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Nebraska Career Scholarships
Nebraska Career Scholarships Program is a collaboration between the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), Nebraska community colleges and Nebraska private nonprofit postsecondary institutions. This program will provide scholarships to students pursuing degrees in programs of study leading to high wage, high-skill, and high-demand careers.
“Connecting the next generation of Nebraskans to great opportunities in our state is key to helping our kids make Nebraska their home. These scholarships will help to equip young Nebraskans to enter careers in fields with high-demand for new talent, such as engineering, healthcare, and IT. This adds to the pipeline we’ve been building to connect young Nebraskans with great-paying careers so that they can enjoy the Good Life. Now, students will also have the opportunity to apply for a Career Scholarship as they prepare for to enter fields where our state has a workforce shortage.”
Nebraska Career Scholarship aid is awarded to Nebraska community colleges and Nebraska private nonprofit postsecondary institutions. The program was created in 2020 through Legislative Bill 1008, which appropriated aid for Nebraska community colleges. The following year, additional aid was appropriated for Nebraska private nonprofit postsecondary institutions through Legislative Bill 380.
Program Highlights
Amount of Aid:
Nebraska community colleges will be awarded: FY 23-24 & FY24-25, $4,000,000
Nebraska private nonprofit postsecondary institutions will be awarded: FY 23-24, $3,000,000;
FY 24-25, $4,000,000
Requirements for Awardees:
The awarded colleges and institutions will act as agents for DED to receive and process individual students’ applications and disburse scholarships. The awardees must also provide a robust report on scholarship recipients and outcomes to DED.
Scholarship Amounts:
Community college students may be awarded up to $5,000 a year for up to 3 years.
Private nonprofit postsecondary institution students may be awarded up to $10,000 a year for up to 4 years.
Eligible Scholarship Recipients:
Eligible scholarship recipients must be enrolled in an eligible program of study, live in Nebraska while receiving the scholarship and participate in a Nebraska-based career-related work experience prior to completing their program of study. For the initial award, the recipient must either be a first-time student or transfer student.
Eligible Programs of Study:
Eligible programs of study at Nebraska community colleges include programs within: Architecture & Engineering; Business, Financial & Administrative Operations; Computer & Technology Assistance; Construction & Extraction; Farming, Fishing, & Forestry; Healthcare Practitioners & Technical; Installation, Maintenance, & Repair; Production; or Transportation & Material Moving.
Eligible programs of study at Nebraska private nonprofit postsecondary institutions include programs within Computer Information Systems; Healthcare; or Math.
Participating Colleges
Seven Nebraska community colleges are participating in the Nebraska Career Scholarships program:
- Central Community College (contact Janel Walton, Dean of Enrollment Management, at janelwalton@cccneb.edu or 308-398-7405)
- Little Priest Tribal College (contact the Office of Financial Aid at yattym@littlepriest.edu or 402-878-2380)
- Metropolitan Community College (contact the Scholarship Office at scholarships@mccneb.edu or 531-622-2400)
- Mid-Plains Community College (contact Erinn Brown, Director of Financial Aid, at browne@mpcc.edu or 308-345-8112)
- Northeast Community College (contact Amy Kaiser, Workforce Development Coordinator, at amyk@northeast.edu or 402-844-7245)
- Southeast Community College (contact ncsp@southeast.edu)
- Western Nebraska Community College (contact Sheila Johns, Financial Aid Director, at johnss23@wncc.edu or 308-635-6366)
Additional participating private nonprofit colleges will be added here as that information becomes available.
Program Guidelines
Grant Management Resources
Applications
Community Colleges
Submission Close Date: 8/4/2023 11:30 PM Central Standard Time
Private Nonprofit Postsecondary Institutions
Submission Close Date: 8/4/2023 11:30 PM Central Standard Time
For more information on the Nebraska Career Scholarships:
