Nebraska Wesleyan University wants to make its private, personalized education accessible to all Nebraska students.
“College affordability is absolutely critical now more than ever,” said President Darrin Good. “Nebraska Wesleyan has long been recognized for incredible experiences, prestigious honors and rewarding outcomes, and it’s important that we make those successes more accessible. The Access NWU Scholarship Program will do just that.”
The Access NWU Scholarship Program will fully fund tuition through federal, state and NWU merit-based and need-based aid for Nebraska first-time, first-year students who qualify for the federal Pell Grant. The program will serve most students whose family adjusted gross incomes are at or below $60,000. Currently, approximately 30 percent of NWU students receive the Pell Grant.
The program, which begins in fall 2021, is renewable for full-time students who enroll for four years and enables them to earn up to 144 credit hours, allowing the opportunity to add additional majors and minors during their time at NWU. Students will need to maintain at least a 2.0 GPA. Outside scholarships, unsubsidized federal student loans and on-campus work study may be used for room and board and other educational expenses.
Good said removing financial burden plays a significant role in helping under-resourced, low-income and first-generation students to fully succeed in college and beyond.
“I was a Pell grant recipient as a student and my wife was a first-generation college student, so launching the Access NWU Scholarship Program is very personal to me,” said Good.
“Eliminating financial stresses allows these students to focus entirely on their academic and extracurricular experiences and further thrive in this environment,” Good added. “Personal attention, small classes and career-building experiences make NWU an ideal choice for these students.”
In addition, Nebraska Wesleyan is increasing its scholarships for transfer students including a $20,000 Pathways Transfer Scholarship. In 2017, NWU initiated partnerships with five community colleges — Southeast Community College, Central Community College, Iowa Western Community College, Metropolitan Community College and Mid-Plains Community College — by offering the Pathways Transfer Scholarship. The partnership provides financial aid to help students complete their bachelor’s degree at NWU. Previously, the Pathways Transfer Scholarship provided $15,000 to transfer students who completed at least 18 credit hours. More than 160 students have received the Pathways Scholarship since its start.
Nebraska Wesleyan also offers the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Scholarship to qualified community college students who are members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, an academic honorary. The PTK Scholarship will increase from $17,000 to $21,000.
“Transfer students are an important part of our student body,” said Good. “They bring experience, diversity and continued academic success. It’s critical that we provide them with the same accessibility and affordability that we provide to our traditional undergraduates who begin their academic career here as first-year students.”
Ultimately, financial aid is available to all traditional undergraduate students regardless of income. For example, every student admitted to Nebraska Wesleyan receives a renewable scholarship of $15,000 or more based on their academic credentials.
“Regardless of income,” Good added, “we want students and their families to realize that Nebraska Wesleyan is affordable and offers a highly respected educational value due to the extraordinary career successes of our alumni.”