Nebraska Student Grants for College
Fund Your Education with Free Grant Money
Each year, every state government, including Nebraska, sets aside a large portion of money for college students.
Based on the need of the individual, that determines how much, if any, of this government money that you are eligible for.
Everybody's situation is different, which is why the amount that any one person can receive differs widely from the next. In some cases, you do not even have to apply for these grants; they are already given to you if you show a need for the money.
FAFSA's Findings
Need of college funding is based on the FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid- an application that every person attending college in the United States must fill out each year.
If you have an EFC or Expected Family contribution number close to zero or at zero, the needier you are and the more funds will be available to you. Here are some of the many Nebraska college grants from the state that may be applicable to you.
General Nebraska State Grants
These grants are available to people that show a serious economic need for college funding. To get these need based grants, you must fill out the FAFSA and be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant.
Qualified persons must be a Nebraska state resident and attending a four year college or university in the state of Nebraska. You do not have to apply for this need based grant.
If you are eligible for the Pell Grant, which the U.S. government decides, then you will automatically be given this grant.
Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship
This scholarship is more of a grant than a scholarship. It is a state funded scholarship that awards any and every high school student in the state of Nebraska a $1,500 scholarship for their hard work and achievement.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must be attending a Nebraska high school and have a GPA of 3.5. You must also have been accepted to a four year college or university anywhere within the United States.
ACT scores of 17 or higher are also required. Students attending a military college such as West Point are not eligible for this scholarship.
American Legion Grants
These grants and scholarships are available to students that have a parent or guardian that were service men or women that passed away during the September 11, 2001 Twin Tower bombing.
This is a very specific grant, but eligible students will receive a full ride to any Nebraska college or university of their choice.
Academic Competitiveness Grant
The Academic Competitiveness Grant is eligible to students that have excellent grades and have taken challenging coursework throughout high school.
This grant pays up to $1,300 to any individual that can prove academic excellence. This grant can be applied for each year as long as you continue to take challenging courses.
Nebraska State Grant
This grant is only available to those students that have received a Pell Grant but still show need for further funding to pay for college. Students must be a resident of Nebraska and have already been accepted to an accredited Nebraska college, technical school or university.
The money is given directly to your school of choice's financial aid department and they separate the money into equal parts for the quarters or semesters you attend during any given year. You are eligible for this grant each year that you attend college if you are given a Pell grant.
Nebraska Loan Repayment Grant for Medical Students
This grant deserves special mention because as many Nebraskans know, there is a huge shortage in medical professionals all throughout Nebraska.
This grant is eligible to any person that has been accepted into a medical school or physician's assistant program throughout Nebraska.
The recipient of the grant must agree to work in an area that is considered under-served and is selected by the state of Nebraska.
There is a three-year practice obligation to be awarded the grant. In the end, the three year service will award you up to $30,000. This grant is worth taking if it is offered to you.
Nursing Student Grant Program
This grant is awarded to any wishing to apply that are currently enrolled in a nursing program in the state of Nebraska. The grant is not to exceed $2,000 a year.
In order to receive the grant, you must show a financial need and be engaged in a full time nursing practice in the state of Nebraska. Once you have completed three years of full time work at said practice, then no more than $6,000 will be wiped from your total amount of tuition owed.
Norman and Ruth Good Educational Endowment
This is neither a scholarship nor is it a grant, but is money for education nonetheless. Therefore, it deserves a special mention. This is a very limited endowment given to only fifteen underprivileged undergraduate students attending a four year college or university.
Endowment amounts vary from the minimum of $500 to the maximum of $2000. It does not need to be repaid, and will only be awarded once in a lifetime to each individual. Student recipient must be in good academic standing.
Nebraska National Guard Tuition Credit
Again, this is not a grant nor is it a scholarship. To be eligible for this money, you must be a member of the Nebraska Air Force National Guard or the Nebraska Army National Guard.
