Four Ways to Get All the College Scholarships You Can

Figuring out how to apply for financial aid and get scholarships for college doesn’t have to be stressful. 

At Nebraska Methodist College (NMC), students receive more than $19 million in financial aid, including scholarships, each year. 

NMC’s financial aid advisors help first-year students find ways to make college more affordable by helping students apply for financial aid and scholarships.

Four Ways to Get All the Scholarship Money You Can

1. Fill out your FAFSA.

You might be wondering about the timeline for applying for scholarships and financial aid.

Filling out your FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid, should be your first step after you are accepted into a college. FAFSA must be filled out to receive NMC scholarships. 

NMC’s federal school code is 009937.

2. Apply for scholarships from other organizations.

In addition to the scholarships offered at NMC, students should research external scholarships. In Nebraska, EducationQuest is a good place to start.

EducationQuest provides: 

• Free college planning services. 
• Need-based scholarship programs.
• College access grants for high schools. 
• College access resources for middle schools and outreach services for community agencies.

"We have a list of external scholarships on our website," said Penny James, director of financial aid. "We always encourage students to work with their high school guidance counselors and look into organizations they or their parents are involved with to see if they can apply for those."

3. Check into scholarships you can apply for after you're enrolled.

It's common for schools to set aside scholarships for current students.

Every spring semester, currently enrolled students can apply for additional one-time scholarships for the following academic year. Most scholarships can be combined with the awards you might have received when you were admitted, and you can reapply each year. These awards typically range from $2,500 to $15,000. 

The combined total of all NMC scholarships may not exceed the student's institutional charges for the term.

4. Start researching scholarships early.

The following semester and school year always seem to sneak up. So start reaching out to your resources and researching scholarship opportunities now to get ahead of the game. 

If you have any scholarship questions for the 2022-2023 school year, please contact the admissions office at (402) 354-7200 or admissions@methodistcollege.edu.

Scholarship Information for the 2022-2023 Academic Year

When you receive scholarships, grants or tuition assistance, you get free aid, and repayment isn’t required. 

“Pay attention to deadlines, proofread your application carefully and make your best first impression,” said James. “If you don’t know where to start, check our scholarships page for suggestions. Scholarships are free money, so you won’t have to pay a fee to apply.”

First-time students are eligible for many scholarships, including:

Upfront Merit Awards 

The Upfront Merit Scholarships for freshmen are based solely on academic performance. They will be offered to you automatically upon acceptance into a program if you fall into one of the three tiers. 

• GPA > 3.7 = $4,500 per year
• GPA > 3.3 = $3,500 per year
• GPA > 3.0 = $2,500 per year

No additional scholarship application is required.

"One thing I appreciate about our scholarships is that they are transparent and easy to interpret. It's either this or that, especially with the Upfront Merit Scholarships," said Megan Kokenge, director of enrollment services.

If your GPA changes after you apply, you can move up in the Upfront Merit Scholarship tiers. 

"We will honor improvement," Kokenge said. “The student would just need to contact the admissions office to let them know that their information had changed since they applied.”

The Upfront Merit Scholarship renews each year you attend NMC.

Academic and Leadership Scholarships

In contrast to the Upfront Merit Scholarships, Academic and Leadership Scholarships are based on academic performance and leadership potential demonstrated by participation in activities outside of the educational setting and service to the community. Therefore, these prestigious awards require a separate application.

You can combine your Upfront Merit Scholarship and an Academic and Leadership Scholarship.

For example, the Becker Presidential Scholarship awards $9,000 per year, and the highest tier on our upfront merit scholarships awards $4,500 per year. If you qualify for both, most of your tuition for one academic year would be covered.

The Academic and Leadership Scholarships can be renewed each year.

Academic and Leadership Scholarships:

• Becker Presidential Scholarship - Receive $9,000 per year if you are a freshman student admitted to a bachelor's degree program. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 is required.
• Excellence in Allied Health - Receive $6,000 per year if you are a freshman student admitted to an associate or bachelor's degree allied health program. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 is required.
• Wischmeier Dean's Nursing Scholarship - Receive $6,000 per year if you are a freshman student admitted to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 is required.

HOSA Leadership Scholarship

The HOSA Leadership Scholarship is a one-time, $1,000 award for active members of a high school HOSA chapter.

HOSA is an international student organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Health Science Education (HSE) Division of ACTE (Association For Career and Technical Education). Its two-fold mission is to promote career opportunities in the healthcare industry and to enhance the delivery of quality healthcare to all people.

Legacy Grant

The Legacy Grant provides a one-time award of $2,000 to a sibling of a current NMC student or a sibling or dependent child of an NMC alumnus. 

United Methodist Church Member Award

This award provides a one-time grant of $1,000 for members of the United Methodist Church.

Nebraska Career Scholarship

A collaboration between the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and eligible private nonprofit postsecondary institutions, this scholarship is awarded to students pursuing degrees in programs of study leading to high-wage, high-skill and high-demand careers.

Carolyn Scott Scholarship

This renewable award in the amount of tuition and fees is for incoming students seeking a Bachelor of Science in Nursing through NMC’s traditional nursing program. 

How to Get Financial Aid as a College Freshman

There are many options for financial aid. To apply for financial assistance at NMC, you must first be admitted to an eligible degree program. 

New students may qualify for certain scholarships once admitted, with no separate application required. However, other scholarships are competitive and require an application.