New program provides tuition assistance

The NSCS Board of Trustees approved the program during its board meeting at Peru State College on Friday, Feb. 27.

“The board asked the chancellor, his staff and the colleges to continue to find new ways to meet our system mission of providing access to high quality educational opportunities,” said Bill Roskens of Omaha, chairman of the NSCS Board. “With the recent economic downturn, access to college has become more challenging and this program will assist first-time freshmen in their pursuit of earning a degree.”

Participants in the NSCS Advantage Program must be:

• A Nebraska resident
• A federal Pell Grant recipient
• A new first-time freshmen for the 2009-10 year
• Enrolled in at least 12 on-campus credit hours

“The program provides the difference between the cost of tuition and the amount of all other awards for Pell Grant recipients,” said NSCS Chancellor Stan Carpenter. “About one-third of our students in the NSCS qualify for Pell Grant assistance and we are attempting to remove the financial barriers many face. Continuation in the program requires the recipient to receive a federal Pell Grant every semester and to remain enrolled in one of the Nebraska State Colleges.”

CSC President Janie Park said the NSCS Advantage helps the institution in its mission to make a college education accessible to Nebraskans.

“Chadron State is an institution committed to providing access and this new system program reaffirms our commitment, as well as that of Peru and Wayne,” she said. “This is another opportunity that will make higher education a real possibility for many of our Nebraska students.”

For more information about the NSCS Advantage, go to the NSCS Web site at www.nscs.edu. Click on the NSCS Advantage icon to read the most frequently asked questions and more. If additional information is needed, e-mail NSCS Associate Vice Chancellor Sheri Irwin-Gish at sirwin@nscs.edu.

The Nebraska State College System serves 8,500 students from Nebraska and surrounding states through three geographically diverse institutions: CSC, Peru State and Wayne State College. Combined, the three colleges offer more than 200 degree and pre-professional programs that are accessible on the three campuses, via the Internet, and in several satellite locations throughout the state. With more than 250 credentialed faculty members and 50,000 successful graduates, the NSCS provides significant human and intellectual capital that contributes to the current and future economic strength of the State of Nebraska.