Review and Secure Your Financial Aid
Admitted Huskers who filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Form receive financial aid offers in the "Financial Aid" tab in MyRED, Nebraska's online student portal.
Follow our guide on this page or watch the Interpreting Your Financial Aid Webinar recording to evaluate your offer and complete the financial aid process.
Interpreting Your Financial Aid Offer
Financial Aid Checklist
How to Read Your Award Offer
View a sample comprehensive Financial Aid Offer and an explanation of how to interpret it.
Note: The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is committed to using the Principles and Standards of the College Cost Transparency Initiative in its student financial aid offer.
1. Estimated Direct Cost After Gift Aid and Student Loans (If accepted)
This is an estimate of how much you might owe to attend Nebraska if you accept all gift aid and student loans (remember, loans must be repaid). Listed below this section on your award offer are additional options for you to cover your remaining expenses. Review them carefully and contact us with any questions.
2. Estimated Direct and Indirect Costs Related to Attendance
Your direct cost of attendance is an estimate of the standard cost for a student to attend Nebraska. This estimate includes 15 credits per term at the base tuition rate with estimated fees. If you live on campus, housing and meals will be directly billed to you from the university. Your actual cost of attendance may be different, depending on the number of credit hours for which you register, your specific courses and where you choose to live. You must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours to qualify for most scholarships and financial aid.
Beyond paying for classes and housing, we also estimate other indirect costs related to college attendance you will likely experience. These costs are not billed by the university, but include expenses for personal items, transportation, and books and supplies. As these costs are estimates, we strongly encourage you to plan your own specific budget.
3. Scholarships & Grants (If offered)
Grants and scholarships are considered "gift aid" and do not need to be repaid, though most scholarships have specific eligibility requirements—like academic achievement, financial need or special characteristics.
Many scholarships are eligible to be renewed each year of college, but you must meet specific requirements—like filing the FAFSA Form each year, maintaining a certain GPA or taking specific classes. Make sure you understand what awards you've received and how to renew them.
4. Student Loan Options (If offered)
Educational loans are a useful tool to pay for college, but we encourage you to borrow only enough to cover your necessary education-related expenses.
Loans from federal and private resources must be repaid with interest, even if you do not graduate. Interest rates are market-based and will be determined each year by June 30.
We encourage you to only borrow what you can reasonably afford to repay each month based on your expected income after graduation. Find income estimates for possible careers in your field in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Because Nebraska offers the lowest tuition in the Big Ten and strong financial aid packages, our students who take out loans typically borrow about $8,000 less than the national average. *
*The national average federal student loan debt per borrower is $28,950; Source: Forbes, 2023.
Nebraska's federal loan debt is typically $21,000; Source: U.S. Department of Education, 2023.
5. Additional Aid Options (If offered)
Federal Work-Study
The Federal Work-Study program provides part-time jobs for students who demonstrate financial need and who desire to earn a part of their educational expenses. Jobs average 10-20 hours per week and may be on- or off-campus. Work-study will be listed as an option on your award offer, if eligible.
Students can search for work-study positions in Handshake, the university's online job search platform.
Parent Loans
The Federal Direct PLUS Loan Program assists eligible parents of dependent students in meeting educational expenses and allows parents to borrow up to the cost of attendance minus other resources. The U.S. Department of Education is the lender that delivers the loan money to you through the university. An alternative option could be applying for a private/alternative loan with a co-signer.
External Scholarships
We encourage you to regularly check for new external scholarships opportunities to help pay for your education.
Husker Payment Plan
Nebraska partners with Nelnet Business Solutions to allow students to pay their charges in monthly installments, rather than all at once.
Sample Financial Aid Offer: Pg. 1
Sample Financial Aid Offer: Pg. 2
Could My Aid Change?
Aid eligibility is not necessarily fixed. The following situations may alter your financial aid. Contact Husker Hub if you have any questions.
Additional Financial Assistance
Additional aid you receive for your education, such as other institutional and private scholarships, tuition waivers, Vocational Rehabilitation, etc., must be reported to our office. You may report any additional aid you will receive in MyRED.
Special Circumstances
Let Husker Hub know if you experience a sudden change in income or expenses. We may be able to reassess your family's aid eligibility in the event of a special and unusual circumstance, such as loss of income, divorce, death in the family, layoff, etc.
Husker Hub
Student Services Center
Husker Hub is Nebraska's "one stop" for you to get assistance with the FAFSA Form, scholarships, grants, loans and more. Our Husker Hub full-time student services specialists are available remotely Monday-Friday through a Virtual Queue to help answer all of your questions about paying for college.