The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) have announced commitments totaling $23 million from the Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation in support of the Scott Scholars Program.

A $20 million pledge from the foundation of Suzanne Scott and her husband, Walter—longtime supporters of UNO and UNMC, who died in 2013 and 2021, respectively—will help expand the undergraduate scholarship program, which supports students receiving degrees is STEM fields, from 32 to 42 students a year and fund the program through the 2028-29 academic year. Undergraduate scholars receive state scholarships through UNO to cover in-state tuition while the program covers other costs, including books, a laptop, room and board, and funding for professional development.

According to the university, since 1997, an estimated 600 Scott Scholars have graduated from UNO, with more than 80 percent choosing to stay in Nebraska after graduation to pursue their careers, and half of recent students have focused on health sciences.

An additional $3 million commitment will support the program’s expansion at UNMC to bolster a new 12-student cohort for the fall of 2024, following the inaugural cohort that began medical school in the fall of 2023. UNMC provides scholars with four years of in-state tuition while the program covers room and board and a stipend for professional development.

“This is an extraordinary investment in our young people,” said University of Nebraska System interim president Chris Kabourek. “This gift aligns perfectly with the University of Nebraska’s vision to compete for our best and brightest and give them every opportunity to chase their dreams right here in Nebraska. Students and our state will benefit for generations to come.”

(Photo credit: University of Nebraska)