Financial Aid
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid
University of Nebraska-Lincoln gave merit aid averaging $8,516 to 1,677 first-year students who had no financial need, about 79% of the freshmen without need.
Merit aid
Scholarships University of Nebraska-Lincoln gave to first-year students who had no financial need.
Average merit award
$8,516
Freshmen who got one
1,677
of 4,629 in the class
Share of those without need
79%
who received merit aid
Need-based aid
For first-year students the college found to have financial need.
Average need-based grant
$11,938
Average percent of need met
79%
Freshmen with need
54%
2,510 students
The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $18,668.
How to read these numbers
- Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
- The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
- A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.
Frequently asked questions
Does University of Nebraska-Lincoln give merit scholarships?
University of Nebraska-Lincoln gave merit aid averaging $8,516 to 1,677 first-year students who had no financial need, about 79% of the freshmen without need.
How much is the average merit scholarship at University of Nebraska-Lincoln?
$8,516 for first-year students without financial need, according to University of Nebraska-Lincoln's 2025-26 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.
Does University of Nebraska-Lincoln meet full financial need?
University of Nebraska-Lincoln reports meeting 79% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid. A figure under 100% means the average student was left with a gap to cover.
What share of University of Nebraska-Lincoln freshmen have financial need?
2,510 of 4,629 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 54%, were found to have financial need.
Source: University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.
