See what scholarships we have for you
For the past five years, all first-time freshmen who applied for scholarships received an award.
Scholarships are a form of gift aid that do not need to be repaid. All students are eligible for scholarships. They are not based on your or your family's financial situation. Scholarships may be provided by the College, the Wayne State Foundation, private donors, or other sources. They may be awarded for academic achievement, leadership, talent and other qualities, financial need, or encouragement in a particular field of study.
How to apply for scholarships
Complete our one-time scholarship application to see which of our scholarships you're eligible for.
- Apply for admission - To be considered for scholarships at Wayne State College, you must first be fully admitted.
- Log in to the scholarship portal - After you're admitted, use the WSC login credentials you receive to access the scholarship application.
- Complete the scholarship application - Complete your online scholarship application. Be sure to include any additional items as prompted.
Scholarship application tips Explore all scholarship opportunities
Featured merit scholarships
Wayne State’s most premiere and selective scholarship program, this scholarship is named after WSC alumnus and Poet Laureate of Nebraska, John G. Neihardt.
Amount: Full tuition renewable for four years, renewable double occupancy room waiver, and $500 annual stipend
Eligibility requirements: Must have an ACT of at least 25 or an SAT of at least 1200, and have a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale for six semesters. Program offers special classes and advising. Must maintain a 3.25 GPA to renew.
Application deadline: Dec. 1
Amount: Full tuition and half of our housing costs, renewable for four years
Eligibility requirements: Must have an ACT score of at least 30 or an SAT of at least 1390. Must maintain a 3.25 GPA to renew.
Application deadline: Dec. 1
Apply for the Presidential ScholarshipThis scholarship is for students graduating from a Nebraska high school and provides free tuition for up to 18 credit hours per semester, renewable for four years (not to exceed 128 credit hours maximum).
Amount: Full tuition renewable for four years
Eligibility requirements: Must be a Nebraska resident and first-time freshman with an ACT of at least 25 or an SAT of at least 1200. Must maintain a 3.25 GPA to renew.
Application deadline: Jan. 15
Program-specific scholarships
The Career Scholars Program offers up to $33,000 over four years at Wayne State College.
Eligibility requirements: Must be a new freshman and committed to remain in Northeast Nebraska. Must pursue one of the eligible degree programs in the fields of business administration, criminal justice, communication, education, information technology, or industrial technology.
Application deadline: May 1
The Nebraska S-STEM program awards up to $10,000 annually to students, based on their unmet financial needs.
Eligibility Requirements: Students pursuing our programs in Biology, Chemistry, Fermentation Science, Forensic Science, or Math. Does not include health care or education majors, affiliate programs, or transfer students. Must have a high school GPA of at least 3.0 and be eligible for a Pell grant.
Application Deadline: Priority deadline is Dec. 1.
The Noyce-WISE Program offers scholarship funding to junior and senior science and mathematics students at WSC who are also pursuing teaching endorsement credentials in the state of Nebraska.
Eligibility requirements: Must pursue a teaching endorsement in a STEM-related field, meet benchmarks for successful advancement in educator preparation, have junior or senior standing at WSC, and a minimum 2.5 GPA.
Application deadline: April 1
RHOP offers free tuition for students enrolled at WSC, with automatic acceptance to the University of Nebraska Medical Center after graduation.
Eligibility requirements: For students from rural areas of Nebraska who demonstrate academic potential and a desire to practice medical laboratory science, dental hygiene, dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, or radiography in rural Nebraska.
Application deadline: Dec. 1
RLOP offers free tuition for students enrolled at WSC, with presumptive admission to Nebraska College of Law (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) after graduation.
Eligibility requirements: For students from rural areas of Nebraska who demonstrate academic potential and a desire to practice law in rural Nebraska.
Application deadline: Dec. 1
Explore scholarships by student type
Wayne State College offers a wide variety of scholarships for incoming, first-year students. Students must first apply for admission to Wayne State College and then complete the online scholarship application through our scholarship portal.
Wayne State Foundation Scholarships
The Wayne State Foundation offers more than 200 types of individual scholarships based on student ability, talent, hometown location, and/or subject of interest. Eligibility criteria and amount of awards vary. Students may also find scholarships specific to their major through the different academic departments at Wayne State.
