STATE OF NEBRASKA FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS

For more detailed information on state financial aid programs contact:

Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education

140 N. 8^th Street Suite 300

Lincoln, Nebraska 68508

Phone: (402) 471-2847 | FAX: (402) 471-2886

http://www.ccpe.state.ne.us/PublicDoc/Ccpe/financialaid.asp

The following are financial aid programs available to students who are residents of the state of Nebraska. Applying for financial aid can seem overwhelming at first. Break it down into steps, and you’ll find that it’s not as difficult or confusing as it may first appear.

What should I do first?
Apply for admission to the schools you are interested in attending. The school’s financial aid office won’t be able to process your aid eligibility until you have been admitted to the school. Contact the financial aid office of the schools you have applied to for admission and ask them what forms you need to fill out. One of the forms they will tell you to file is a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form (link to the form is available below). They may also ask you to fill out a separate, institutional application, as well. (While you may need to fill out an institutional application for each school you’ve applied to, you only need to fill out one FAFSA.)

When should I start?
Start soon! If the schools you applied to have received your application, you may start contacting their financial aid offices. Ask about requirements and deadlines

Access College Early Scholarship Program

Authorized by the Nebraska Legislature in 2007, the Access College Early (ACE) Scholarship Program Act (LB 192) pays tuition and mandatory fees for qualified, low-income high school students to enroll in college courses from Nebraska’s colleges or universities, either through dual-enrollment or early enrollment agreements with these institutions. High school students may apply for funding under this program by completing the ACE Student Application, which is reviewed by the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE) for award consideration.

There are two basic criteria for high school students to qualify for the ACE Scholarship. Students must either be eligible to receive assistance under a variety of federal government programs or the student and his or her family must have experienced a recent hardship.

For students to find out more information on the ACE Scholarship and to complete an application, please go to the ACE Scholarship Student Application Form below.

• Fillable PDF for ACE Scholarship Student Application Form

For colleges wishing to participate in the ACE Scholarship Program with Nebraska high schools, please go to the ACE Scholarship Program Institutional Application Form below.

• Fillable PDF for ACE Scholarship Program Institutional Application Form

Postsecondary institutions participating in the ACE Scholarship Program.

ACE Plus Scholarship Program

Students who were previously awarded an Access College Early (ACE) Scholarship now may be eligible for the ACE Plus Scholarship, which is awarded to full-time college students who received an ACE Scholarship in high school. The ACE Plus Scholarship provides a $500 scholarship for the first year a student attends college full-time and a $1,000 scholarship for the second year. To be eligible for the award, a student must:

• Have received a Nebraska ACE scholarship;
• Have received a grade point average of 2.0 or better on a 4.0 scale for all completed ACE-funded courses taken while in high school; and
• Be enrolled in a postsecondary educational institution as a full-time student.

The scholarship may be used at any accredited institution in the United States. It will be paid directly to the attending institution and applied to the student’s total educational expenses. Students who wish to apply for the scholarship must submit the below application to the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education.

• Fillable PDF ACE Plus Scholarship Student Application Form

The ACE Plus Scholarship Program was developed by Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education to encourage former ACE students to attend college full time. It is funded by the federal College Access Challenge Grant.

Nebraska Opportunity Grant (formerly Nebraska State Grant)

The state of Nebraska provides the Nebraska Opportunity Grant (NOG) – formerly the Nebraska State Grant – to students who meet certain qualifications. Qualifications include being a Nebraska resident, attending a Nebraska postsecondary institution, and having a minimum EFC as determined by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The NOG is awarded through postsecondary institutions within the state. Therefore, students must apply to the school to be considered for the grant. Allinstitutions require applicants to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is available from high school counselors, the EducationQuest College Planning offices located in Nebraska or on line at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Some institutions require an institutional application as well, so make sure you check with the financial aid office at the school(s) you are interested in attending.

For additional financial aid information, students can contact EducationQuest or online at the FinAid^® Web site.