Who Qualifies

Federal Student Aid

In order to receive federal student aid, you must meet certain Federal Student Aid eligibility requirements. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is an approved to provide financial aid to degree programs. Stand alone certificate programs are not eligible for financial aid.

Qualifying for a Federal Pell Grant

  • Eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant is based on your financial situation. This is determined by a formula that considers your family finances, family size, cost of attendance and enrollment intensity. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is required to determine your eligibility. For assistance filing the FAFSA form, contact Husker Hub at huskerhub@unl.edu or 402-472-2030. If you are in high school, your high school counselor or Nebraska's EducationQuest Foundation may also help.
  • After you file the FAFSA form, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary from the federal government, which will present you with your Pell eligibility, if applicable, and your student aid index, a number used to calculate your eligibility for other aid.
  • If you are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant, meet the annual application deadline, remain a full-time resident student and meet academic standards, you will qualify for Nebraska Promise tuition assistance for your undergraduate education. This means you would have enough scholarships and grants to pay your tuition for up to 15 credits each fall/spring.
    • Summer is also an opportunity to get ahead on your degree so you can graduate early, access additional experiential programs, like study abroad or internships, or catch up on coursework. At Nebraska, you can access additional Federal Pell Grant funds for the summer. For more information, visit our summer financial aid page.

Nebraska Promise

  • Nebraska Promise is the University's affordability promise to students that tuition costs will be covered (up to 30 credit hours per academic year) by federal, state and campus scholarships and grants during the fall/spring semesters for students who meet certain academic and family income qualifications.
  • In order to qualify, a student must be a resident of Nebraska, enroll full-time (12 credit hours or more per fall/spring) as a degree-seeking undergraduate student, be a recipient of the Federal Pell Grant or have a family annual income of $65,000 (AGI) or below, and maintain a grade point average of at least 2.500.
  • Eligible students are identified through the annual FAFSA form that can be filed at fafsa.gov. Apply by May 1 and complete your financial aid file by June 1 to be considered.

First-Year Scholarships (Fall Admits)

  • Visit the Admissions website for Important Dates and Deadlines, including scholarship application deadlines.
    • Apply for admission by November 1 to receive your scholarship award notification on February 12.
    • Apply with your current cumulative high school GPA (required) and ACT/SAT test scores (preferred, not required)
    • Upload your current (unofficial) high school transcript in MyRED.
  • Incoming first-year students apply for university campus-wide academic scholarships automatically when they apply for admission based upon a holistic review of high school academic performance. Note: leaving information blank on the admission application may result in a student not being considered for a scholarship.
    • Test scores administered through the February test date are accepted. Nebraska will only use the composite score (we do not super score).
  • The deadline to apply for admission and be considered for academic scholarships is February 1 (for in-state students) and May 1 (for out-of-state students).
    • May 1 is the deposit/deferral deadline for admitted students to accept admission and pay or defer the enrollment deposit.
  • Cumulative high school GPA is used for scholarship consideration. GPAs not on a 4-point grading scale will be converted. Both unweighted and weighted (if applicable) GPAs are reviewed.
  • If self-reported information is inaccurate or inconsistent with final materials, scholarships may be delayed or offers withdrawn. Complete your application carefully to avoid mistakes.
  • Students who choose to graduate high school early and enroll at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the spring term may be reviewed for academic scholarships under special circumstances. An appeal must be submitted in order to be considered and scholarships offered may begin in the fall instead of the spring.
  • Students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree are not eligible for university campus-wide academic scholarships.
  • Students currently enrolled who have a change in residency status for tuition purposes are not eligible for a late review for university campus-wide academic scholarships. Incoming first-year students who have a change in residency status before the May 1 deposit deadline may be reviewed for university campus-wide academic scholarships.
  • Scholarship recipients must be U.S. citizens or have permanent resident status per state state statue (excluding scholarships specifically for international students and donor-supported scholarships).
  • New scholarship programs may be created each year and scholarship award amounts for other programs are subject to change. Currently enrolled students cannot become eligible for a new scholarship or a new award amount that did not exist when they first enrolled at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Transfer Scholarships

