Scholarships

University of Nebraska at Kearney Scholarship Guidelines

The philosophy of the Scholarship Program is to assist students at UNK by providing supplemental financial resources based on academic performance. With the exception of endowed funds, which are awarded according to donor intent, the Division of Enrollment Management & Marketing will have the sole responsibility of establishing regulations governing scholarships.

In administering the UNK scholarship program, determination of eligibility must first be established. To be eligible to receive a scholarship, the following minimum criteria must be met:

  1. The student must be admitted to UNK and remain in good standing.
  2. Unless specifically indicated by the guidelines of the individual scholarship, the student must currently be an undergraduate student at UNK.
  3. Scholarships are to be awarded according to the student's enrollment status at the time the scholarship will be utilized.
  4. The student must be enrolled full-time each semester the scholarship is received, unless specified otherwise.
  5. Scholarship awards are made on a yearly basis with half of the award distributed each semester. Students attending only one semester of the award period may be eligible for only half of the value of the scholarship.
  6. No member of the applicant's immediate family (to include parent, sibling, or spouse) will be permitted to serve on the scholarship committee or in any way be associated with the internal workings of the selection process.

Federal income tax laws require that income from grants, scholarships, and fellowships be considered as income and reported on federal income tax returns in the following situations:

  1. Students who are seeking a degree must report grant, scholarship and fellowship awards as taxable income to the extent such awards exceed course-related expenses. Course-related expenses include tuition, mandatory fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for coursework.
  2. Individuals who are not seeking a degree, such as faculty fellowships and post-doctoral research associates, are taxed on the full amount of any scholarship or fellowship award.
  3. Any portion of a scholarship or fellowship that is awarded for services performed by the individual, including teaching or research assistantships, is subject to taxation. These awards are considered compensation, even if the teaching or research services are required for the student's degree.

Employers are not required to report scholarship or fellowship payments to the Internal Revenue Service. Since there are no reporting requirements, the University of Nebraska does not issue a Form 1099 Miscellaneous Income, or a Form W-2 for these payments. It is the responsibility of the individual to report scholarship and fellowship income to the IRS.

Athletic Grants

Scholarships for athletes are available at the discretion of the Athletic Director and the coaching staff. An individual coach may, if desired, offer a total or partial scholarship to a prospective student athlete. To be eligible, the recipient must meet UNK transfer and/or entrance requirements, as well as the standards of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Freshman Scholarship Program

The most up-to-date information on UNK scholarship opportunities may be found at unk.edu/scholarships. Please visit this webpage for scholarship resources, applications, and deadlines.

Transfer Student Scholarships

These scholarships are awarded to transfer students with 12 or more transferable credit hours. Please visit this webpage for scholarship resources, applications, and deadlines: unk.edu/scholarships.

Current Student Scholarships

Annual scholarships are funded by several donors who have made a commitment to the university to award scholarships each academic year. A permanently endowed scholarship is comprised of funds from private sources and invested by the University of Nebraska Foundation. The income derived from the investment pays the scholarship. Eligible students must submit a Current Student Scholarship application via MyBLUE by the last day of February. To review scholarships available through this application, please visit unk.edu/scholarships.

The Current Student Scholarship listing is divided into five sections: Education, Business & Technology, Arts & Sciences, Athletics, and non-departmental. Students majoring in a specific field should refer to the corresponding section, while the non-departmental section lists scholarships available to the general student population regardless of major. Students participating in intercollegiate athletics may be considered for scholarships listed in the Athletics section.

Students are encouraged to contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional information on the application process or with any other scholarship questions.

Honors Program Scholarships

The Honors Program offers Honors Scholarships to incoming freshmen based on ACT scores, high school GPA, a letter of recommendation, and a writing sample. Students who remain in the Program and in good standing (maintenance of a 3.25 cumulative grade point average) may hold these scholarships for four years. Honors scholarship recipients may hold tuition or other scholarships as well.

Traditionally, up to three students in each incoming freshman class receive the Omaha World Herald/Kearney Hub Scholarship. This scholarship provides tuition, room, board, fees, and books for four years, and requires maintenance of a 3.5 cumulative grade point average.

UNMC College of Nursing-Kearney Division Scholarships

Students admitted to the UNMC College of Nursing - Kearney Division will be eligible for scholarships and financial aid through the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Students should refer to the UNMC Financial Aid website for complete information.

Additional Information

For any additional information on scholarships that may be available please visit unk.edu/finaid. Visiting the website is the best way to keep up with any potential new scholarships that may not be listed above.