Home Admissions & Aid Financial Aid and Scholarships Scholarships & Tuition Assistance First Responders

Admissions & Aid

NE First Responder Recruitment and Retention Law Enforcement Education Act

Central Community College is proud to partner with the State of Nebraska in supporting Nebraska law enforcement officers, firefighters, firefighter-paramedics, and their legal dependents who are completing their associate degree. Under the First Responder Recruitment and Retention Law Enforcement Education Act, sworn officers, first responders, and their legal dependents may be eligible for a waiver of 100% of their resident tuition charges (after other financial aid) for pursuing an associate degree program that relates to their career. This waiver is available for up to five years.

Eligibility:

A law enforcement officer, for the purposes of this program, is defined as any person who is responsible for the prevention or detection of crime or the enforcement of the penal, traffic, or highway laws of the State of Nebraska or any political subdivision of the state for more than one 100 hours per year and who is authorized by law to make arrests. The law enforcement officer must be pursuing an associate degree in one of the following programs:

  • Associate of Arts Transfer Degree
  • AAS Accounting
  • AAS Business Administration
  • AAS Criminal Justice
  • AAS Human Services
  • AAS Information Technology and Systems
  • AAS Paramedicine

A professional firefighter, for the purposes of this program, is defined as a firefighter or firefighter-paramedic who is a member of a paid fire department of a municipality or a rural or suburban fire protection district in the state of Nebraska, including a municipality having a home rule charter or a municipal authority created pursuant to a home rule charter that has its own paid fire department, and for whom firefighting is a full-time career. The professional firefighter must be pursuing an associate degree in one of the following programs:

  • Associate of Science Transfer Degree
  • Associate Degree of Nursing
  • AAS Paramedicine

A legal dependent, for the purposes of this program, is defined as a biological child, stepchild, foster child, sibling, step-sibling, or descendant who can legally be claimed as a dependent by a law enforcement officer (as defined above) or professional firefighter (as defined above). Being a dependent student means you meet the definition of a "dependent student" under the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and that at least one parent or legal guardian qualifies as a law enforcement officer or professional firefighter residing in the State of Nebraska. Dependents can be enrolled in any associate degree program at CCC.

Application Proces:
  • Be fully admitted to CCC in an approved associate degree.
  • Complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  • Submit First Responder Certification of Verification and Authorization for Release of Information received from the Nebraska Department of Revenue.
  • The Nebraska Department of Revenue Verification Form is available on the Nebraska Department of Revenue website (Please note: this form will not be accepted by our office until page two has been signed by a NDOR representative).
  • Submit Certification of Verification of Satisfactory Performance signed by fire chief or superior officer. The Certification of Verification can be downloaded here.
  • The form also serves as the application for Law Enforcement Officers and Professional Firefighters.
  • For legal dependents complete the First Responder Recruitment and Retention application, which is downloaded here.