UNK Home Page UNK Tools

SCHOLARSHIPS

Go directly to:


University of Nebraska at Kearney Scholarship Guidelines

The philosophy of the Scholarship Committee 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 scholarship committee 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 must be met:

  1. The student must be admitted to, and remain in good standing, at UNK.
  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 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 given 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.
  7. Scholarship awards are subject to review by the scholarship committee upon student petition.

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


Freshman Scholarship Program:

New freshmen admitted by February 1 will be considered for Board of Regent's and Chancellor's Scholarships. No additional application is required.

The Board of Regent's Scholarship is a full tuition waiver for up to 135 undergraduate credits or upon the recipient's completion of a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first. This program is for graduates of Nebraska high schools only. The scholarship requires the student to be full-time.

The Chancellor's Scholarship is a $2000 tuition waiver per academic year. It is available for up to eight semesters or through the student's graduation with a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first. The scholarship requires the student to be full-time.

The Dean's Scholarship is a $1000 tuition waiver. It is awarded for up to eight semesters or through the student's graduation, whichever comes first. This scholarship requires the student to be full-time.

The Cooperating School Honor Scholarship is awarded to graduating high school seniors of school systems serving as a cooperating school in the student teacher program at UNK. The cooperating school recommends scholarship recipients and alternates equal to the number of scholarships available for that particular school by submitting a list to the UNK Office of Financial Aid. To be eligible for the $1500 tuition waiver, students must have a score of 23 or above on the ACT or 1050 or above on the SAT and rank in the top 30% of their graduating class. High school counselors of cooperating schools can be contacted for more information and application materials.

The Non-Resident Scholarship is for out-of-state students. The scholarship can pay up to the full difference between resident and non-resident tuition.

Nebraska Legacy Scholarship: Established by the Board of Regents, this scholarship pays the difference between resident and non-resident tuition for qualified students whose parent's graduated from one of the University of Nebraska campuses. In order to receive this scholarship you must be the natural born or legally adopted child of a University of Nebraska graduate. Step-parent or legal guardian status does not apply. You also must rank in the upper 1/3 (33%) of your high school graduating class or have a composite ACT score of 24 or SAT score of 1100.


Minority Student Grants:

UNK Multicultural Community Service Scholarship: This scholarship is designed to provide students an opportunity to serve UNK by establishing the foundation of a multicultural community. This service will include creating multicultural student groups and participating in multicultural and campus wide activities and organizations. Recipients of the scholarship will receive a full tuition waiver for up to fifteen credit hours per semester. The scholarship is renewable for eight semesters and two summers. The application is available from the Office of Multicultural Affairs or the Office of Admissions.

R.H. "Rick" Davis Scholarship: This is the premiere academic scholarship awarded to talented minority students in the State of Nebraska. Candidates must be admitted to the University of Nebraska at Kearney by February 1 and should meet UNK's minimum academic merit scholarship standards of a 23 or better composite on the ACT and rank in the top 30% of the high school graduating class. However applicants who do not meet one or both of the minimum standards can apply and will be given full consideration. The amount of the scholarship varies but generally is around $2000 to $4000 annually for up to four years. The application is available from the Office of Financial Aid or the Office of Multicultural Affairs.


Transfer Student Scholarship:

These scholarships are awarded to transfer students (12 or more transferable credit hours). Students receive a partial tuition waiver. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.


Annual and Permanently Endowed Scholarships

An annual scholarship is one where a donor has made a commitment to the university to award a scholarship each academic year. A permanently endowed scholarship is one whose funds have been raised from private sources and invested by the University of Nebraska Foundation. The income derived from the investment pays the scholarship. Upper-class students must submit an Annual and Endowed Scholarship application via WebEASI by March 1. All annual and endowed scholarships that are available along with criteria a student must meet to be eligible for the scholarships are listed on www.unk.edu/offices/financial_aid/.

The Annual and Endowed Scholarship listing is divided into six sections consisting of one for each college (Education, Business & Technology, Fine Arts & Humanities, and Natural & Social Sciences), athletics, and miscellaneous. Students majoring in a specific field should refer to the corresponding college section, while the miscellaneous section lists scholarships available to the general student population regardless of major. Those 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.


UNMC College of Nursing-Kearney Division Scholarships

Once students are fully admitted into the College of Nursing-Kearney Division, they are no longer considered UNK students and are ineligible to apply for UNK Annual and Endowed scholarships. However, UNMC does offer scholarships for Kearney Division nursing students. Contact the College of Nursing-Kearney Division or the UNMC Office of Financial Aid for more information on these scholarships.

08 Mar 2006

ugradcatalog@unk.edu