KEARNEY, NEB.– The University of Nebraska at Kearney is offering a new scholarship for pre-nursing students, thanks to a generous estate gift from the late Glenn and Pearle Lahaye.

Worth $10,000 over two years, the Lahaye Nursing Scholarship was created to provide additional financial support for central and western Nebraska students pursuing this health care profession.

It’s available to incoming students who plan to study in the pre-nursing program, with preference given to those from Sheridan, Keya Paha and Cherry counties or areas along and west of Highway 281. Students must have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher and an ACT composite score of at least 20 to qualify. And they must plan to continue their nursing studies at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Nursing.

UNK students currently completing their first year in the pre-nursing program are also eligible to apply for a $5,000 scholarship for the 2025-26 academic year.

The nursing scholarship is supported by a more than $600,000 gift from the Lahayes, along with funding from the Health Sciences Excellence Fund through the University of Nebraska Foundation.

“With the significant nursing shortage that continues in our state, we are extremely grateful for this generous donation from the Glenn and Pearle Lahaye Trust that will provide scholarships for pre-nursing students from central and western Nebraska for years to come,” said Peggy Abels, director of UNK Health Sciences. “The financial assistance provided by the Lahaye Nursing Scholarship will allow students to focus on academic success and gaining health care experience, thereby having a substantial impact on the success of these future nurses and the communities they will serve. Their generosity will have a lasting effect on the health care workforce in Nebraska.”

The application deadline for the scholarship is April 1.