. The total number of graduate students was 33,545.

Nebraska follows national trends when it comes to the gender distribution of college students with a higher percentage of female students. In 2020, 58% of students were female and 42% were male.

When it comes to race, Nebraska displays limited diversity. In the 2020-2021 academic year, 68% of college students identified as White, 11% as Hispanic, 6% as Black, 3% as Asian/Pacific Islander, and 1% as Native American.

Costs of college in Nebraska

College in Nebraska costs 7.20% less than the national average, though the cost of attendance for a public 4-year institution is still $19,520. Additionally, tuition increased 3.41% between the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 academic years. Students at a private university can expect to pay an average of $35,110 a year. Out-of-state students pay an average of 158.13% more per year than in-state students in Nebraska.

The most expensive university in the state is Creighton University at $54,618 a year. The most expensive public university is the University of Nebraska Lincoln at $21,196 a year. The most expensive vocational school is the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at $12,956.

Thankfully, students don't have to worry about not being able to afford the high cost of college tuition. Many programs exist that give students who demonstrate financial need the ability to attend college or university despite the prohibitive cost.

Financial aid for Nebraska students

One way to find financial aid for college is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. This form determines an amount, called the Expected Family Contribution, that estimates a student's ability to pay tuition costs out of pocket. By filling out the FAFSA form, college students have the opportunity to be awarded federal and state funds to meet their financial need.

One such form of federal aid is the Pell Grant. Nebraska had 35,979 Pell Grant recipients in 2021. While these grants can make a dent in one's expenses, students often need additional aid to afford the rest of their costs. 

The only need-based Nebraska state grant currently available to Nebraska residents is the Nebraska Opportunity Grant. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 13,109 recipients received a portion of the total $21,087,141 awarded.

However, student aid can only cover so much. Over 17,000 students in Nebraska qualified for grants and did not receive them due to a lack of funds. Continuing your education can seem like a difficult task when financial assistance is limited, but there are endless scholarship opportunities to cover this gap in government resources.

The best scholarships for Nebraska students 

When college students have financial need that isn't covered by other forms of student aid, they can turn to scholarships. There are many different scholarships in Nebraska, specifically created for Nebraska residents, that will relieve the financial stress of a college education. Anyone from high school seniors to graduate students can find Nebraska scholarships that will enable them to attain higher education. Below are two exclusive Nebraska scholarships.

Loxy Burckhard Love is Kind Memorial Scholarship

This $2,200 scholarship is open to any high school senior from Nebraska, Wyoming, or South Dakota who intends to pursue a college education. To apply, students can write a short essay detailing what the phrase "love is kind" means to them and how they seek to live those values, the application deadline is February 1, 2022.

The Lois Johnson Kemble Memorial Scholarship

Any female, first-generation high school senior in Nebraska or Iowa who intends to study business or teaching with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA, is eligible for this $1,100 scholarship. Students can apply by submitting a short essay about how this scholarship will help them pursue their dreams by May 2, 2022.

Additional scholarships that students in Nebraska should consider 

Nebraska scholarships are great because the applicant pool is limited to only students that live in Nebraska, but plenty of general scholarship opportunities exist as well. By applying to a wide range of scholarships students can maximize their chances of being awarded scholarship funds.

Scholarships for high school students in Nebraska

Nebraska high school students can find many scholarships available to them on Bold.org. Most scholarships are aimed towards high school seniors, but students in their junior year or first years of high school can also find opportunities.

1. Carrie Lee Peyton Amazing Educator Scholarship 
2. Bold Creativity Scholarship 
3. Bold Generosity Matters Scholarship

Nebraska scholarships for high school seniors

In addition to general high school scholarships, seniors can take advantage of scholarships limited to them! Scholarships like the ones below aim to ease the transition from high school to college for graduating high school seniors.

1. Ben Bonner Memorial Scholarship. 
2. Nina L. Coleman Memorial Scholarship 
3. DogCentral Dog Lover Scholarship 
4. Surya Education Assistance Scholarship. 

Nebraska scholarships for college students

Students already enrolled in college can still find scholarships to meet their financial need, whether they're pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees. The following list is a great place for current college students to start their search for funding.

1. Debra Victoria Scholarship 
2. Pettable Life Transitions Pet Lovers Scholarship 
3.  Bold Goals Scholarship 
4. Bold Nature Matters Scholarship 

Scholarships for nursing students in Nebraska

Healthcare professionals and nurses are currently in great demand. The need for nurses has only been highlighted by the COVID-19 Pandemic. In order to meet this demand and support nursing students, many scholarships have been created.

1. Pay It Forward CRNA Scholarship
2. Dashanna K. McNeil Memorial Scholarship 
3. Deborah Stevens Pediatric Nursing Scholarship 
4. WiseGeek Nursing No-Essay Scholarship 

Frequently asked questions about scholarships in Nebraska

How to apply for scholarships in Nebraska?

To apply for scholarships in Nebraska, students should first create a Bold.org profile. After filling out all of the required information, they can then access hundreds of scholarship opportunities that can be found on the platform.

Students can filter scholarships by things like education level and category and search through the list of scholarships that are currently open. Once they find one they are interested in applying to they can read through the description to find out important information like eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and what materials they'll have to submit.

Bold.org makes this process simple as all you have to do to apply is click the "Apply to scholarship" button after uploading all application materials. Some scholarships might require you to create an essay in response to a specific prompt, but there are also more competitive "No-essay" scholarships that only require you to have a Bold account.

When can I start applying?

It's best to apply for scholarships as early as possible, but if you haven't already there's no worry. Scholarship applications are open to anyone from high school freshmen to recent college graduates. Whether students are incoming freshmen in college or high school students, there's sure to be a scholarship opportunity open to them.

There is also no specific application deadline for all scholarships, with different scholarships accepting applications at varying times throughout the year. You should keep an eye on the specific application deadlines for scholarships you're interested in as it is important you give yourself plenty of time to prepare the best application possible.

How do I know if I'm eligible for a scholarship?

It's easy to determine whether or not you qualify for a scholarship on Bold.org. The specific eligibility requirements for a scholarship will be clearly listed in the description. Be sure to check this before you begin working on material for a specific scholarship, so you don't waste time that could be better spent applying for a different scholarship.

Some scholarships will only be open to students that fit certain qualifications. A student might have to be majoring in Veterinary Medicine or have a certain grade point average in order to apply. Bold.org may even block you from applying to certain scholarships if your profile information makes you ineligible to apply, so it's important to fully complete your profile.

Are scholarships counted as income?

Since scholarship money goes towards necessary education expenses, scholarships are not counted as income. It is also not taxed as long as it is less than or equal to your total college costs.