The Nebraska Career Scholarship (NCS) Program is a collaboration between the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (Commission) and Nebraska community colleges. The program provides renewable scholarships of up to $15,000 per year for tuition, fees, required tools and equipment (including books), room, and board to students pursuing degrees in programs of study leading to high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand careers.
To be eligible for a Nebraska Career Scholarship at a community college, an applicant:
- Must live in Nebraska while receiving a scholarship but may be recruited from outside of Nebraska
- Must be a first-time freshman or a transfer student (applicants that took dual credit courses are not considered previously enrolled)
- Must be enrolled in an eligible program of study offered by a community college that falls within one of the following occupational categories:
- Business, Financial, & Administrative Operations
- Computer & Technology Assistance
- Architecture & Engineering
- Healthcare - Practitioners & Technical
- Farming, Fishing, & Forestry
- Construction & Extraction
- Installation, Maintenance, & Repair
- Production
- Transportation & Material Moving
- Must meet any additional criteria established by the community college the applicant will attend
- Must register with the appropriate campus office to obtain a Nebraska-based internship, apprenticeship, clinical position, experiential learning activity, or employment in a major-related field prior to completion of the student's eligible program of study
Each community college determines the eligibility of students seeking an NCS, receives and processes NCS applications, and disburses funds to NCS recipients. Therefore, students must apply for the scholarship directly through their college. If you are interested in applying for an NCS, please visit your community college’s website. Your community college may require you to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available from high school counselors, the EducationQuest College Planning offices located in Nebraska, or online at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa.
For additional financial aid information, students can contact EducationQuest or visit the Federal Student Aid website.
NCS Guidelines (preliminary, pending Commission approval)