The University of Nebraska has unveiled Collegebound Nebraska, a program aimed to make a college education more affordable for in-state students.

The program kicked off Nov. 23 with James Milliken, NU President, and Gov. Dave Heineman speaking at assemblies at Lincoln North Star, Omaha South and Grand Island Senior high schools. Milliken and Heineman encouraged students to attend college and talked about Collegebound Nebraska.

“Affordable access to a quality education is the university’s highest priority,” Milliken said. “The Collegebound Nebraska program makes a promise to Nebraska young people: If you are a Nebraska resident who meets admission requirements for the University of Nebraska, and if you are eligible for a Pell Grant, you can attend the University of Nebraska and pay no tuition.”

Collegebound Nebraska, formerly called the Tuition Assistance Program, was approved by the Board of Regents in 2004 and was first funded for the 2004-05 school year. Since then, more than $13.6 million has been provided to Nebraska students to help them pay their tuition on one of the university’s four campuses. This year, almost 4,300 students are receiving Collegebound funds, including more than 220 who didn’t meet Pell eligibility but did qualify under the expanded program.

This fall, NU expanded Collegebound Nebraska to make financial aid available to more families.

To increase participation, the NU system is launching a statewide information campaign to tell students and parents about ways to overcome barriers to attending college and to tell them that assistance – both from Collegebound and from other publicly and privately funded aid programs – is available.

As a general rule, Milliken said a family of four with one student in college and an income of $45,000 or less will qualify for full tuition assistance.

To be eligible for Collegebound Nebraska, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by April 1 of the year in which they plan to enroll in college. For more information, go to www.collegeboundnebraska.com.

The Collegebound Nebraska program supplements another NU initiative directed to eighth grade students and their families, encouraging students to take the right classes beginning in the ninth grade so that they will be academically prepared for college. It also supports Know How to Go Nebraska, a national initiative to help young people prepare and save for college.