UNOAA Scholarships Issued for First Time Through New Endowed Fund

Scholarships issued by the UNO Alumni Association are nothing new. It’s been happening for 67 consecutive years since the organization issued its first one in 1953.

But the association did break ground in 2019-20 by supporting its expansive scholarship program for the first time through the UNO Alumni Association Student Scholarship Fund held at the University of Nebraska Foundation.

"This is a significant moment for us, and something to be celebrated. We are now able to sustainably fund the alumni scholarship program over the long term" says 2019-20 Chairman of the Board Chris Denney. "These scholarships provide students access to UNO's exceptional education, experiences and opportunities. That’s happening now and will continue far into the future thanks to the generosity of alumni."

The fund was established in 2019 following significant bequests from alumni Maxine Sharpe Haun and Darrald Harsh. With other bequests and monies, the fund now has grown large enough to support annual disbursements of around $40,000 for scholarships including the Alumni Scholars program, Distinguished Alumni scholarships and Student Regent Scholarships.

"As a student, it makes me really proud to see our alumni association supporting and encouraging student leaders on our campus," says Aya Yousuf, who received a scholarship from the alumni association as UNO 2019-20 student president. "Receiving the scholarship provided me the opportunity to focus more time and effort on what I was passionate about without worrying about financial burdens. I am grateful for the engagement of our alumni and everything they do for our campus and current Mavericks."

For more information about UNOAA support of students, see unoalumni.org/studentscholarships.