Nebraska First Responder FAQs

If you meet the following criteria, you will be entitled to a waiver of one hundred percent of resident tuition.

• Professional Firefighter or Firefighter-Paramedic (defined in Neb. Rev. Stat. 85-2602) who maintains satisfactory performance with their fire department; or
• Professional Law Enforcement Officer (defined in Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-1401)
• Meets all admission standards of the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska according to Regents Policy 5.2.1 and has been admitted.
• Submits an application form to determine eligibility.
• Files documentation with the Nebraska Department of Revenue showing proof of employment and proof of residence in Nebraska each year the waiver is applied for.
• Pursues a degree that is eligible for the waiver per statute.

If you meet the following criteria, you will be entitled to a waiver of up to one hundred percent of resident tuition.

• Legal dependent (as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid Form) of a professional law enforcement officer, professional firefighter or firefighter-paramedic (who maintains satisfactory performance with their fire department)  who is a resident of Nebraska.
• Meets all admission standards of the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska according to Regents Policy 5.2.1 and has been admitted.
• Submits an application form to determine eligibility.
• Parent or Guardian files documentation with the Nebraska Department of Revenue showing proof of employment and proof of residence in Nebraska each year the waiver is applied for.
• Signs an agreement attesting that they understand they are required to stay in the State of Nebraska and file proper state tax returns for a minimum of 5 years after they receive each waiver.

The definition of a dependent, for the purposes of the First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act, is a student who has a valid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Form submitted that lists the first responder, firefighter or firefighter-paramedic as their parent or guardian each academic year. Students are required to fill out the FAFSA Form annually to be eligible for the waiver program. Federal rules determine who is considered a parent on the FAFSA Form.

No. Officers of the FBI, DEA, or other Federal Law Enforcement Officers are not eligible for the waiver. Law enforcement officer is defined in Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-1401.

Professional law enforcement officers, firefighters, firefighter-paramedics and their dependents are each eligible for the tuition waiver for up to five years so long as they remain eligible to receive the waiver. For example, students are no longer eligible to receive the waiver once they have completed a bachelor's degree.

No. Only undergraduate degrees are eligible under the Nebraska First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act.

As long as it is within the initial 5-year time period and the student has not graduated, a student may pursue multiple undergraduate degrees using this waiver.

If the tuition waiver recipient fails to annually file a tax return to prove residency in the State of Nebraska for the five-year period following the use of the tuition waiver or fails to remain a resident for the five-year period following the use of the tuition waiver, the recipient agrees to repay the University of Nebraska System for the amount of tuition that was waived.

No. The Nebraska First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act only applies to future credit hours.

A professional law enforcement officer must pursue studies leading to a degree that relates to a career in law enforcement. A professional firefighter or firefighter-paramedic must pursue studies leading to a degree in science or medicine that relates to a career in professional firefighting. 

List of eligible majors for law enforcement include:

• Forensic Science BS
• Fisheries and Wildlife BS
• Political Science BA/BS
• Psychology BA/BS
• History BA/BS
• Philosophy BA/BS
• Sociology BA/BS
• Anthropology BA/BS
• Global Studies BA/BS
• Spanish BA/BS
• Journalism BJ
• Advertising/Public Relations BJ
• Nutrition and Health Sciences BSEH
• Communication Sciences and Disorders BSEH

List of eligible majors for firefighters or firefighter-paramedics include:

• Biology BA/BS
• Chemistry BA/BS
• Biochemistry BS/BSBC
• Microbiology BS
• Nutrition and Health Sciences BSEH
• Communication Sciences and Disorders BSEH

Students must remain in the State of Nebraska for at least 5 years after taking advantage of the waiver. There are no exceptions that would allow someone to leave the state.

No matter how long you receive the tuition waiver, you agree to remain in the State of Nebraska for the five-year period following the use of the tuition waiver. For more information, see Neb. Rev. Stat. § 85-2605.

Determinations of residency for in-state tuition eligibility are made independently of the Department of Revenue's verification process related to first responders. Students who qualify for the tuition waiver based on one parent or guardian's status as a first responder may still be deemed to be out-of-state students for residency purposes. For more information, please see Regents Policy 5.7.1. Students who are considered out-of-state students for tuition purposes will not be able to adjust to in-state residency for tuition purposes unless otherwise eligible to do so based on already existing University policies. Regardless of your residency status for tuition purposes, you will still be responsible for establishing Nebraska residency and filing Nebraska income taxes for the five years following the use of the tuition waiver.

