Originally formed in 1976, Nebraskans amended the state constitution in 1990 to create a new Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education with increased duties and responsibilities. Those duties and responsibilities now include:
- Creating and putting into action a comprehensive statewide plan to guide Nebraska’s higher education system
- Partnering with legislators to develop innovative and results-driven higher education policy
- Helping low-income Nebraska students attend college by awarding need-based financial aid and developing state financial aid strategy
- Administering the Community College Gap Assistance Program, which offers financial aid to students who want to work in high-need fields
- Ensuring the efficient use of taxpayer funds by approving or disapproving postsecondary construction projects that rely on tax funds
- Approving or disapproving academic programs based on specific criteria
- Assembling and analyzing statewide data and publishing reports tied to the state’s higher education goals
- Protecting Nebraska students who attend for-profit institutions in the state by administering the Guaranty Recovery Cash Fund
- Administering State appropriations to Nebraska’s six community colleges
- Saving Nebraska colleges and universities thousands of dollars through the administration of a nationwide distance learning agreement on behalf of the state.
