News

Southeast Community College and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln announced On Course, a partnership that guarantees admission to UNL for SCC associate degree graduates on Friday, Oct. 30 at SCC’s Lincoln Campus (8800 O St). It was made before an audience of high school counselors, superintendents, dual credit teachers, employers, and state and community leaders.

On Course has more than 50 guaranteed pathways mapped course-by-course between the two institutions. Under the agreement, a student who earns an associate degree at SCC with a 2.0 grade point average is guaranteed admission to UNL without competitive review. The guarantee applies to technical and applied degrees as well as academic transfer degrees.

The partnership addresses a gap both institutions identified independently. Approximately 2,500 SCC students report transferring to a four-year institution as their goal. Over the past three years, 475 SCC students enrolled at UNL.

“Those two numbers should be closer together than they are,” said Dr. Paul Illich, SCC president. “A student who is ready for a bachelor’s degree should not lose that degree somewhere between two institutions that both want them to finish it. On Course is how we close that gap.”

For students, the greatest impact of this partnership is time saved. Transferring between institutions has historically meant lost credits, repeat coursework, and missed associate degrees when students transfer before graduating. On Course fundamentally changes that trajectory, ensuring students graduate with two credentials in the time it traditionally takes to earn one.

“SCC has provided all kinds of support to help me succeed in college. The instructors are amazing, classes are great, and the students are nice,” said Osamah Al-Momani, SCC business student. “UNL are pioneers in business and I’m excited for the larger campus, classes that are more specific to my program of study, and increased networking opportunities.”

UNL sees this partnership as a proven win. Expanding these transfer pathways reinforces UNL’s academic community with students who have already demonstrated their ability to succeed.

“Students who arrive here from Southeast Community College do well once they get here,” said Katherine S. Ankerson, interim UNL chancellor. “The preparation holds up. What this partnership does is take something that has been true for individual students and make it available to all of them.”

Built by Faculty at Both Institutions
In July 2025, nearly 100 faculty, staff, and administrators from both institutions met to begin aligning curriculum into transferrable pathways. All nine colleges at UNL participated by mapping their degree requirements against SCC’s coursework, program by program.

Each pathway names the destination degree, courses required, and the time to completion. The pathway will state upfront if it requires more than two additional years at UNL. Pathways span agriculture and natural resources, business, engineering and computing, health and human sciences, education, journalism and media, arts and sciences, and criminal justice.

Advising teams at SCC and UNL will share resources to advise transfer students. In addition, UNL advisors already maintain a regular presence on SCC campuses. This agreement commits both institutions to reviewing and updating pathways annually as well as making them available to the public.

A Workforce Pipeline
On Course directly addresses Nebraska’s workforce shortages by aligning SCC’s credentials with high-demand bachelor’s degrees. The different pathways map coursework directly to critical statewide industries, preparing graduates for vital roles in nursing and health sciences, agriculture and animal science, civil and mechanical engineering, elementary and secondary education, and computer science.

By integrating SCC’s dual credit opportunities, students can complete foundational coursework before graduation that applies directly toward On Course pathways, accelerating their progress into the state’s workforce while reducing the overall cost of a college education.

Presidential Scholarship Announced
SCC also announced the Presidential Scholarship, a merit-based academic scholarship which will cover full tuition and fees at SCC for high-achieving students pursuing an On Course pathway. Scholars will also take part in leadership development and transfer preparation designed around the cohort. The inaugural class begins in Spring 2027.

“A guarantee opens a door, but it doesn’t cover the cost of the first two years,” Illich said. “The Presidential Scholarship does. Our strongest students should not have to choose between the education they want and the cost of getting it.”

Learn More
Pathway documents, course sequences, GPA requirements, and advising contacts are available at southeast.edu/oncourse. Students currently enrolled at SCC can declare an On Course pathway with a transfer advisor. High school counselors will receive printed pathway materials this fall.

Jennifer Snyder
Communications Specialist
402-323-3393
jsnyder@southeast.edu