The Nebraska Promise program covers undergraduate tuition at the University of Nebraska at Kearney for students who meet academic qualifications and have a family income of $65,000 or less (Adjusted Gross Income or AGI) or are Pell Grant-eligible.
List of Qualifications:
We want to make sure that any Nebraskan who wants to get a college education can. And we don't want cost to get in the way of getting your degree.
AID PROGRAM DETAILS |
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Gift Aid - Grants (Undergraduate Students Only) | Grants require full-time enrollment from (12+ credit hours per semester for undergraduate students), with the exception of the Pell Grant and SEOG, which may be retained but reduced if a student is not full-time. Grant funding is tentative each year. If a student's award is impacted by a reducation in federal or state funding, UNK will notify them by email. |
Gift Aid - Scholarships | If a student receives scholarships from any organizations other than UNK, they should report it to UNK by completing the Outside Scholarship Form found under “Related Links” in the Financial Aid tab of their MyBLUE account. By law, UNK must adjust federal aid if outside scholarships result in excess awards. If a financial aid is changed, UNK will send an updated award letter via email. |
ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPTIONS - REQUIRES FURTHER ACTION | |
Self-Help Aid - Student Loans |
Federal Student Loans require a minimum of half-time enrollment (6+ credit hours per semester for undergraduate and initial certification students, 4+ credit hours for graduate students). First-time federal loan borrowers must fulfill two requirements: complete Entrance Loan Counseling, and complete a loan agreement called a Master Promissory Note at studentaid.gov. The federal application website is not available until the month of April prior to each new academic year to process loan upcoming applications. In April, the Financial Aid Office emails students instructions on how to complete the loan application process. |
Optional Funding - Federal Work Study (Undergraduate Students Only) |
Federal Work Study (FWS) provides employment opportunities on and off campus. FWS is not applied to a student's UNK balance; students receive a paycheck for hours worked. Visit UNK Student Employment Services for jobs available and more information on accepting FWS. |
Loper Payment Plan | Instead of a student paying their bill in full on its due date, students can agree to three (3) automatic payments with Nelnet each semester. The first payment consists of a nonrefundable enrollment fee of $20 plus 33% of the balance due. The second and third payments will be automatically taken from the bank account or credit card used to make the first payment. Students may sign up for the Loper Payment Plan through their MyBLUE account after receiving their semester E-bill. |
Optional Funding - Parent PLUS Loans (Undergraduate Students Only) |
Federal Parent PLUS Loans require a minimum of half-time enrollment (6+ credit hours per semester for undergraduate students). If a student's parent(s) would like to borrow a Federal Direct PLUS Loan, an online parent loan application, which also serves as a credit check, must be completed. If a parent has questions about what they’re eligible for in Parent PLUS Loan funding, they may contact their student’s financial aid counselor. For more information on Parent PLUS Loans, please visit unk.edu/loans. |
Optional Funding - Private Student Loans |
A Private Student Loan is a loan obtained through a private lender. We encourage students to visit with a financial aid counselor if they are considering an alternative loan. For more information on Alternative Loans, please visit unk.edu/loans. |
EXPECTATIONS FOR FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTS | |
Satisfactory Academic Progress | A student's financial aid eligibility will depend on their academic performance at UNK each semester. If not meeting the requirements, students will be notified by e-mail and/or a letter following the end of a current semester. Students are expected to read and understand UNK's Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. |
Pell Grant (Undergraduate Students Only) |
All students are limited to a lifetime eligibility of Pell Grant. The lifetime eligibility is the equivalent of six full-time years. A student may view their eligibility online by logging into the studentaid.gov website with their FSA ID username and password. This website acts as a data system for all federal student aid and keeps track of lifetime Pell Grant usage & federal loan borrowing history from any institution. |
USEFUL INFORMATION REGARDING FINANCIAL AID | |
Total Loan Debt Calculator |
A student may review their federal student loan borrowing history by logging in to MyBLUE, clicking on their “Financial Aid” tab, then clicking on “My Loan Debt.” To calculate your estimated student loan payments, visit the Federal Student Aid website. |
College Financing Plan | For more information about your estimated costs and financial aid, a student may access their UNK College Financing Plan. To do so, students should log in to MyBLUE, click on their “Financial Aid” tab, then on the right-hand side of their Financial Aid page, under “Related Links,” click on “View College Financing Plan. |
Public Glossary of Standard Terms and Definitions | For a glossary of Federal Student Aid terms, visit the Federal Student Aid Glossary page on their website. |
Contact the UNK Financial Aid Office | Meet the UNK Financial Aid Team and find contact information on their Contact Us page. |
You have the right to know:
You must:
Title |
Question |
Destination |
Loan |
What does it mean to borrow to finance my education? |
U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid Website: Loan Entrance Counseling |
Cumulative |
How much could I owe when I graduate? |
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Student Loan |
What is UNK's student loan default rate? |
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School Graduation and |
How many of UNK's students continue and graduate from their chosen program? |
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Repayment |
How much will my loan payments be when I go into repayment? |
U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid Website: Make a Student Loan Payment |
Federal Student Aid |
How much federal student aid have I received in loans and grants? |
U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid Website: Loan Simulator |
College Comparison |
Where can I compare information about the schools I am considering? |
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Net Price |
What should I expect my out-of-pocket costs to be for one year? |
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Non-Federal |
How much have I borrowed in non-federal education loans? |
Not currently available |
College |
Where can I compare information about the affordability and value of the schools I am considering? |
The Semester Cost Estimator is a tool to help determine what your student’s approximate UNK costs will be for a semester as a degree seeking student.
The Undergraduate Net Price Calculator is a tool to provide a preliminary estimate of federal, state and institutional aid eligibility. Fill in the requested information. Your responses will be used to calculate an estimated amount paid by students with similar profiles - after grant aid and scholarships but before student loans - to attend this institution in a given year. Calculate your estimate.
If you are a dependent of a soldier killed in action in Iraq or Afghanistan since September 11, 2001 and you are currently Federal Pell Grant eligible, you may be eligible for some additional Federal Pell Grant.
Because students who meet these conditions are not necessarily easily identifiable, please contact the Office of Financial Aid if you meet these conditions. We will evaluate and confirm your eligibility to determine whether you are eligible for more Federal Pell Grant.
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 award year for which the determination of eligibility is made. To qualify for this scholarship, the student must be Pell-eligible and 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:
As defined in section 1204 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796b); or
A fire police officer, defined as an individual who is serving in accordance with State or local law as an officially recognized or designated member of a legally organized public safety agency and provides scene security or directs traffic in response to any fire drill, fire call, or other fire, rescue, or police emergency, or at a planned special event.
Application Process:
Since students who meet the conditions of this scholarship are not necessarily easily identifiable, please contact the Office of Financial Aid if you believe you meet the criteria of this scholarship by phone: (308) 865-8520 or email: finaid1@unk.edu.Federal Direct Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) are unsubsidized loans that a parent may borrow to assist a student in paying for educational expenses. More information about Federal Direct PLUS loans.