To discover what scholarships you're eligible for, you'll need to complete our online scholarship application.
Merit scholarships for high academic achievement
Neihardt Scholars Program
This scholarship is offers free tuition for four years, a renewable double occupancy room waiver, and a $500 annual stipend. Eligible students must have an ACT of at least 25 or an SAT of at least 1200, and have a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale for six semesters. Program offers special classes and advising. Must maintain a 3.25 GPA to renew. Application deadline is Dec. 1.
Presidential Scholarship
This scholarship provides free tuition and half-price housing, renewable for four years. To qualify, students must have an ACT score of at least 30 or an SAT of at least 1390. Must maintain a 3.25 GPA to renew.Application deadline is Dec. 1.
NSCS Board of Trustees Scholarship
This scholarship is for students graduating from a Nebraska high school and provides free tuition for up to 18 credit hours per semester, renewable for four years (not to exceed 128 credit hours maximum). To qualify, students must be first-time freshmen and have an ACT score of at least 25 or a composite SAT score of at least 1200. Students must maintain a 3.25 GPA to renew. Application deadline is Jan. 15.
Leadership Award
The Leadership Award is a competitive scholarship for students who are very active in high school leadership and plan to continue that involvement in college. The award provides free housing in a double occupancy room for one year, renewable up to two years. Must maintain a 2.0 GPA to renew.
Learn more about the Leadership Award
Athletic scholarships
Each of Wayne State's athletic teams provide scholarship opportunities to program participants, including cheerleading. Awards vary and are up to each coach's discretion. Interested student athletes should contact the head coach for the sport of interest.
Visit the official WSC Athletics website
Nebraska State Colleges Multi-Activity Student Scholarship
In recognition of the importance of participating in sports and activities, the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) and the Nebraska State Colleges created the Nebraska State Colleges’ Multi-Activity Student Award program. High school students who participate in three or more NSAA-sanctioned activities during the academic year are eligible to apply for this $1,000 scholarship.
Learn more about the Multi-Activity Student Scholarship
Art and music scholarships
Art scholarships
Art and design scholarships are available to outstanding students in studio, academic, and leadership areas. The awards are based on past achievement and promise of future academic success. These scholarships are awarded by the faculty each year and can be renewed annually. In addition, art students may apply for general academic scholarships and other forms of financial aid. Application for art and design scholarships is handled through our online scholarship award system.
Music scholarships
The Department of Music offers financial assistance to students who participate in the performing ensembles at WSC. You do not need to be majoring in music to receive a music scholarship. The type of scholarship you are awarded is based on your ability and the number of scholarships available.
Explore all freshman scholarships
Many of our freshman scholarships are renewable for multiple years, and several scholarships are available exclusively to returning students through the Wayne State Foundation. The deadline for current students to apply for scholarships is Feb. 1.
To discover what scholarships you're eligible for, you'll need to complete our online scholarship application:
- Use your WSC username and password (assigned to you after applying for admission) to log in to our scholarship award system.
- Complete the scholarship application process, making sure to include any additional items as prompted. Scholarship application deadline for current/returning students is Feb. 1.
View returning student scholarships
Wayne State Foundation Scholarships
The Wayne State Foundation offers a large number of individual scholarships based on program of study, student hometown, and other criteria. Eligibility criteria and amount of awards vary. Current students may also find scholarships specific to their major through the different academic departments at Wayne State.
Art and music scholarships
Art scholarships
Art scholarships are available to students majoring in Art Education, Graphic Design, or Studio Art. Department scholarships are awarded by the faculty each year and can be renewed annually. There are also a select number of art scholarships for returning students available through the Wayne State Foundation, including the Herb and Sherry Mignery Scholarship, and the Joshua Ford Memorial Scholarship. Application for art and design scholarships is handled through our online scholarship portal.
Music scholarships
Music scholarships are available to students majoring in any of WSC's music programs or who are participating in the performing ensembles at WSC. You do not need to be majoring in Music to receive a music scholarship. The type of music scholarship you are awarded is based on your ability and the number of scholarships available. Application for music scholarships is handled through our online scholarship portal.
Noyce-WISE Program
The Noyce-WISE program offers scholarships to juniors and seniors in math or science who are also pursuing teaching credentials in the state of Nebraska. The amount of the scholarship varies per student and covers the student's remaining cost of attendance each semester, renewable up to four semesters. In exchange for the scholarship, there is a service obligation where students must teach math or science in a "high needs location" for one year for each semester of scholarship assistance.
