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What is The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation?
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (STBF) is a Nebraska-focused scholarship provider that has offered college scholarships to Nebraska students for 60 years. Its flagship program awards scholarships on a competitive basis to first-time freshmen who live in Nebraska, graduate from a Nebraska high school (or earn a GED), plan to attend a Nebraska public college, and demonstrate financial need. Awards are limited, so eligible applicants are not guaranteed a scholarship.
Who it serves and how it works
The program is built around a specific pipeline: Nebraska residency, Nebraska high school, Nebraska public college. That makes it most relevant to a Nebraska high school senior or recent graduate who wants to stay in-state and for whom cost is a real barrier. The application process has three steps, all listed on the site:
- Complete the FAFSA.
- Apply for the STBF scholarship beginning December 1st.
- Submit the online STBF application by March 1st.
The site notes that the 2027 application opens December 1st. Applicants can reach the foundation at [email protected] or (402) 943-1383; the foundation states it responds only to college scholarship questions.
What recipients say
The site includes testimonials from Buffett Scholars, and these are the recipients' own observations rather than an independent assessment. One graduate from CCC (Spring '24) describes the scholarship as making education attainable and enabling a career they are passionate about. A UNK (Spring '23) graduate says the scholarship and the Thompson Scholar community "changed my life," and that being a Thompson Scholar will remain part of their identity as they head to grad school. My practical read: the repeated emphasis on a scholar community suggests the award functions as more than money—it can also provide peer connection across Nebraska public campuses, which matters for students who might otherwise feel isolated commuting or attending a regional school.
A useful next step
If you are a Nebraska student planning an in-state public college, treat the FAFSA as the gating item: complete it well before December 1st so your need information is ready when the application opens, then aim to submit the STBF application early rather than at the March 1st deadline. Students outside Nebraska, or those planning private or out-of-state colleges, are outside this program's stated criteria and should look at their own state aid and institutional aid instead. For general federal aid context, Federal Student Aid explains the FAFSA.
Who is eligible to apply for a Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation scholarship?
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation scholarship is for first-time freshmen who meet all of the following:
- Nebraska residency: You live in Nebraska.
- Nebraska schooling: You will graduate from a Nebraska high school or have a GED.
- College plans: You intend to attend a Nebraska public college.
- Financial need: You can demonstrate financial need.
Awards are competitive and limited, so meeting these criteria makes you eligible but does not guarantee a scholarship.
Practical next step
If you fit the profile, treat the FAFSA as your first task rather than an afterthought. The foundation lists it as Step 1, followed by the scholarship application, which opens December 1 and must be submitted online by March 1. A student planning to start college in 2027, for example, should complete the FAFSA as soon as it becomes available and then begin the STBF application on December 1, leaving buffer time before the March 1 deadline.
Verify current dates and requirements on The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, since deadlines can shift between cycles.
How do I apply for the Buffett Foundation scholarship, and what are the deadlines?
Apply through the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation's own online scholarship application, and plan around two dates: the application opens December 1 and must be completed online by March 1. The upcoming cycle shown on the site is the 2027 application.
Who the application is for
The scholarship targets first-time freshmen who:
- Live in Nebraska
- Graduate from a Nebraska high school (or earn a GED)
- Plan to attend a Nebraska public college
- Demonstrate financial need
Awards are competitive and limited, so meeting the criteria does not guarantee funding.
The three steps
- Complete the FAFSA. This comes first because the scholarship is need-based; your federal aid picture is part of the process.
- Start the STBF application on or after December 1. The form is submitted online.
- Submit the completed application by March 1.
Practical timeline
A student graduating in spring 2027, for example, should file the FAFSA as soon as it becomes available in the fall, then use December and January to finish the STBF application well before the March 1 cutoff. Leaving the FAFSA until February compresses both tasks into the same window and is the most common way applicants run into trouble.
Before you start
Confirm that your intended college is a Nebraska public institution, since attending a private or out-of-state school falls outside the stated criteria. If anything about eligibility is unclear, the Foundation lists [email protected] and (402) 943-1383 as contacts, and notes that it answers questions about college scholarships only.
For context on the FAFSA itself, the official federal student aid site is Federal Student Aid.
Do I need to attend a Nebraska public college to keep the scholarship, and can it be used at private or out-of-state schools?
Yes. Based on the Foundation's stated eligibility rules, the scholarship is tied to attending a Nebraska public college. It is not described as usable at private colleges or out-of-state schools.
