With many families still recovering from the recent recession, more students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are looking for a little extra money to help pay for college.
About 1,000 more students applied for upperclassmen scholarships this year than last year, said Craig Munier, director of scholarships and financial aid at UNL. That’s a 7 to 10 percent increase over last year, he said.
The upperclassmen scholarship application, which is used by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid as well as other UNL colleges and departments, was due Feb. 1. Scholarships that use this application focus on cumulative grade point average, financial need and a resume of activities.
With the recession, some families have had to deal with parents losing their jobs or not getting much overtime pay, so students find themselves having to pay for more of their schooling, Munier said.
“Some students that had not applied for financial aid before are asking for the first time,” he said.
Most of the funding for these types of scholarships comes from endowments, which mean someone donated the money as a gift. One of the largest contributors for these endowed funds is the University of Nebraska Foundation.
Robb Crouch, public relations director for the NU Foundation, said there shouldn’t be any changes in the amount of scholarship money the foundation provides — at least for now.
Last year, because the foundation’s endowment decreased in value, Crouch said, its board of directors decided to cut the amount it transferred to each NU campus. That decision is expected to make a noticeable change starting in 2011.
With the board’s decision, the $17.7 million the foundation transfers to NU’s four campuses will decrease by about 10 percent, Crouch said.
However, the foundation is working to raise some of that money back. The NU Foundation just launched a large fundraising campaign focused on raising money for student scholarships.
“I just want to restate how important it is during this campaign, that we raise additional funds,” Crouch said. “This is very much aligned with the university’s goals and keep (scholarship money) accessible.”
Even though the upperclassmen scholarship application deadline has passed, it is not too late to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The FAFSA form is used in determining need-based federal, state and university grants, as well as for federal student loans.
Last school year, UNL students received more than $11 million in need-based financial aid, according to the 2009-2010 UNL Fact Book.
“It’s that time of year to be reminding students to remember to fill out the FAFSA,” Munier said, adding that federal grants are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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