What stats do I need for the Regents Scholar Tuition Commitment?

32 ACT (or SAT equivalent) is the minimum composite score floor for any University of Nebraska campus. Above that floor, selection is holistic and includes GPA, class rank, and a subjective final academic review. Final official test scores from the February test date or earlier must be received by May 1. The award is for Nebraska residents only.

How does the out-of-state Chancellor's Tuition Scholarship actually compare to in-state pricing?

OOS UNL tuition is approximately $30,330 in 2025-2026; the OOS Chancellor's award waives the ~$19,230 nonresident portion AND adds $4,000/yr, leaving the recipient paying roughly $7,000-$8,000 in tuition annually — close to in-state Nebraska tuition. After housing/food/books, total OOS Chancellor's scholar COA lands around $30K-$32K, comparable to many in-state Big Ten flagships.

Does the Chancellor's Scholarship cover all four years?

Up to four years (eight semesters) or completion of a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first. Renewal each year requires a 3.500 cumulative GPA, 24 successfully completed UNL credit hours per academic year, and full-time enrollment of ≥ 12 credit hours each semester. Funding is not available in summer.

Can I keep the Chancellor's or Regents Scholarship if I transfer to another University of Nebraska campus?

Yes, but only once. After completing at least one year at UNL and meeting renewal criteria, a Regents or Chancellor's Scholar may transfer to another University of Nebraska campus (UNO, UNK, UNMC). The award amount is determined by Board of Regents policy at the new campus. Credit hours earned at any UN campus count toward the 120-hour cap.

What if I miss the November 1 priority deadline?

You can still apply for admission and scholarships up to February 1 (in-state) or May 1 (out-of-state). However, scholarship awards after November 1 are made based on funding availability at the time of application — by February or later, most Chancellor's and Regents funding is already committed. Notifications for late applicants begin February 26 and continue rolling.

Nebraska· Renewal Rules

Keeping Nebraska’s Merit Aid for Four Years

What the financial-aid office actually requires after freshman year — minimum GPA, credit-hour pace, and the cliffs that quietly downgrade families mid-degree.

Verified May 20265 days ago· PT

At a glance

Renewable tiers: 5 of 5
One-time tiers: 0
Tiers with published renewal terms: 5
Renewal risk profile: high

Renewal risk profile

Nebraska's top merit tiers carry renewal floors at or above 3.5 cumulative GPA — above the median freshman college GPA at most US flagships. A single rough semester can knock a four-year award out without a published reinstatement path. Plan year-one course load with renewal in mind, not just first-year survival.

Regents Scholar Tuition Commitment (in-state): Full-time enrollment
Chancellor's Tuition Scholarship (in-state): See notes
Chancellor's Tuition Scholarship (out-of-state): Full-time enrollment
David Distinguished Scholars: Full-time enrollment
University Honors Program Scholarship: See notes

Renewal terms by tier

Regents Scholar Tuition Commitment (in-state)
Full UNL undergraduate tuition for up to 120 credit hours, including summers and differential tuition (Business, Architecture, Engineering)
Entry requirements: 32 minimum (or SAT equivalent) ACT
To keep it: Maintain a cumulative UNL GPA of 3.500 (computed to three decimals, not rounded) or rank in the upper 25% of the relevant degree-granting college's class. Renewal determined at the end of each spring semester. Must enroll full-time (≥ 12 UNL credit hours) and have hours officially registered by the sixth day of classes.
Source: https://admissions.unl.edu/cost/scholarships/regents-scholar-tuition-commitment/
Chancellor's Tuition Scholarship (in-state)
Up to $8,000/year (up to $4,000/semester) toward UNL tuition for up to four years
Entry requirements: 3.500 minimum GPA · 28 minimum (or SAT equivalent) ACT
To keep it: ≥ 12 UNL credit hours per semester (registered by the sixth day of classes), 24 successfully completed credits per year, and a 3.500 cumulative GPA. National Merit Scholars receive an additional $500 stipend from the National Merit Corporation funded by the Cooper Foundation.
Source: https://admissions.unl.edu/cost/scholarships/chancellors-tuition-scholarship-in-state/
Chancellor's Tuition Scholarship (out-of-state)
Waiver of the nonresident portion of tuition (estimated at $19,230/yr) PLUS $4,000/year toward tuition
Entry requirements: 3.500 minimum GPA · 28 minimum (or SAT equivalent) ACT
To keep it: Same renewal as the in-state Chancellor's: 24 credits per year at 3.500 cumulative GPA, full-time enrollment.
Source: https://admissions.unl.edu/cost/scholarships/
David Distinguished Scholars
Approximately $3,500/year (specific renewal terms vary by award year)
To keep it: Renewable for up to four years subject to standard UNL merit renewal: full-time enrollment and satisfactory GPA per the offer letter.
Source: https://go.unl.edu/schguide
University Honors Program Scholarship
$500/year book scholarship plus access to the Honors Program community
To keep it: Continued enrollment in the University Honors Program; specific renewal terms outlined at admission.
Source: https://admissions.unl.edu/cost/scholarships/

