Zach Gilbert
NEWS EDITOR
On Monday, Dec. 7, UNO announced their intention to provide students with supplementary support throughout the Spring 2021 semester with their “UNO Cares” program, as the coronavirus pandemic rages on and complicates collegiate plans.
“Investing in yourself now is the most important step you can take during this unprecedented time,” UNO stated in an email addressed to students. “For this reason, UNO is taking additional steps to invest in you.”
To begin, undergraduate students who have enrolled in courses for the Spring 2021 semester or who do so before Friday, Dec. 18 will be entered into a “UNO Bookstore Contest,” where 100 certificates worth $400 will be distributed to those chosen.
In addition, students who newly enroll in programs in a variety of IT, STEM and pre-med programs – both majors and minors – may be eligible for additional funding and scholarships made available by the Nebraska State Legislature.
As announced by Chancellor Gold on Nov. 16, UNO will also be reducing student bills for both the fall and spring semesters of the 2020-2021 academic year. This applies to students enrolled in either online or in-person courses.
Students can also now apply for the Nebraska Promise program for the 2021-2022 academic year, which offers financial aid to anyone who is a Nebraska resident; a full-time (12 credit hours or more) student at UNO; a member of a family that makes $60,000 or less a year; an individual with a 2.5 or higher grade point average. The deadline to complete the FAFSA is Apr. 1, 2021, while the deadline to complete one’s financial aid file is June 1, 2021.
One of the most monumental offers of the “UNO Cares” program is the opportunity for students to take a “W” on a Fall 2020 course (that they may be worried about passing) and instead choose to retake the course in the Spring 2021 semester.
Furthermore, the varied course options of the Fall 2020 semester will continue inti the Spring 2021 semester.
“With the need for more flexibility and balance between work, home, and school, there will be a number of courses moving from synchronous (820 sections) to asynchronous (850 sections) for Spring 2021,” UNO stated in their official announcement.
For students who still struggle with internet accessibility throughout increasingly digitized coursework, the UNO Help Desk will be supplying laptops and WiFi hotspots that can be checked out for no charge.
Finally, seniors who are graduating either in December 2020 or May 2021 will be eligible to take one free graduate course of their choice – pending availability – at no cost as they consider their post-graduation plans.
“We at UNO are thankful for all of you, and grateful for your commitment to UNO and the communities we serve,” UNO stated at the conclusion of their initial email. “Your success is important to us, and we hope these additional supports and reminders will be of significant assistance at this important time.”
