Scholarships and Awards from Your College or Department
You may receive additional scholarships or awards from your academic unit or another department on campus after your financial aid has been released. If this occurs, it may impact your other need-based financial aid. Monitor your financial aid page and your student account in MyRED closely. You may sometimes receive a refund for the additional aid, it may displace other institutional aid, or it may credit unpaid items on your student account. Sometimes additional aid can reduce or cancel loans that you have borrowed meaning less you will have to repay later.
External Scholarships
Other scholarships may be available to you from outside organizations. You can apply for external scholarships and report them in MyRED. You can search for scholarships through your local community and philanthropic organizations.
While Nebraska does not make selections for external scholarships, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid processes them in order to be applied to your student account. Donors may ask that you complete an enrollment verification form for scholarships which can be mailed to our office or dropped off in person at the Husker Hub. Typically, once the donor has received confirmation of enrollment, they will send a check to the University.
- If the donor specifies what semester(s) the award is for, Nebraska will follow their wishes. If the donor letter does not specify a distribution schedule, Nebraska will distribute awards with half in the fall and half in the spring.
External scholarships are taken into consideration in your overall financial aid package as a federal requirement. Therefore, you must report any such scholarships you receive in MyRED.
Reporting External Scholarships
- Students that receive or have been notified they will receive an external scholarship are asked to report the scholarship in MYRED.
- You will report each scholarship and the amount individually, per academic year. Please DON'T report the combined total of all scholarships you will receive.
- If you receive a scholarship directly you will report the scholarship in MyRED and complete the Scholarship Check Form.
- Please email our office if you have questions about reporting external scholarships.
Searching for External Scholarships
- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is not affiliated with any of the organizations or do we determine eligibility for these scholarships, information provided can vary.
- Please view the details of the programs you are interested in and contact the organization listed, as the university does not accept applications for these scholarships.
- If you receive an external scholarship, please report the scholarship in MyRED.
Other Funding Agencies
Besides the financial assistance offered through our office, help is available from many other organizations as well. Awards may be based on place of residence, background, professional affiliations and/or field of study. Books listing such aid are available in bookstores and libraries. You must research and apply for this assistance on your own, corresponding with potential donors and assuming responsibility for financial commitments you make. Examples of agencies who offer scholarships and loans include: Veterans Administration, Nebraska Army National Guard, Army/Navy Reserve, Air National Guard, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Vocational Rehabilitation.
Outside aid is taken into consideration in your aid package. You must report any such aid you receive to the OSFA.
Scholarship Search Programs
The Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid receives information regarding scholarship search programs from various organizations. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is not affiliated with any of the organizations or responsible for the outcome of the scholarship service. The university does not endorse any scholarship service that charges a fee. Remember that you will need to submit your application materials directly to the awarding organization and meet all their requirements and deadlines.
FAQ
Yes, all outside scholarships should be reported to the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid via MyRED including those that are paid to you directly. Once the check is processed you will see it posted in MyRED. If a check was mailed recently (within the last week or two), we may not have received it yet. Once received, processing times can vary, but is typically two business days. You should wait another week before checking on the progress of payment. Checks sent to the University are usually co-payable to the University and the student. In those cases, the student does not need to sign the check. If there is something that needs to be signed, our check processing team will contact you directly. The total of your financial aid awards, including your outside awards, cannot exceed your cost of attendance. If you have a financial aid package and receive an outside award, your financial aid awards may be adjusted based on what aid you have. For example, loans or work-study may be reduced to allow for the outside scholarship and all aid to remain within the cost of attendance. Unlike most schools, campus-based scholarships at Nebraska are not reduced or cancelled based on outside scholarships (unless required by law). Outside awards are split evenly between semesters unless donor instructions state otherwise. Many donors contribute to the education of Nebraska students. Below is a small representation of the generous foundations and private entities that have provided scholarship funding to our talented students. Other national, state, and local religious organizations (churches) for members and private companies, typically for employees or children of employees (Wal-Mart, Hy-Vee, Duncan Aviation, ConAgra, BNSF). Do I need to report my scholarships from private donors?
How will I know my check has arrived?
My donor said the check was sent but I haven't received funds. What do I do now?
My donor said they sent a check to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Do I need to come in and sign it?
How will an outside award impact my financial aid package?
Which donors provide outside scholarships to Nebraska students?