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LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED NINTH LEGISLATURE
SECOND SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 1247
Introduced by Dover, 19.
Read first time January 21, 2026
Committee: Education
A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to the Nebraska Career Scholarship Act; to1
amend section 85-3005, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, and2
sections 85-3003 and 85-3004, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025; to3
require participation in the Nebraska Statewide Workforce and4
Education Reporting System by postsecondary institutions as5
prescribed; and to repeal the original sections.6
Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,7
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Section 1. Section 85-3003, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, is1
amended to read: 2
85-3003 (1)(a) The Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges3
shall award a Nebraska Career Scholarship that does not exceed a maximum4
of fifteen thousand dollars per year to any eligible state college5
student (i) who achieved a composite score on a standard college6
admission test equivalent to a score of at least eighteen out of a7
maximum score of thirty-six or an equivalent score on the SAT® or who had8
a high school grade-point average of 3.0 or greater on a four-point scale9
and (ii) who is enrolled in an eligible program of study.10
(b) The Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges shall11
allocate funds appropriated to the board under the Nebraska Career12
Scholarship Act between the state college campuses, determine the13
eligibility of students enrolled in a state college, receive and process14
applications for awards to individual students, and disburse funds15
directly to scholarship recipients during the fiscal year. Eligibility16
criteria shall include being a first-time freshman or a transfer student17
and enrollment in an eligible program of study. 18
(c) For purposes of this section, an eligible program of study19
includes the following: 20
(i) A program of study at a state college in rangeland management,21
industrial technology, criminal justice, business administration,22
education, communication, the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or23
computer information systems; and 24
(ii) Beginning with academic year 2024-25, a program of study25
designated by the Department of Economic Development, in collaboration26
with the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges, based on27
periodic reviews of workforce needs in the state. 28
(2) Each scholarship recipient shall register with the appropriate29
campus office to obtain a Nebraska-based internship, apprenticeship,30
clinical position, or employment in a major-related field prior to31
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completion of the student's eligible program of study.1
(3) A Nebraska Career Scholarship may be used by a scholarship2
recipient for tuition, fees, required tools and equipment, and room and3
board. 4
(4) Each scholarship awarded under this section shall be5
automatically renewed on an annual basis if the student remains enrolled6
in good standing in the eligible program of study for which such7
scholarship was awarded, except that no student shall receive a8
scholarship renewal after four years of participation in such eligible9
program of study. 10
(5) The Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges shall11
collect information on each state college scholarship recipient and shall12
report electronically to the Clerk of the Legislature and the Governor on13
or before December 1 of each year the following information for the14
eligible programs of study at a state college in the current or prior15
academic year: 16
(a) The total number of students enrolled in each eligible program17
of study in the immediately prior academic year and the total number of18
students enrolled in each eligible program of study for the current19
academic year, based upon official fall census data;20
(b) The total number of scholarship recipients in each eligible21
program of study for the current academic year and the total number of22
such scholarship recipients who are newly enrolled in each eligible23
program of study for such academic year, based upon official fall census24
data; 25
(c) The total number of newly awarded scholarship recipients26
retained across all eligible programs of study from the immediately prior27
academic year to the current academic year and a comparison of the28
retention rates between those of the newly awarded scholarship recipients29
and the state college's overall first to second year retention rate30
reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System for the31
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same year; 1
(d) The total number of scholarship recipients who graduated during2
the immediately prior academic year and a comparison of the four-year3
graduation rates between the scholarship recipients who graduated and the4
state college's overall four-year graduate rate reported to the5
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System for the same year; and6
(e) The number and percent of scholarship recipients who graduated7
during the immediately prior calendar year who obtained employment in a8
major-related field in the state. 9
(6) The Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges shall not10
allocate any funds under the Nebraska Career Scholarship Act to any state11