Who the scholarship is for
The Foundation lists these conditions together, so they work as a package rather than separate options:
- You are a first-time freshman entering college.
- You live in Nebraska.
- You graduate from a Nebraska high school (or earn a GED).
- You plan to attend a Nebraska public college.
- You demonstrate financial need.
The "Nebraska public college" condition appears in the same eligibility sentence as residency and high school graduation, which suggests it is a requirement for the award, not just a preference.
What this means in practice
If you are a Nebraska student weighing a private college in Nebraska (for example, a private liberal arts school) or a public university in a neighboring state, this scholarship is unlikely to fit that plan. The intended path is a Nebraska public institution—community colleges, state colleges, or the University of Nebraska system.
A useful way to decide: confirm your intended school is a public institution located in Nebraska before you invest time in the application. If your shortlist is all private or out-of-state, this award probably is not the right fit, and you should focus on need-based aid from those schools directly.
Next step
The application opens December 1, with a March 1 deadline, and requires the FAFSA first. If you are unsure whether a specific Nebraska school counts as public, contact the Foundation at [email protected] or (402) 943-1383—the page notes it responds only to college scholarship questions. You can also review the official details at The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation.
Is the Buffett Foundation scholarship based on financial need or academic merit, and how competitive is it?
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation scholarship is need-based, not merit-based—but it is also limited and competitive. According to the foundation's own description, awards go to Nebraska students who demonstrate financial need, and "there are a limited number of scholarships," so not every eligible applicant receives one. Academic merit is not listed as the selection criterion; meeting the eligibility rules and showing need is the baseline, and the foundation then chooses among eligible candidates.
Who the scholarship is for
The page describes the award as aimed at first-time freshmen who:
- Live in Nebraska
- Graduate from a Nebraska high school (or earn a GED)
- Plan to attend a Nebraska public college
- Demonstrate financial need
So this is a geographically and institutionally narrow scholarship. A strong student from outside Nebraska, or one headed to a private or out-of-state college, is not the intended audience regardless of grades.
How competitive is it?
The foundation is explicit that it cannot fund all eligible candidates, which makes it a competitive need-based program rather than an entitlement. In practice, that means:
- Eligibility is necessary but not sufficient. Filling out the FAFSA and the application does not guarantee an award.
- Need documentation matters. Because need is the stated basis, the FAFSA is a required first step, not an optional extra.
- Timing matters. The application opens December 1, and the foundation asks applicants to submit online by March 1.
Practical next step
If you are a Nebraska high school student planning a public in-state college, treat this as a deadline-driven process: complete the FAFSA first, then apply through the foundation starting December 1 and finish well before March 1. A useful decision criterion is to pair this application with other Nebraska aid options rather than relying on it alone—since awards are limited, having a backup funding plan is prudent.
For comparison, students exploring broader national need-based aid can look at Federal Student Aid for the FAFSA itself, or at state and institutional aid offices for Nebraska public colleges. The foundation's own contact for scholarship questions is [email protected].
What can past Buffett Scholars say about how the scholarship affected their college experience?
Past Buffett Scholars describe the award as changing what was possible for them, not just reducing a bill. The testimonials on the foundation's site come from graduates of Nebraska institutions (a CCC spring '24 graduate and a UNK spring '23 graduate), and both frame the scholarship around opportunity and identity.
The CCC graduate says the scholarship "made my education attainable" and "empowered me to pursue a career I am passionate about"—an affordability effect that also freed them to choose a field on interest rather than earnings pressure. The UNK graduate emphasizes belonging: being a "Thompson Scholar" is "part of my identity," and the "Thompson Scholar community" is named alongside the money as life-changing, with graduate school as the next step. In practical terms, that suggests two distinct benefits: lower financial strain and a peer network that supports persistence and ambition.
What to take from these accounts
- Affordability translates into choice. The clearest theme is that funding removed a barrier to finishing and to pursuing a chosen career.
- Community matters as much as dollars. The UNK comment points to a scholar network; if that appeals to you, ask current scholars how connected they feel on their campus.
- Testimonials are selected highlights. They show what the award can enable, not a guarantee of the same experience.
Next step: Treat these quotes as prompts for your own questions. If you are a Nebraska high school student planning a public in-state college, confirm your FAFSA is filed before the December 1 application opening and the March 1 deadline, then ask a current scholar at your target campus how the award has shaped their course load, work hours, and involvement. For context on the foundation and its scholarship, see The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation.
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