Learn more about the Noyce-WISE Program
Community Service Scholarships
AmeriCorps Scholarships
Wayne State College partners with AmeriCorps by offering five one-time undergraduate scholarships to students enrolled full-time at Wayne State College and completing an AmeriCorps term of service. To be considered for this scholarship, please contact the Admissions Office at [email protected].
WSC Service-Learning Scholarships
Students involved in WSC's Service-Learning programs may be eligible for the Lisa Nelson Service-Learning Scholarship or the Dean Jacobs Scholarship.
Incoming transfer students are eligible for current/returning student scholarships, athletic scholarships, as well as transfer student scholarship opportunities.
Community college transfer scholarships
If you're a transferring to Wayne State from a specific community college, you may qualify for an exclusive academic transfer scholarship. Some are designated by the institution you are transferring from, including:
- Central Community College
- McCook Community College
- Mid-Plains Community College
- Northeast Community College (Norfolk)
Davis-Chambers Transfer Student Scholarship
The Davis-Chambers Scholarship is provided through the Nebraska State College System for transfer students from Nebraska community colleges.The scholarship recognizes academically promising students who often find that financial requirements of postsecondary education are a major obstacle.
Nebraska Native American Community College Transfer Scholarship
If you are a graduate of a Native American community college in Nebraska, you may be eligible for this exclusive transfer scholarship awarded by WSC.
Phi Theta Kappa Community College Transfer Scholarship
This scholarship is available to students in Phi Theta Kappa who graduated from an accredited community college with a cumulative GPA of 3.5.
Learn more about community college transfer scholarships
Other transfer scholarships
Transfer students may be eligible for athletic scholarships if playing at the NCAA DII level. Contact the Athletics Department for more information.
Transfer students may also qualify for art scholarships through the Department of Art and Design and music scholarships in the Department of Music. Additional scholarships based on ability, talent, or interest are available through the Wayne State Foundation.
To apply for other transfer scholarships
- You must first apply for admission to Wayne State College.
- Use your WSC username and password (assigned to you after applying for admission) to log in to our scholarship award system.
- Complete the scholarship application process, making sure to include any additional items as prompted. Scholarship application deadline is Feb. 1.
International students at Wayne State College benefit from our in-state tuition rates! Additionally, incoming freshmen international students are eligible for many of our freshman scholarships.
To discover what scholarships you're eligible for, you'll need to complete our online scholarship application:
- You must first apply for admission to Wayne State College.
- Use your WSC username and password (assigned to you after applying for admission) to log in to our scholarship award system.
- Complete the scholarship application process, making sure to include any additional items as prompted. Scholarship application deadline is Feb. 1.
Scholarships for military members or veterans and their families include:
Kam Reeves Military Annual Scholarship
The Kam Reeves Military Annual Scholarship provides scholarship money to students that meet the following qualifications:
- Full-time student at Wayne State College
- Full-time active military, retired military, or in ROTC or National Guard programs
You will apply for the Kam Reeves scholarship via our scholarship portal.
American Legion Legacy Scholarship
The American Legion’s Legacy Scholarship provides college scholarship money to children of post-9/11 veterans who died in active duty, or have a combined VA disability rating of 50 percent or greater. Apply Nov. 15 - April 15.
About the American Legion Legacy Scholarship
Scholarship notifications
Scholarships are awarded based on the current pool of applicants, and any scholarships remaining after the deadline are determined by available funding at the time of application. Scholarship notifications are sent out on a rolling basis starting Dec. 15. Students can view their scholarship offers in the "Financial Aid" tab in WildcatsOnline starting Dec. 15.
Outside scholarships
Many organizations outside the college provide scholarships to students, including the Susan T. Buffett Scholarship, which covers more than $9,000 annually at WSC.
Questions? Contact:
If you have any questions about scholarships or the scholarship award system, please contact:
Incoming freshmen
Admissions Office
Phone: 402-375-7234
Toll-free: 866-972-2287
[email protected]
Current or transfer students
Student Financial Services
Phone: 402-375-7229
Toll-free: 800-228-9972 ext. 7229
[email protected]