In a record-breaking year, high school students in our program have been awarded more than $6.6 million in scholarships as of May 15, 2025–far surpassing last year’s total of $3.9 million and solidifying the success of the Fund Your Future scholarship and financial aid initiative launched this school year.
Driven by the power of coaching, community, and an ambitious new approach to financial aid awareness, students applied to 955 scholarship opportunities and received 263 scholarship awards.
“This initiative was rooted in one goal: free money for students to make college affordable,” says Aminatu Issaka, senior director of college access. “The increasing cost of college is not a mystery to the students and families we serve. It can be daunting. Knowing that accessibility and opportunity are key to post-secondary success, we committed ourselves to educating and supporting students every step of the way. The results speak volumes–huge kudos to our team members, coaches, and most importantly, the students.”
Breaking down the impact
Scholarship outcomes varied across partner high schools, with Ralston High School leading the way at $1.57 million, followed by Bellevue East at $1.3 million, and several schools surpassing $700,000. Even schools with smaller senior classes made impressive gains, and Westview juniors earned their first scholarships–laying the foundation for a strong senior year to come.
Total students served:
- 158 seniors
- 175 juniors
Award totals by school:
- Bellevue East: $1,315,272
- Benson: $802,450
- Millard South: $664,500
- North: $783,944
- Northwest: $768,410
- Papillon-La Vista: $55,000
- Ralston: $1,571,226
- South: $714,014
- Westview: $250 (juniors only this year)
How we got here: A year of intentional programming
The 2024-25 school year marked a significant shift in Omaha’s scholarship strategy. What began as a general goal to boost financial aid awareness evolved into Fund Your Future–a structured initiative designed to make scholarship support more accessible, engaging, and effective.
Key elements of this effort included:
- Launch of Dollars for Scholars Day, offering direct support to students and families completing the FAFSA and scholarship applications
- Bi-weekly Mo’ Money Monday newsletters spotlighting scholarship opportunities and application tips
- Dedicated scholarship database and visual tracker to help students explore curated scholarship lists with key deadlines and criteria and spark friendly competition among coaches
- Clear milestones, encouraging students to apply for at least two scholarship per month from September through May
- 20+ workshops and group sessions plus countless 1:1 meetings on scholarships, financial aid, and award letter analysis
- Incentives and giveaways, including school survival kits, snacks, and dorm essentials to keep students motivated
To deepen the support available to students and coaches, members of the College Possible Omaha leadership team earned FAFSA certification through several trainings led by EducationQuest and uAspire. This professional development helped staff build expertise in financial aid systems and provide even more effective guidance to students and coaches navigating the FAFSA.
Major scholarships earned
While many students earned local and regional scholarships, we were also thrilled to see several students selected for high-impact awards, including:
- Susan Thompson Buffett Scholarship (45 students): Covers tuition, fees, and a living stipend at eligible Nebraska colleges
- Goodrich Scholarship (17 students): Offers full tuition and supportive programming at the University of Nebraska-Omaha
- Dell Scholarship (5 students): Provides a $20,000 scholarship, a laptop, textbook credits, and ongoing support services
- Regents Scholarship (2 students): Covers full tuition at campuses within the University of Nebraska System for students with exceptional academic records
- QuestBridge National College Match (2 students): Matches students with top colleges that cover the full cost of attendance
- Salvation Army DJ’s Hero Award (1 student): Recognizes student leadership and resilience with a $12,000 scholarship
- The Simple Foundation Scholarship (3 students): A $1,000 award for students who have demonstrated academic excellence and determination
Looking ahead
With nearly 350 high school students served during the 2024-25 school year, College Possible Omaha is laying the groundwork for even greater impact in the years to come. The Fund Your Future initiative remains central to the mission of ensuring that students not only access college, but can afford to thrive there.
“The students we serve have shown us what’s possible when they’re given the tools, encouragement, and information they need,” says Issaka. “The space of college access and success remains an ongoing mission College Possible is committed to, and the same goes for the Fund Your Future initiative.”
As scholarship totals continue to climb beyond $6.6 million, one thing is clear: the future is brighter, and more affordable, for College Possible Omaha students.
