NEBRASKA OPPORTUNITY GRANT 2024-25 YEAR-END REPORT - Professional summary

Oct 15, 2026

Nebraska Opportunity Grant (NOG) 2024-25 year-end reporting summarizes the program’s eligibility rules, funding structure, and outcomes for Nebraska residents seeking postsecondary degrees or credentials. It explains that NOG uses FAFSA data without a separate application, operates as a decentralized state-funded grant, and relies on participating institutions for award decisions within allocation limits. The report highlights statewide totals awarded and recipients, and links changes in unmet need to federal needs assessment shifts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

NOG program overview

Eligibility and application process

Funding and allocation model

2024-25 outcomes and key metrics

Participating institutions

University of Nebraska system

State colleges and community colleges

Private career colleges and independent colleges & universities

Pell-eligible students by sector (summary table)

NEBRASKA OPPORTUNITY GRANT 2024-25 YEAR-END REPORT October 3, 2025 COMMISSIONERS Tim Daniels, Chair Omaha, Member-at-Large Dr. Dennis Headrick, Vice Chair Lincoln, District 1 Dr. Deborah Frison Omaha, District 2 Dr. LeDonna Griffin Omaha, Member-at-Large Mary Lauritzen West Point, Member-at-Large Dannika Nelson Oakland, Member-at-Large Molly O’Holleran North Platte, District 6 Dr. Paul Von Behren Fremont, District 3 Tamara Weber Columbus, District 5 W. Scott Wilson Plattsmouth, Member-at-Large STAFF Dr. Michael Baumgartner Executive Director Dr. Kathleen Fimple Academic Programs Officer Jill Heese Research Coordinator Kadi Lukesh Bookkeeper, Budget Coordinator & Office Manager J. Ritchie Morrow Financial Aid Officer Helen Pope Executive Assistant Matthew Roque Capital Project & Financial Analyst Celeste Thompson ETA Specialist Gary Timm Chief Finance & Administrative Officer Joe Velasquez Database Manager Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education 140 N. 8th Street, P.O. Box 95005, Lincoln, NE 68509‐5005 Phone: (402) 471‐2847 The Commission’s reports are available online at [ccpe.nebraska.gov/reports](ccpe.nebraska.gov/reports) NEBRASKA OPPORTUNITY GRANT PROGRAM The Nebraska Opportunity Grant (NOG) program provides financial aid to students who are residents of Nebraska; have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree; have high financial need (defined as having an expected family contribution equal to or less than 110% of the maximum family contribution that qualifies students for a federal Pell Grant); and who are attending eligible Nebraska colleges and universities to earn a degree or credential. The NOG program uses information from the federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as the basis for determining eligibility; there is no separate application. NOG is the State of Nebraska’s only need‐based financial aid program for postsecondary students and is funded through General fund appropriations and lottery funds. As of the 2022-23 academic year, when analyzing national need-based undergraduate grant dollars per undergraduate enrollment, Nebraska ranked 31st in the country, the same as our ranking from 2021-22. The NOG program is a decentralized financial aid program. The commission allocates state funding to participating institutions based on a statutory formula that takes into account the proportion of all eligible students attending each institution and their tuition and fees (capped at tuition and fees at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln) and verifies student eligibility but does not determine individual student award amounts or dictate how many eligible students receive NOG grants. Participating institutions award NOG grants to eligible students subject to eligibility criteria, maximum award limits, and available allocations. For the 2024-25 NOG program award year: • $24,405 ,784 was awarded • 13,386 students received a Nebraska Opportunity Grant • $1,823 .23 was the average grant award Pages 3-6 include charts showing the number of Nebraska students who received a federal Pell grant and the unmet financial need of these students as reported by the institutions. The U.S. Department of Education defines financial need as the difference between how much college costs and how much a student and the student’s family can pay towards those costs. The difference between financial need and the amount of financial aid offered by the college to the student to cover the financial need is considered unmet financial need. Students must cover their unmet need from either private loans or out-of-pocket funds. The significant increase from 2023-24 to 2024-25 is primarily due to a change in federal needs assessment resulting in more students being eligible for the Pell Grant. The remainder of the report reflects various details specifically related to the NOG program, broken out by

FAQs

What are the eligibility requirements for the Nebraska Opportunity Grant (NOG)?

NOG is for Nebraska residents who have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree, have high financial need, and attend eligible Nebraska colleges or universities to earn a degree or credential.

How does the NOG program determine eligibility and awards?

NOG uses federal FAFSA information and has no separate application. The commission allocates funding to institutions via a statutory formula, while institutions verify eligibility and award grants within maximum limits and available allocations.

What key changes affected the 2024-25 grant outcomes?

The increase from 2023-24 to 2024-25 is primarily attributed to a change in federal needs assessment that made more students eligible for the Pell Grant.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Taylor Morgan