How families lose this aid

Forgetting the differential tuition for Business, Architecture, and Engineering
UNL charges differential tuition by credit hour for the Colleges of Business ($69 add-on), Architecture ($101 add-on), and Engineering ($126 add-on). Regents covers differential tuition; Chancellor's may not fully cover it depending on credit load. Plan for an extra $1,500–$3,500/yr if your major is in one of these three colleges.

Renewal questions families ask

What stats do I need for the Regents Scholar Tuition Commitment?: 32 ACT (or SAT equivalent) is the minimum composite score floor for any University of Nebraska campus. Above that floor, selection is holistic and includes GPA, class rank, and a subjective final academic review. Final official test scores from the February test date or earlier must be received by May 1. The award is for Nebraska residents only.
How does the out-of-state Chancellor's Tuition Scholarship actually compare to in-state pricing?: OOS UNL tuition is approximately $30,330 in 2025-2026; the OOS Chancellor's award waives the ~$19,230 nonresident portion AND adds $4,000/yr, leaving the recipient paying roughly $7,000-$8,000 in tuition annually — close to in-state Nebraska tuition. After housing/food/books, total OOS Chancellor's scholar COA lands around $30K-$32K, comparable to many in-state Big Ten flagships.
Does the Chancellor's Scholarship cover all four years?: Up to four years (eight semesters) or completion of a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first. Renewal each year requires a 3.500 cumulative GPA, 24 successfully completed UNL credit hours per academic year, and full-time enrollment of ≥ 12 credit hours each semester. Funding is not available in summer.
Can I keep the Chancellor's or Regents Scholarship if I transfer to another University of Nebraska campus?: Yes, but only once. After completing at least one year at UNL and meeting renewal criteria, a Regents or Chancellor's Scholar may transfer to another University of Nebraska campus (UNO, UNK, UNMC). The award amount is determined by Board of Regents policy at the new campus. Credit hours earned at any UN campus count toward the 120-hour cap.
What if I miss the November 1 priority deadline?: You can still apply for admission and scholarships up to February 1 (in-state) or May 1 (out-of-state). However, scholarship awards after November 1 are made based on funding availability at the time of application — by February or later, most Chancellor's and Regents funding is already committed. Notifications for late applicants begin February 26 and continue rolling.

Rules that bite at Nebraska

The renewal trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook — derived from Nebraska's own tier rules, not generic advice.

renewalRegents Scholar Tuition Commitment (in-state): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Maintain a cumulative UNL GPA of 3.500 (computed to three decimals, not rounded) or rank in the upper 25% of the relevant degree-granting college's class. Renewal determined at the end of each spring semester. Must enroll full-time (≥ 12 UNL credit hours) and have hours officially registered by the sixth day of classes. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

How Nebraska compares across our verified dataset

8 of 78 verified schools publish a top renewal tier requiring 3.5+ GPA or major-GPA gating.
Nebraska is one of them. Calibrate year-one academic load against the renewal floor, not just freshman survival.
70 of 78 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Nebraska is one of them. The cohort minority (8 schools) only awards one-year scholarships — meaning the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.
38 of 78 verified schools publish a dedicated National Merit Finalist package.
Nebraska is one of them. NMF packages typically carry their own stacking and renewal carve-outs separate from the standard automatic merit ladder — confirm those before assuming the headline NMF value is final.

Sources used on this page

Every renewal claim is checked against Nebraska’s own published materials.