college campus that does not fully comply with the requirements of any12
memorandum of understanding under section 85-309 or subsequent agreement13
entered into by the Board of Trustees to submit data to the Nebraska14
Statewide Workforce and Education Reporting System.15
Sec. 2. Section 85-3004, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, is16
amended to read: 17
85-3004 (1)(a) The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska18
shall award a Nebraska Career Scholarship to any eligible university19
student who is enrolled in an eligible program of study in an amount not20
to exceed: 21
(i) Ten thousand dollars per year for any scholarship recipient who22
is a transfer student; or 23
(ii) Except as provided in subdivision (1)(a)(i) of this section:24
(A) Twenty-five thousand dollars per year for any scholarship25
recipient who achieved a composite score on a standard college admission26
test equivalent to a score of at least twenty-eight out of a maximum27
score of thirty-six or an equivalent score on the SAT®; or28
(B) Ten thousand dollars per year for any scholarship recipient who29
achieved a composite score on a standard college admission test30
equivalent to a score of at least twenty and less than twenty-eight out31
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of a maximum score of thirty-six or an equivalent score on the SAT®.1
(b) The Board of Regents shall allocate funds appropriated to the2
board under the Nebraska Career Scholarship Act between the university3
campuses, determine the eligibility of students enrolled in the4
university, receive and process applications for awards to individual5
students, and disburse funds directly to scholarship recipients during6
the fiscal year. Eligibility criteria shall include (i) being a first-7
time freshman who achieved a composite score on a standard college8
admission test equivalent to a score of at least twenty out of a maximum9
score of thirty-six or an equivalent score on the SAT® or a transfer10
student and (ii) enrollment in an eligible program of study.11
(c) For purposes of this section, an eligible program of study12
means: 13
(i) Through academic year 2023-24, a program of study offered by the14
University of Nebraska in mathematics, engineering, health care, and15
computer information systems; 16
(ii) Beginning with academic year 2024-25, a program of study17
designated by the Department of Economic Development, in collaboration18
with the Board of Regents, based on periodic reviews of workforce needs19
in the state; and 20
(iii) Beginning with academic year 2024-25, a program of study in21
special education. 22
(2) Each scholarship recipient shall register with the appropriate23
campus office to obtain a Nebraska-based internship, apprenticeship,24
clinical position, or employment in a major-related field prior to25
completion of the student's eligible program of study.26
(3) A Nebraska Career Scholarship may be used by a scholarship27
recipient for tuition, fees, required tools and equipment, and room and28
board. 29
(4) Each scholarship awarded under this section shall be30
automatically renewed on an annual basis if the student remains enrolled31
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in good standing in the eligible program of study for which such1
scholarship was awarded, except that no student shall receive a2
scholarship renewal after four years of participation in such eligible3
program of study. 4
(5) The Board of Regents shall collect information on each5
university scholarship recipient and shall report electronically to the6
Clerk of the Legislature and the Governor on or before December 1 of each7
year the following information for the eligible programs of study at the8
university in the current or prior academic year: 9
(a) The total number of students enrolled in each eligible program10
of study in the immediately prior academic year and the total number of11
students enrolled in each eligible program of study for the current12
academic year, based upon official fall census data;13
(b) The total number of scholarship recipients in each eligible14
program of study for the current academic year and the total number of15
such scholarship recipients who are newly enrolled in each eligible16
program of study for such academic year, based upon official fall census17
data; 18
(c) The total number of newly awarded scholarship recipients19
retained across all eligible programs of study from the immediately prior20
academic year to the current academic year and a comparison of the21
retention rates between those of the newly awarded scholarship recipients22
and the university's overall first to second year retention rate reported23
to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System for the same year;24
(d) The total number of scholarship recipients who graduated during25
the immediately prior academic year and a comparison of the four-year26
graduation rates between the scholarship recipients who graduated and the27
university's overall four-year graduate rate reported to the Integrated28
Postsecondary Education Data System for the same year; and29
(e) The number and percent of scholarship recipients who graduated30
during the immediately prior calendar year who obtained employment in a31
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major-related field in the state. 1
(6) The Board of Regents shall not allocate any funds under the2
Nebraska Career Scholarship Act to any university campus that does not3
fully comply with the requirements of any memorandum of understanding4
