Out of State Scholarships at Nebraska

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln welcomes students from across the country and is committed to making a Nebraska education competitive and affordable for out-of-state students. Nebraska offers a broad portfolio of competitive scholarships for out-of-state students from every state rather than relying on state-based tuition exchange or reciprocity discounts. Many of these scholarships are renewable and provide significant support toward the out-of-state cost of attendance.

The Nebraska approach recognizes students for their academic achievement, experiences and qualifications while investing directly in students through scholarship opportunities that can substantially reduce the cost of attending Nebraska. When comparing colleges, we encourage students and families to look beyond the published tuition rate or percentage discount and compare the net price after scholarships and financial aid.

Explore First-Year Out-of-State Scholarships     Explore Transfer Out-of-State Scholarships     

What About Tuition Exchange Programs or Reciprocity?

The Midwest Student Exchange Program, administered by the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, is a voluntary tuition reciprocity program through which participating colleges and universities provide reduced tuition rates or other qualifying benefits to students from participating Midwestern states.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln does not currently offer a separate tuition discount through MSEP or other organizations. Instead, students from MSEP states receive consideration for Nebraska’s out-of-state scholarship opportunities alongside students from across the United States. There is no separate MSEP scholarship application or MSEP-specific award at Nebraska. Students interested in Nebraska can estimate their overall costs to understand the scholarship opportunities for which they may qualify and the estimated costs after scholarships and grants.

Estimate First-Year Costs (Net Price Calculator)     Estimate Transfer Costs (Net Price Calculator)

A tuition discount is only one component of college affordability. Schools can advertise very different tuition rates or discounts and still result in similar, or very different, costs for a student. Nebraska’s renewable out-of-state scholarships can significantly reduce the difference between resident and nonresident tuition and should be considered when comparing the overall cost of attending Nebraska with other institutions.

Scholarships for Out-of-State Students

Nebraska’s out-of-state scholarships are an important part of our commitment to attracting talented students nationally and making the university affordable. Depending on a student’s qualifications and circumstances, scholarship opportunities may recognize:

• Academic achievement and potential
• National academic recognition
• Military service or military family connections
• First responder service or family connections
• Nebraska alumni family connections
• Other university, college and departmental criteria

Many awards are renewable for multiple years when renewal requirements are met. Because scholarship amounts, eligibility criteria and availability may change for each new group of incoming students, use Nebraska’s Scholarship Finder for current award opportunities and requirements. Nebraska considers out-of-state first-year students for scholarships including the New Nebraskan Tuition Scholarship, Chancellor’s Tuition Scholarship, Husker Salute Pledge, National First Responder Pledge and Nebraska Legacy Tuition Scholarship as well as supplemental scholarship opportunities.

Learn More About the Supplemental Scholarship Application