  • Students are automatically considered for scholarships based upon transfer credit credentials and a holistic review utilizing multiple variables for consideration.
  • Determination of academic scholarship eligibility will only consider academic credentials presented at time of admission application. Grades for in progress coursework will not be considered if final transcript is submitted after application deadline.
  • Cumulative transfer GPA from all institutions attended is used for scholarship consideration. Consideration is not limited solely to GPA from most recent institution applicant attended.
  • Scholarship recipients must be U.S. citizens or have permanent resident status per state statue (excluding scholarships specifically for international students and donor-supported scholarships).
  • Not all university campus-wide transfer scholarships awarded upon admission are able to be combined with one another.
  • Students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree are not eligible for any university campus-wide academic scholarships.

Resident Transfer Scholarships

  • Applicants must have completed over 75% of transfer coursework at a Nebraska community college. Applicants must be transferring directly from a Nebraska community college.
  • Applicants must have both a cumulative transfer GPA and last semester GPA of 3.000 or higher. Some programs may require higher cumulative grade point averages, minimum cumulative credit hour completion or demonstration of financial need as determined through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.
  • Applicants must be admitted with no outstanding admission deficiencies.
  • Deadlines for students to apply for admission in order to be considered for these scholarships are October 1 for applicants beginning enrollment in January (spring) and March 1 for applicants beginning enrollment in August (fall). 
  • Deadlines for all admitted students to accept admission and pay enrollment deposit are December 1 for enrollment beginning in January (spring) and May 1 for enrollment beginning in August (fall). Students not meeting these deadlines are not eligible for scholarships, and any previously awarded scholarships will be canceled.
  • New scholarship programs may be created each year and scholarship award amounts for other programs are subject to change. Currently enrolled students cannot become eligible for a new scholarship or a new award amount that did not exist when they first enrolled at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Non-resident Transfer Scholarships

  • Applicants must have minimum cumulative transfer GPA of 3.000 or above.
  • Applicants wishing to be considered for Transfer Nebraska Legacy Scholarship consideration must have a 3.500 cumulative GPA or higher.
  • Deadlines for students to apply for admission in order to be considered for these scholarships are December 1 for applicants beginning enrollment in January (spring) and May 1 for applicants beginning enrollment in August (fall).
  • Deadlines for all admitted students to accept admission and pay the enrollment deposit or defer are December 1 for enrollment beginning in January (spring) and May 1 for enrollment beginning in August (fall). Students not meeting these deadlines are not eligible for scholarships, and any previously awarded scholarships will be canceled.
  • Students who have a change in residency status for tuition purposes, after resident scholarships selections are made, are not eligible for reconsideration of resident university campus-wide academic scholarships.

Maximize Your Scholarship Consideration

Admitted first-year and transfer students can maximize their consideration for departmental as well as leadership and service scholarships by completing the supplemental Scholarship Application, which opens in October in MyRED under the "Financial Aid" tab.

Students currently enrolled at Nebraska can also apply for departmental scholarships through the Scholarship Application.

The Scholarship Application is what the academic colleges and departments at Nebraska use to determine awards for incoming or continuing first-year or transfer students. These scholarships are awarded based on holistic review, meaning academic performance may be just one of many aspects of consideration.

The deadline to complete the Scholarship Application is February 1. Once you have submitted your application, you can return and update your information at any time prior to the deadline.

International Students

International students are evaluated for academic scholarships after they are admitted to Nebraska. Visit the Office of Admissions page on international admission requirements for more information, including deadlines, required documents, core coursework requirements, English proficiency requirements, financial requirements, Visa requirements and more.

The International Student and Scholar Office (ISSO) is a resource for international students, providing a welcoming and supportive environment throughout your time here at Nebraska to help you adjust to U.S. culture and with questions related to your student or scholar immigration status. Connect with ISSO at global.unl.edu/isso.