A college education has become a significant expense for most families and requires careful planning. Whatever your financial situation is, we encourage you to use this information to help you understand college funding so you can navigate the financial aid process with greater ease.
States provide many financial aid opportunities to help ease the cost of a college education. Please select the state you reside in to learn about state sponsored internships, scholarships and financial aid programs for undergraduate students and assistantships, fellowships, and residency programs for graduate and professional students.
For more detailed information on state financial aid programs contact:
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
140 N. 8th 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
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.
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.
Postsecondary institutions participating in the ACE 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:
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.
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.
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.