This money is only awarded to 1,200 students enrolled in an undergraduate program. The credit offers a full ride for the recipient.
Raise the Nation Foundation Grant
This grant is only offered to single mothers trying to go back to school to get into a career. There are certain programs that do not apply such as theoretic applications, and philosophy.
An interesting note about this grant is that not only will it help single mothers meet their individual financial challenges, but it will also repay old, outstanding loans that you may have that are education related.
Association of American-Indian Affairs Grant
This grant financially supports American Indians of the Nebraska tribal areas. To be eligible for this grant, students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
A student essay and a minimum of three letters of recommendation are required to be considered for the grant. If you are not selected for this grant, the Association of American-Indian Affairs will notify you of other programs, scholarships and grants that you do qualify for.
Loan Forgiveness for Teaching in Shortage Areas or Low Income Schools
This is not a scholarship nor is it a grant; it is a loan forgiveness, which serves as a grant. In order to be eligible for this loan forgiveness, you must be teaching in an area that is under privileged or teaching at a tribal school.
If you are teaching at a tribal school, you are automatically enrolled in the loan forgiveness program to considerably lessen your student loans if not completely have them paid for.
EMU National Scholars Grant
This grant is awarded to any Nebraska resident that has chosen to go to school in a different state. The grant is a four year award that will cover up to thirty credit hours a year of out-of-state tuition. To be eligible, you must be a freshman entering collage or a university for the first time.
Applicants must have a GPA of 3.5 and are required to live in college housing for the first two years of their college career. This grant is currently valued at $12,601 a semester.
AQHF Christopher Junker Memorial Nebraska Grant
This grant is awarded to members of the American Quarter Horse Foundation of Nebraska.
The deadline to apply is December 1, annually. Award is based on financial need, academic achievement and involvement in the American Quarter Horse Association. The education you seek with this award does not have to be related to horses.
This is a $2,000 four year award.
Nebraska Elks Association Vocational Grant
This grant is available to any high school senior in Nebraska that plans to attend a community college, trade school, or technical school. The grant will pay for any vocational or technical program that is two years or less. With this grant, you can earn a certificate, diploma or Associates Degree.
You cannot use this grant to transfer to a four year college at a later date. Only one girl and one boy from each Elks chapter will be given the grant. To be eligible, a parent or guardian must be a member of the Nebraska Elks Lodge. Deadline for this scholarship is January 10, annually.
Childhood Cancer Survivor Grant
This grant is eligible to any college student in the state of Nebraska that is a childhood cancer survivor. Deadline to apply for this award is March 13, annually.
There is no limitation on the type or severity of the cancer that you had to have survived. The number of awards given is dependent on the amount of funding in any given year. To be eligible, you must have been diagnosed with any type of cancer before the age of 21.
You must currently be under the age of 25. You must already be accepted to an undergraduate, trade or vocational school.
Nebraska Pell Grant
Any person that shows a financial need to attend school is eligible for a Pell Grant. This is the grant the federal government gives to each state to dole out to students that show a need.
To be eligible for this grant you must fill out the FAFSA application. You must have a family contribution lower than $3,850 a year. This includes your parent's income. The Pell Grant can be used at any technical school, vocational or trade school, community college or any four year college or university that is enrolled in the National Financial Aid Program.
In order to receive a Nebraska Pell Grant, you must be a resident of Nebraska as well as attending a school located within the state. In conclusion, these grants are available to students that show a financial need to attend a school for higher education.
Final Tips on Grants in Nebraska
The beautiful thing about all of these grants is that if you apply for them and are awarded them, you do not have to pay them back. For many this is a huge redeeming quality, as most students fresh out of college, regardless of their age, do not have the money to start paying for loans that are almost as expensive as the rent of their first apartment.
According to Nebraska State Education Laws, if you are caught using or dealing drugs or doing any other criminal activity while receiving a grant to go to school, you will forfeit your grant and may have to pay a penalty depending on the grant that you were given and the personal rules of the organization that you received the grant from.
