LINCOLN – Monday, Governor Pete Ricketts announced a new benefit to provide tuition assistance for dependents of Nebraska state government teammates. The Children of State Teammate Tuition Reimbursement Program (Tuition Reimbursement Program) will provide tuition assistance to dependents of state teammates attending any of Nebraska’s community colleges.
“The State of Nebraska strives to be a preferred employer, and we’re continuously upgrading the benefits available to our teammates,” said Gov. Ricketts. “The Children of State Teammate Tuition Reimbursement Program is our latest enhancement. It makes career-focused higher education even more affordable for our teammates’ families. Thank you to Nebraska’s community colleges for partnering with the State to provide this tremendous benefit.”
The Tuition Reimbursement Program will be implemented by the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) State Personnel team in partnership with the state’s community colleges. It will be available as of the 2022 summer session. The program will cover 100% of the tuition costs after other funding sources, such as grants and scholarships, have been applied.
“The benefits package that the State of Nebraska offers to our teammates is already highly competitive compared to our peer states,” said Chief Human Resources Officer and DAS Director Jason Jackson. “This program provides another way for us to not only enhance our current teammates’ work experience, but also help recruit and retain a strong workforce in state government. Thank you to our community colleges for the collaborative partnership to help get this program implemented for our teammates.”
“Nebraska’s community colleges are seeking innovative ways to increase the pipeline of students enrolling in our many career and technical programs,” said Dr. Paul Illich, president of Southeast Community College. “We have career academies that provide college credit to high school students who enroll in a career/technical pathway. We recruit returning adult students who are seeking a career change. We are committed to making the community college the top choice for higher education. We are also equally committed to ensuring everyone has access to the life-changing benefits of higher education.”
During the news conference, DAS Director Jackson also discussed other teammate benefits such as the State’s family-friendly and military/veteran-friendly initiatives and recently enhanced healthcare benefits.
