1. What
costs are covered with my Buffett Scholarship?
Up to $3,750 per semester for tuition and fees and up to $500 a semester for
books and supplies.
2. When
should I apply for scholarships?
From January 1 to the application deadline of March 1.
3. Am I
required to file a FAFSA?
Yes, with your application. Financial need is one of the criteria for the scholarship and is determined by the
student filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and
submitting a copy of their Student Aid Report (SAR) along with the scholarship
application. Please go to www.fafsa.ed.gov for
more information on filing for federal student aid.
Once you have been awarded the scholarship, the FAFSA is not required for subsequent
years for renewal of the scholarship. However, we do encourage you to complete
or update your FAFSA application annually to see your aid options. Students who
receive federal financial aid should contact the UNK financial aid office
regarding annual requirements.
4. Do I
need to reapply each year?
No. Your scholarship will automatically renew each semester for up to five
years for a four year college if you continue to meet the scholarship
requirements or until you graduate or obtain your
bachelor’s degree, whichever comes first.
5. What
if I add classes after my scholarship has been paid?
The costs of these classes are the student’s responsibility. If the classes are added between the early
registration period and the first week of classes for fall and spring, or the
first day of each summer session, scholarship funds will pay the additional
tuition and fee costs up to the maximum scholarship amount.
6. What
happens if I drop classes and am assessed partial or full tuition for them?
You will need to reimburse the Foundation for costs of the dropped classes. Failure to do so will
result in the loss of your scholarship. Each campus notifies the Foundation of
the amount owed and usually the amount of your scholarship will be reduced the following
semester by this amount.
7. What
are the deadlines for submission of grades to the Foundation?
January
1 for the fall semester
June
1 for the spring semester
Within
3 weeks after your last summer session
8. Does
my grade report need to be official?
No. Submit your grade report using the website https://buffettscholargrades.nebraska.edu;
include your term and cumulative GPA and
any withdrawn and incomplete course hours for the term as listed on your
student record in MyBlue. Also include your intended date of graduation and any
changes to your address or e-mail address. Correspondence is handled via e-mail,
so it is imperative that you advise us of any changes immediately. Be sure to
also update your e-mail address on your student record through MyBlue.
9. What
happens if I fail to submit my grades by the deadline?
Failure to submit your grades by the deadline will result in the loss of your
scholarship.
10. What
GPA is required to maintain my scholarship?
You need to maintain a GPA of at least 2.0 each semester.
11. What
happens if my GPA drops below 2.0?
If your semester or cumulative GPA drops below 2.0, you will be at risk
of losing your scholarship and your scholarship could be terminated.
12. What
happens if I do not participate in or comply with all William H. Thompson
Scholars Learning Community (TLC) requirements?
Your scholarship will be terminated.
13. Are
summer school costs covered?
The scholarship will pay up to a maximum of $3,750 for all summer sessions
and $33 per credit hour for books and/or supplies up to a maximum of $500. It
is the student’s responsibility to submit a grade report using the website https://buffettscholargrades.nebraska.edu
within 3 weeks after the end of the last
summer session.
If you will be attending a school other than UNK and the course is
needed for your degree, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the
Foundation at scholarships@nebraska.edu of intent to attend
summer classes at least two weeks prior to the start date, if requesting
funding by emailing the following information: name of the school, start date, name of
the classes and number of credit hours, and how the classes apply to your
major/minor.
If you are receiving federal financial aid during the summer, it is the
student’s responsibility to contact the financial aid office regarding requirements
and when funds will be disbursed to your student account.
14. Does
summer school count as a semester?
The Foundation gives summer school the same weight as regular semesters, so
if summer school is funded by the Foundation and your GPA drops below 2.0, you will
be at risk of losing your scholarship and your scholarship could be terminated.
15. Can
my scholarship be used for study abroad?
Possibly if credits earned go toward your degree requirements and are
billed through your student account. The scholarship will cover the equivalent
of tuition and fees for those credit hours earned up to the maximum of $3,750.
