Career Scholars students study in the library

Career Scholars Program

Receive a generous scholarship package over four years and help strengthen the future workforce of Nebraska.
Apply by May 1, 2025, for the 2025-26 school year.

Participating Communities Program Overview Applying for the Program

Reimagining Cooperative Education.

Cooperative education is a method of combining classroom education with real work experience for college credit. At its core, the Career Scholars Program supports workforce and economic development in Nebraska. The program offers you an opportunity to afford your four-year degree while also providing you with career experience. You must be passionate about earning a degree in business, communication, criminal justice, information technology, or industrial technology and want an opportunity to have a robust, year-long hands-on learning experience.

Program overview

Why join the program?

Receive a $33,000 scholarship toward your cost of attendance (beginning with the Class of 2028 and beyond)
Earn college credit while getting paid to work during your senior year
Gain real-world experience in a paid position in your career field
Network with businesses to find and secure meaningful employment after graduation
Practice skills learned in class
Develop relationships with like-minded students in a community living environment
Discover your place after college and grow professionally in a vibrant community

Apply for the Program

Eligible fields of study:

Business Administration

Accounting (B.S.)
Agribusiness (B.S.)
Economics (B.S.)
Finance (B.A. or B.S.)
Human Resource Management (B.A. or B.S.)
International Business (B.A. or B.S.)
Management B.A. or B.S.)
Marketing (B.A. or B.S.)
Professional Accountancy (B.A. or B.S.)
Supply Chain Management (B.S.)

Computer Information Systems

Computer Science

Computer Science (B.S.)

Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice (B.A. or B.S.)

Education

Limited to certain majors

Industrial Technology

Mass Communication

Agricultural Communication and Leadership (B.A.)
Electronic Media (B.A. or B.S.)
Journalism (B.A. or B.S.)

Speech Communication

Organizational Leadership and Public Relations (B.A. or B.S.)

What you'll experience and learn

Your journey as a cooperative education student begins your freshman year at Wayne State College. During your time here, you’ll participate in career readiness activities, including business site visits and job shadowing, all while learning the fundamentals of professional practice. After three years on campus at Wayne State, you’ll complete your senior year while living in Norfolk, Grand Island, or Columbus, Nebraska, where you’ll be hired and mentored by one of our participating business cohorts. You’ll earn 18 credit hours while working 30-40 hours per week at a paid job using skills relevant to your degree.

"I cannot express how important I think this program is. Within the short while I’ve been in the Career Scholars program, I’ve already learned skills that will help me throughout my entire professional career. It’s an accelerated program and is definitely keeping me busy, but I love every second of learning. The program is also amazing for the social aspect. In every class I am taking, there is someone else in the program as well, so it’s like having a built-in study partner. I plan on staying in Northeast Nebraska because it is where I feel at home."

Abigail Gardner

Career Scholars Participant - Norfolk
Program of Study - Business Management

Career Scholars Program

Reimagining Cooperative Education.

Why join the program?

Eligible fields of study:

What you'll experience and learn

Freshman year

Sophomore year

Junior year

Senior year

Participating Communities in the Program

Student Information

Employer Information