NCTA emphasizes college affordability
This is a time of year high school students make decisions about college enrollment for next fall. Most schools, including the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, start reviewing scholarship and financial aid request in early March.
A college degree is more important now than it ever has been for ensuring lifetime financial success.
However, students and parents struggle with determining how to finance a college education. I would like to offer a few recommendations to consider when parents are evaluating how to pay for college.
The first recommendation is to attend a state-supported college. At NCTA, for example, the state of Nebraska pays 70% of the cost of educating a student so tuition only needs to cover approximately 30%. If we were a private school, the resources received from the state would need to be replaced by tuition paid by parents and students.
The second recommendation is to attend a college where you pay resident tuition instead of nonresident tuition. Often, out-of-state students pay double the tuition of in-state students. A student wishing to attend college in another state has the option of moving to that state to establish residency prior to attending college. If pursuing this option, the student would be wise to check state requirements pertaining to residency.
A third recommendation, perhaps a bit more nontraditional, is to consider working full time for the college while you’re going to school. In the University of Nebraska system, for example, full-time employees generally receive a tuition break on up to 15 credits per year at any of the system institutions.
At NCTA, we have one employee who works second shift, from 3 - 11 p.m. and he attends classes in veterinary technology during the day. We have two other employees who work normal day shifts (and beyond) while working on their online doctorates from UNL. These three employees take advantage of the University tuition benefit. Many large universities offer this benefit to their employees who are in full-time positions which require a high school degree. Some examples of these jobs include working in food service, grounds, maintenance, security, clerical, or as custodians. Here is their opportunity to achieve college credits, a certificate or even a degree.
There are many other creative ways to fund a quality education without going deeply into debt. Establishing financial independence prior to attending college may help maximize grant and scholarship opportunities. Significant financial assistance may be available to students in the Army reserve, National Guard, or have previous military service.
At NCTA, we work very hard at providing nationally ranked academic programs in a cost-effective manner. Recent statistics show us that more than 90% of Nebraska residents attending NCTA are able to cover tuition and fees through state and college grant and scholarship programs. And these students find jobs when they graduate. With some creativity and hard work students may be able to graduate from college with minimal debt obligation.
I encourage you to contact us at ncta.unl.edu or call 1-800-3-CURTIS for details about financial aid and scholarships to attend NCTA. Applications are due by March 1.
NCTA Mission:
The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is devoted to a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology, food and related industries. The college provides open access to innovative technical education resulting in associate degrees, certificates, diplomas and other credentials.