Students must meet and comply with general campus scholarship and financial aid requirements, such as, enrollment in a degree-seeking program, meeting citizenship requirements, as well as maintain eligibility, such as making satisfactory academic progress toward their degree, minimum enrollment requirements for disbursement, etc. Neb. Rev. Stat. 85-2604 maintains that the university shall adopt and promulgate the procedures, rules, and regulations necessary to carry out the First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act.

The Nebraska First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act allows for individuals to have their tuition waived for up to five years. The five years of tuition waiver eligibility starts once you receives the tuition waiver for the first time and is available for the next consecutive five years.

First responders who have previously qualified for the tuition waver will still need to file documentation with the Nebraska Department of Revenue showing proof of employment and proof of residence in Nebraska each year the waiver is applied for. First responders will also need to file annually for their dependent to receive the tuition waiver. Dependents of the first responder will need to fill out the FAFSA form annually to remain eligible.

Although the University of Nebraska considers this waiver to be tuition remission, based on the additional requirements attached to this waiver and potential ongoing obligations, the IRS may view this as taxable income when you initially receive the waiver and/or potentially later depending on whether you remain in the State for five years or not. The University cannot provide tax advice. Please seek guidance from your tax advisor if you have any questions regarding how this waiver may affect you.

Yes. Individuals who would like to attend NCTA—a two-year technical college within the University of Nebraska System, with programs focused on agriculture and veterinary technology—are eligible if they meet the requirements. Please contact the NCTA financial aid office for more details.

Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture
Office of Financial Aid
nctafinancialaid@unl.edu
308-367-5207

Undergraduate students who are seeking their bachelor's degree and are eligible under the requirements of the statute are eligible for the waiver regardless of their UNMC campus location. There are several undergraduate degree options available at UNMC, including nursing, dental hygiene and several allied health fields. Graduate and professional students are not eligible for the waiver program. Please contact the UNMC financial aid office for more details.

University of Nebraska Medical Center
Office of Financial Aid
finaid@unmc.edu
402-559-4199

The University of Nebraska System will waive one hundred percent of the first responder or dependent's tuition remaining after subtracting awarded federal financial aid grants, state grants and scholarships received during the time of enrollment. University scholarships also contribute toward meeting your one hundred percent tuition waiver, including merit-based, college or departmental scholarships, and University of Nebraska Foundation scholarships. There is not a line item called the “First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act” that will appear on your financial aid package. Instead, the tuition waiver is a promise that these programs combined will cover your tuition each semester for up to 15 credit hours.

All students have tuition charges assessed to their university student billing account. Recipients of the tuition waiver will still see tuition charges assessed on their account. The tuition waiver is a promise program that guarantees enough scholarships and grants to cover tuition charges for students who qualify. The waiver fulfills actual tuition charges for up to 15 credit hours per spring/fall semester and up to 6 credit hours in the summer.

Although the waiver will cover the cost of tuition, it does not mean that a university education will be entirely free from cost. Students will still need to cover costs for fees, books or room and board. Fortunately, the waiver is just one of many financial aid options available for students. For more details regarding other financial aid options, contact Husker Hub.

The FAFSA stands for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid.” It determines a student’s eligibility for need-based federal financial aid for college, which may include grants, scholarships, work-study and loans. If you don’t fill out the FAFSA Form, you are likely leaving money on the table that you may have qualified for. Every year, the U.S. Department of Education gives over $120 billion in federal grants, loans and work-study funds to more than 13 million college students, making it the largest provider of student financial aid in the country. About two-thirds of all full-time undergraduate college students receive grant aid, or money you don’t have to repay. Dependents must complete the FAFSA Form annually to remain eligible for the tuition waiver program.

The FAFSA Form priority application deadline for the 2025-26 academic year is May 1.

After you complete the FAFSA Form, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary which will tell you if you’re eligible for the Federal Pell Grant and the provide you with your Student Aid Index number.