Students in a mathematical and statistical sciences class at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. (Courtesy of the University of Nebraska)
OMAHA — A $23 million gift from the Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation aims to grow scholarship programs for Omaha students in the University of Nebraska system.
Suzanne and Walter Scott Jr. (Courtesy of the University of Nebraska Foundation)
The bulk, $20 million, will allow more students into the competitive Scott Scholars Program based at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and launched by the philanthropists in 1997.
Class sizes in the UNO-based program will expand from 32 students to 42 in each of the next five years.
Participants, who must be Nebraska residents and carry a high school GPA of at least 3.5 and an ACT score of at least 30, receive the Regents Scholarship through UNO to cover tuition. The Scott Scholars program covers other costs including books and room and board. Students stay in a living-learning community.
Harnoor Dhaliwal, associate executive director of the program, said community connections that students build — through internships at local companies, professional development opportunities and research — are key to retaining them in Nebraska after graduation.