Despite its name, the Regents Scholarship offered to top students at the University of Nebraska is not, technically speaking, a scholarship.
Rather, the roughly 5,500 Regents Scholars who attend NU's campuses in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney are granted a full tuition remission — a discount equal to the cost of tuition for in-state students.
The NU Board of Regents will seek to clarify the distinction Dec. 4 at its final meeting of 2020, which will be held in the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
"While 'Regents Scholarships' will continue to be named as such, the proposed policy clarifies that the awards are remissions (tuition discounts) and not scholarships," the agenda item states.
For example, Regents Policy 5.8.5, which deals with "Undergraduate Regents Scholarships," currently states: "Regents Scholarships may be awarded as one-year scholarships or multi-year renewable scholarships."
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If the board approves the change next week, which was recommended in a 2019 audit, it will hereafter read: "Regents Scholarships may be awarded as one-year remission or as multi-year renewable remissions."
The board will also consider a second policy change that would allow campus chancellors more flexibility in awarding further tuition remissions to students, part of a broader effort to expand access and improve affordability across NU.
NU is discounting $152 million in tuition for the 2020-21 school year, including Regents Scholarships and other remissions offered to lure talented students to Nebraska.
Spokeswoman Melissa Lee said offering a discount on tuition instead of sending students a check is more efficient and requires less administrative work.
Remitting tuition does have its limitations, however, particularly as NU looks for ways to meet the needs of the state's workforce.
At a hearing of the Legislature's Education Committee in 2019, former NU President Hank Bounds said Nebraska is No. 1 in the country for tuition remissions on a per-student basis.
Meanwhile, Nebraska "is in the bottom 10 in the nation in state-supported grant aid," Bounds told the committee.
Without more state investment into financial aid for students, there is a limit to how much tuition NU can remit for students, he added.
"I've been asked why we don't simply give out more Regents Scholarships to attract more high-performing students to the university," Bounds said. "The answer is, I'm not sure we have any more dollars to remit."
Regents will also consider:
* A six-year agreement with Collegiate Licensing Company for the exclusive rights to license Husker logos on apparel and other items. Through the arrangement, Nebraska Athletics estimates it will collect $20 million on royalties from licensing logos.
* A $6 million renovation that will add 38,000 square feet to all three floors of the Schmid Law Library at the UNL College of Law. The project, which will add two new entrances to the library, will be funded through private donations.
* Replacing aging windows at the Scott Engineering Center at the UNL College of Engineering. Regents previously approved a $75.4 million plan to renovate and repair parts of the engineering facility. The additional $2 million will come from private donations, the university's internal lending program and trust funds.
* The board will award the title of "Regent Emeritus" to Howard Hawks, who will step down from the District 2 seat after 18 years. In addition to serving as a regent, the Omaha businessman has supported several projects at UNL, his alma mater, including the $84 million College of Business building that bears his name, the Hawks Championship Center and Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.
* Regents will also hear presentations from Mary Niemiec, associate vice president for digital education and director of the University of Nebraska Online, on distance education and from Bob Hinson, executive director of the National Strategic Research Institute.
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