under section 85-110 or subsequent agreement entered into by the Board of5
Regents to submit data to the Nebraska Statewide Workforce and Education6
Reporting System. 7
Sec. 3. Section 85-3005, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is8
amended to read: 9
85-3005 (1)(a) The Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary10
Education, in collaboration with the community colleges, shall award a11
Nebraska Career Scholarship that does not exceed a maximum of fifteen12
thousand dollars per year to any eligible community college student who13
is enrolled in an eligible program of study in an identified shortage14
area or skilled trade that meets the workforce needs of the state.15
(b) The Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, in16
consultation with the State Department of Education, the Department of17
Labor, the Department of Economic Development, and any advisory committee18
established by the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education19
for such purpose, shall identify shortage areas and skilled trades that20
meet workforce needs for purposes of this section and shall periodically21
review and revise the identification of such shortage areas and skilled22
trades. 23
(c) For purposes of this section, an eligible program of study means24
a program of study offered by a community college in a shortage area or25
skilled trade identified pursuant to subdivision (b) of this subsection.26
(d) Each community college area, acting as an agent of the state,27
shall determine the eligibility of students enrolled in the community28
college, receive and process applications for awards to individual29
students, and disburse funds directly to scholarship recipients during30
the fiscal year. Eligibility criteria shall include being a first-time31
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freshman or a transfer student and enrollment in an eligible program of1
study. 2
(2) Each scholarship recipient enrolled in more than a one-semester3
or sixteen-credit-hour program of study shall register with the4
appropriate campus office to obtain a Nebraska-based internship,5
apprenticeship, clinical position, experiential learning activity, or6
employment in a major-related field prior to completion of the student's7
eligible program of study. 8
(3) A Nebraska Career Scholarship may be used by the scholarship9
recipient for tuition, fees, required tools and equipment, and room and10
board. 11
(4) Each scholarship awarded under this section shall be12
automatically renewed on an annual basis if the student remains enrolled13
in good standing in the eligible program of study for which such14
scholarship was awarded, except that no student shall receive a15
scholarship renewal after three years of participation in such eligible16
program of study. 17
(5) Each community college area shall collect information on each18
scholarship recipient who has been awarded a Nebraska Career Scholarship19
by such community college area and shall share such information with the20
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education.21
(6) The Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education shall22
report electronically to the Clerk of the Legislature and the Governor on23
or before December 1 of each year the following information:24
(a) For each eligible program of study at a community college in the25
current or prior academic year: 26
(i) The total number of students enrolled in the program in the27
immediately prior academic year and the total number of students enrolled28
in the program as of the most recent census date for the community29
college area; and 30
(ii) The total number of scholarship recipients in the program as of31
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the most recent census date for the community college area;1
(b) The first to second year retention rate of new scholarship2
recipients for all eligible programs of study from the immediately prior3
academic year as compared to the community college's overall first to4
second year retention rate as reported to the Integrated Postsecondary5
Education Data System for the same year; 6
(c) The total number of first-time freshman scholarship recipients7
who complete the program of study by earning the certificate, diploma, or8
degree that signifies completion and a comparison of the on-time9
completion rate for scholarship recipients to the overall on-time10
completion rate for all first-time freshman students; and11
(d) The number of scholarship recipients obtaining employment in the12
state within five fiscal quarters of completion of an eligible program of13
study using Department of Labor data. 14
(7) The Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education shall15
allocate to community colleges the amount appropriated to the commission16
to carry out this section. The commission shall establish a separate17
budget subprogram for such allocation. 18
(8) The Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education shall19
not allocate any funds under the Nebraska Career Scholarship Act to any20
community college area that does not fully comply with the requirements21
of any memorandum of understanding under section 85-1511 or subsequent22
agreement entered into by the board of governors of such community23
college area to submit data to the Nebraska Statewide Workforce and24
Education Reporting System. 25
Sec. 4. Original section 85-3005, Reissue Revised Statutes of26
Nebraska, and sections 85-3003 and 85-3004, Revised Statutes Supplement,27
2025, are repealed. 28
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