National First Responder Pledge

Available to:

First-Year
Out-of-State

A tuition pledge to offset the cost of tuition for out-of-state students who are first responders (or their dependent children) and demonstrated their ability to succeed at Nebraska. The pledge is a waiver of the undergraduate out-of-state portion of tuition, providing out-of-state students the same net tuition as Nebraska residents.

A first responder is defined as (a) a law enforcement officer responsible for the prevention or detection of crime or the enforcement of U.S. penal, traffic or highway laws for more than 100 hours per year and who is authorized by law to make arrests or (b) a firefighter or firefighter-paramedic who is a member of a paid fire department (municipality or rural/suburban fire district) in the U.S. and for whom firefighting is a full-time career.

Award

Waiver of nonresident portion of tuition for the academic year for up to five years, including summers. Completion of additional documentation is required to confirm first responder affiliation via the first responder’s supervisor.

Deadline

Priority: November 1
Final: May 15

Review Basis

National First Responders pledge selection is based on first responder connection and a balanced objective assessment of competitive academic achievement, including a good grade point average or in combination with an excellent class rank and/or test score, with a subjective final academic review. Indicate your first responder connection on the supplemental Scholarship Application.

Renewability

Students must maintain a 2.000 cumulative GPA and complete 24 credit hours each academic year (fall/spring). View full eligibility and renewal policies.

Transferability

This scholarship is offered by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The scholarship is not transferable in part or in whole to any other university or campus, including the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) or the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). This scholarship will not cover the cost of tuition for classes taken at UNO, UNK or UNMC.

Note: The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based upon any protected status. Scholarships are subject to change each year for new incoming students. As a public tuition benefit under Nebraska State Statute 4-110, individuals awarded these funds must be citizens of the United States or if a qualified alien have been verified as lawfully present in the United States (Nebraska State Statutes 4-111 and 4-112).