The scholarship will not pay for airfare or other travel costs, room, board or
any miscellaneous costs. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the
Foundation at scholarships@nebraska.edu of intent to
study abroad at least two weeks prior to the start date if requesting funding or
if requesting the scholarship be placed ‘on hold’ while participating in the
study abroad program and not receiving funding.
Study abroad has the same weight as a regular semester. If your GPA drops below
2.0 or you do not report grades for the term prior to your study abroad, your
approved program scholarship funds may be cancelled or your scholarship may be
terminated. Students placed on probation by the learning communities will be
required to comply with the probationary guidelines and cannot postpone this
probation by studying abroad.
A grade report for your study abroad courses must be submitted by the semester
due date using the website https://buffettscholargrades.nebraska.edu .
If grades will not be available by
the due date, notify the Foundation at scholarships@nebraska.edu .
16. May I
use my scholarship at another state school even if I am a student at a University
campus?
Yes, if you have available scholarship funds, you must notify the
Foundation where you will be taking classes and those classes must count toward
your degree. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Foundation at scholarships@nebraska.edu
at least two weeks prior to the start date, if requesting funding by emailing
the following information: name of the school, start date, name of the classes and
number of credit hours, and how the classes apply to your major/minor.
17. How
many credit hours must I carry each semester?
You must carry a full time load during the fall and spring term (minimum of
twelve credit hours), unless you are working. All working students must carry
an academic load of at least nine credit hours and must notify the Foundation
of employment status prior to the start of the semester by e-mailing scholarships@nebraska.edu
the name of the employer, supervisor’s name and supervisor’s phone/e-mail.
If you plan to withdraw from a course during the semester and your credit hours
will go below the minimum requirement, if possible, you should add credit hours
to meet the requirement. If you cannot add a course, it is the student’s
responsibility to notify the Foundation at scholarships@nebraska.edu
to request to complete reduced credit hours. Include in the e-mail to the
Foundation, the number of hours enrolled after the withdrawal and the reason for
the withdrawal.
18. Is
this scholarship for graduate work?
The scholarship is for undergraduate studies only.
19. May I
transfer my scholarship to another Nebraska state college or community college?
Yes. You may transfer your scholarship to any Nebraska state public
college, university, or community college as long as you notify the Foundation
in advance, are still an undergraduate student, and are meeting scholarship GPA
requirements. Scholarships to UNMC will transfer only for specific programs;
please email scholarships@nebraska.edu
the name of the program to confirm your scholarship will transfer. You also
need to notify UNK of your intentions to transfer.
20. How
is my scholarship paid to me?
The Foundation sends your scholarship to your campus, which then credits your
tuition statement for the costs of your actual
semester tuition and fees up to a maximum of $3,750 a semester plus a book
allowance up to $500.
21. How
do I receive my book money?
You will receive your book money from your campus for $500 each fall and
spring semester or $33 per credit hour for summer courses up to the maximum of
$500. The book money is credited to your student account and a refund is issued
to you on the first day of each semester if you are enrolled for classes.
Students should sign up for direct deposit through MyBlue; please contact the
Thompson Scholars Learning Community for information on how to complete this
process.
22. I am
a freshman or sophomore. Whom do I contact about the Thompson Scholars Learning
Community?
At
UNK, contact Jennifer Harvey or Scott Seeba at 308-865-8364, or visit the
website http://www.unk.edu/thompson/
.
At
UNL, contact Kelli King at 402-472-5523, or visit the website http://www.unl.edu/wht
At
UNO, contact Kellie Pickett at 402-554-4080, or visit the website http://www.unomaha.edu/thompsonlc/
23. What
is the e-mail address to ask other questions I may have?
E-mail your
questions to scholarships@nebraska.edu.
Make sure to include your name, NUID and which campus you are attending.
24. Do I
need to claim the scholarship funds as income on my tax return?
In nearly all
instances, this scholarship will not
count as income on your tax return. The scholarship check is not made
out to the student, so the funds do not need to be claimed on tax returns. However, if you receive additional
scholarships or tuition assistance, please confirm this with your tax preparer.