Door to College Scholarship Program
Scholarship Sponsored by State of Nebraska
Overview
The Door to College (DTC) Scholarship offers qualifying undergraduates up to $5,000 per academic year to help cover education-related costs at postsecondary institutions in Nebraska. Eligibility is limited to students whose high school completion occurred either through an accredited program at a Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center (YRTC), at an approved or accredited public, private, nondenominational, or parochial high school, or by receiving a high school equivalency diploma (GED) issued by the Commissioner of Education after discharge from a YRTC.
Eligibility Requirements
An applicant must meet all of the following to be considered eligible:
1. High school completion — The student graduated from an accredited educational program operated at a YRTC used in accordance with state law, or from an approved/accredited public, private, denominational, or parochial high school; alternatively, the student received a GED issued by the Commissioner of Education following discharge from a YRTC.
2. Verification authorization — The applicant permits the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to confirm, on behalf of the Commission, the applicant’s identity and prior YRTC status.
3. Nebraska postsecondary enrollment — The student is enrolled at an eligible Nebraska college or university.
4. FAFSA submission — The student has filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the award year in question.
5. Nebraska residency — The student is a resident domiciled in Nebraska as defined in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 85-502.
6. Legal and regulatory compliance — The student abides by the Door to College Scholarship Act and any rules, regulations, or guidelines adopted under the Act.
7. First-year entrants — If the applicant is entering their first year at an eligible institution, they must have met admission requirements and either be enrolled or have declared an intent to enroll.
8. Continuing students — If the applicant is enrolled at an eligible institution after completing their first year, they must continue to satisfy the Act’s requirements and maintain the institution’s minimum academic or performance standards for continued enrollment.