The University of Nebraska is proud to partner with the State of Nebraska in supporting Nebraska law enforcement officers, firefighters, firefighter-paramedics, and their dependents who are completing their baccalaureate degrees. Under the First Responder Recruitment and Retention Law Enforcement Education Act, sworn officers, first responders, and their dependents may be eligible for a waiver of 100% of their resident tuition charges (after other financial aid) for pursuing a baccalaureate degree program that relates to their career. This waiver is available for up to five years.
A law enforcement officer, for the purposes of this program, is defined as any person who is responsible for the prevention or detection of crime or the enforcement of the penal, traffic, or highway laws of the State of Nebraska or any political subdivision of the state for more than one 100 hours per year and who is authorized by law to make arrests. The law enforcement officer must be pursing a major approved by the UNK NE First Responder Recruitment and Retention Law Enforcement Education Act Majors List.
A professional firefighter, for the purposes of this program, is defined as a firefighter or firefighter-paramedic who is a member of a paid fire department of a municipality or a rural or suburban fire protection district in the state of Nebraska, including a municipality having a home rule charter or a municipal authority created pursuant to a home rule charter that has its own paid fire department, and for whom firefighting is a full-time career. The professional firefighter must be pursing a major approved by the UNK NE First Responder Recruitment and Retention Law Enforcement Education Act Majors List.
A dependent, for the purposes of this program, is defined as a biological child, stepchild, foster child, sibling, step-sibling, or descendant who can legally be claimed as a dependent by a law enforcement officer (as defined above) or professional firefighter (as defined above). Being a dependent student means you meet the definition of a "dependent student" under the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and that at least one parent or legal guardian qualifies as a law enforcement officer or professional firefighter residing in the State of Nebraska. Dependents can be enrolled in any undergraduate degree program at UNK.
1. Fill out the application for the Nebraska First Responder Recruitment and Retention Law Enforcement Education Act. Please note that this application will ask you to upload completed Nebraska Department of Revenue Verification form and Verification of Satisfactory Performance form.
2. The Nebraska Department of Revenue Verification Form is available on the Nebraska Department of Revenue website (Please note: this form will not be accepted by our office until page two has been signed by a DOR representative).
3. Dependents of law enforcement officers or first responders who are applying for the NE First Responder Recruitment and Retention Law Enforcement Officer Education Act Tuition Benefit must sign a recipient agreement, which can be downloaded here. Please return the completed document to our office by uploading it using the "Upload Documents" button on MyBLUE. You can also deliver the document in-person to our office, email it to finaid1@unk.edu, or fax it to (308) 865-8096.
4. Dependents must also file a current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
A full list of frequently asked questions can be viewed here.
Note: This FAQ is subject to change with little or no notice in response to Nebraska law. The information provided to you in this document is as accurate and up to date as possible given current understandings of the law. Nothing in this FAQ should be taken as legal or financial advice and is provided to you for your convenience only in determining eligibility and a desire to apply for the First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act Law Enforcement Officer Education Act Tuition Benefit. If you have any legal or tax questions, please reach out to a personal attorney or tax advisor for how this may affect you.
The 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act included an amendment authorizing the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship. Under this scholarship, a Pell-eligible student whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty while performing as a public safety officer is eligible to receive a maximum Pell Grant for the offer year for which the determination of eligibility is made. To qualify for this scholarship, the student must be Pell-eligible, have a Pell eligible EFC (as determined through completion of the FAFSA & related requirements), and must be less than 24 years of age or enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of his/her parent’s or guardian’s death. In subsequent years, the student continues to be eligible for the scholarship, as long as the student has a Pell-eligible EFC and continues to be an eligible student.
Criteria:
For purposes of the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship, a public safety officer is:
Application Process:
Since students who meet the conditions of this scholarship are not necessarily easily identifiable, please call the Office of Financial Aid if you believe you meet the criteria of this scholarship: (308) 865-8520 or email: finaid1@unk.edu.
