Other Financial Assistance

Other Forms of
Financial Assistance

There are other types of financial aid options that may be available to assist you with your college expenses related to employment or service.

Resident Assistant (University Housing) and Other University Housing Employment

The Resident Assistant (RA) position is a student staff member who lives and works in a residence hall on campus. RA’s are responsible for building communities on their floors, providing resources to residents, developing programs for their floor, some administrative work, attending staff meetings, and being on duty for their hall.

The RA’s are supervised by a full-time professional staff member known as a Residence Director (RD). RA benefits include housing and meals and other benefits. For more information about serving as a Resident Assistant visit housing.unl.edu/ra or other University of Housing employment, visit housing.unl.edu/employment.

University of Nebraska Employee and Dependent Scholarship Program

Full-time and retired employees who wish to continue their education may be eligible for tuition assistance through the employee scholarship program. Spouses and dependent children may also be eligible for this benefit. The Employee Scholarship is limited to no more than fifteen (15) credit hours in any 12-month period (August through July) and is normally restricted to no more than six (6) credit hours per semester.

The Dependent Scholarship limits the maximum total number of credit hours that may be transferred by an employee to one or more dependents to be the equivalent of fifteen (15) semester credit hours in any 12 month period (July through August) and is restricted to no more than nine (9) credit hours per semester. In order for dependents to be eligible to use the scholarship for summer sessions, they must have been enrolled full time in the University of Nebraska system in the preceding spring semester.

This program is governed by the Board of Regents and administered by Human Resources. More information can be found at hr.unl.edu/policies/scholarships/. Eligible employees can allocate scholarship benefits through Firefly.

Nonresident Nebraska Income Tax Credit

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln established the Nonresident Nebraska Income Tax Credit in the fall of 1995. The Credit is available to students who are nonresidents for tuition purposes. It provides a tuition credit up to the amount of Nebraska individual income tax paid by themselves, an individual who claims them as their dependent, or their spouse. The Credit cannot exceed the nonresident portion of tuition.

This Credit is governed by the Board of Regents and administered by the Office of Student Accounts. For more information and the application, visit https://studentaccounts.unl.edu/forms#nonresident-tax-credit.

Graduate Teaching/Research Assistantships

A graduate assistantship provides financial support for a graduate student for a set period of time during which the student is expected to pursue activities towards the advanced degree. Assistantships are competitively awarded and typically require 13 to 20 hours of service per week. Graduate assistants are required to register during the fall and spring semesters if employed during that time, but not in the summer.

Eligibility is limited to students who are enrolling in graduate degree-granting programs; non-degree students are not eligible. Assistantships are governed by the Board of Regents and administered by the Office of Graduate Studies. For more information, visit https://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/funding/assistantships.

For an international student, eligibility for a teaching assistantship also requires successful completion of the Institute for International Teaching Assistants, a concentrated 90-hour program held the last week in July and the first week in August. (Exemptions may be granted based on prior English-language experience. See ITA page for details.)

VA Education Benefits

VA education benefits help Veterans, service members, and their qualified family members with needs like paying college tuition, finding the right school or training program, and getting career counseling. Learn how to apply for and manage the education and training benefits you've earned.

VA Education Benefits

ROTC Scholarships

ROTC Scholarships from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Air Force are awarded on a competitive basis to eligible students. Scholarships can vary by branch. Incoming first-year and transfer out-of-state ROTC students may qualify for a nonresident tuition scholarship called Husker Salute. Contact your ROTC recruiter for more information.

For more information, please visit or contact:

Segal Americorps Education Award

The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award is a post-service benefit given to individuals who complete a term of national service in approved AmeriCorps programs. The award may be used to pay current educational expenses and to repay qualified students loans. Current educational expenses are expenses that you incurred after the start of your AmeriCorps service. Expenses that pre-date your AmeriCorps service are not considered "current." However, if you have a qualified student loan to pay for expenses incurred prior to your AmeriCorps service, you can use your award to repay the qualified loan. AmeriCorps members have seven years from the date they receive the award to use it.

Information on payments for current educational expenses:

  • By law, payments for current educational expenses are to be made at the beginning and the midpoint of the enrollment period upon which the payment amount is based.
  • The "eligible amount" that an institution reports must be based on verifiable and auditable documentation of these costs.

For more information about this award or to utilize your AmeriCorps benefits, visit www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/segal-americorps-education-award.

Nebraska Law Enforcement Education

The University of Nebraska is proud to partner with the State of Nebraska in supporting Nebraska law enforcement officers who are completing their baccalaureate degrees. Under the Nebraska Law Enforcement Education Act, sworn officers may be eligible for a waiver of 100% of their resident tuition charges for pursuing a baccalaureate degree program that relates to a career in law enforcement. This waiver is available to officers for up to five years. A law enforcement officer, for the purposes of this program, is defined as any person who is responsible for the prevention or detection of crime or the enforcement of the penal, traffic or highway laws of the State of Nebraska or any political subdivision of the state for more than 100 hours per year and who is authorized by law to make arrests. For more information and to apply, visit the Office of Student Accounts at studentaccounts.unl.edu/forms. 

Nebraska In the Line of Duty Dependent Education Benefit

The In the Line of Duty Dependent Education Benefit was established by the State of Nebraska for children of law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. In order for a child to be eligible for the benefit, the law enforcement officer or firefighter must have incurred the fatal injury on or after April 23, 2009. The benefit is for children 25 or younger and the child must meet all admission requirements. The benefit is provided to full-time undergraduate students pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree for up to five years. The benefits waive tuition and fees remaining after subtracting federal financial aid grants and state scholarships and grants. For more information and to apply, visit the Office of Student Accounts at studentaccounts.unl.edu/forms.