[LINCOLN, NE May 29, 2026] – The Nebraska Cooperative Council Education Foundation (NCCEF) has awarded 11 scholarships totaling $36,500 for the 2026/27 academic year to students attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) at Curtis, and the University of Nebraska-Kearney (UNK).
The scholarship program, launched in the 1993/94 academic year, is funded through voluntary contributions from agricultural cooperatives that are members of the Nebraska Cooperative Council. Since its inception, the program has awarded 273 scholarships totaling $437,700.
To be eligible for the scholarships, students must be majoring in agribusiness or agricultural economics at UNL, agribusiness or ag production systems at NCTA, or agribusiness at UNK. Eligibility is restricted to sons/daughters of a parent/legal guardian who has been an active voting member, director, or employee for at least the prior three years of a cooperative which has been a member in good standing of the Council for at least five years.
Among this year’s recipients is Evan Frink, who received a $3,500 NCCEF Scholarship in honor of Michael S. Turner. Evan, the son of CPI patrons Jason and Shannon Frink of Hastings, will be a sophomore at UNL majoring in ag economics.
Other recipients of the $3,500 Turner Scholarship include Jackson Allan, Cora Hoffschneider, Adam Knapp, Rachel Martensen, Marshall McCarthy, Josette McConnell, and Aidan Ryschon. In addition, Kyra Jespersen and Wyatt Ozenbaugh received $2,500 NCCEF Scholarships in honor of Michael S. Turner.
Caleb Burnside was awarded a $3,500 NCCEF Scholarship in honor of Robert C. Andersen. Caleb is the son of Richard and Polly Burnside of Stapleton and will be a senior at UNL majoring in agribusiness.
“The Nebraska Cooperative Council Education Foundation is honored to provide students with financial support, allowing them to be able to study agricultural business/economics. Education is one of the fundamental cooperative principles, and this program continues to be an important part of our efforts to help youth understand the cooperative way of doing business and interest them in pursuing careers in the agricultural industry here in Nebraska,” according to Dave Beckman, Foundation Board Chairman.
The purposes of the Nebraska Cooperative Council Education Foundation are to promote and encourage high school graduates to pursue higher education in the agricultural and agribusiness fields through scholarships and the implementation of school-to-work programs with participating Nebraska cooperatives; to encourage high school graduates to remain in Nebraska in agricultural pursuits all of which will result in community betterment; and the preservation of agriculture as a way of life.
