KEARNEY – The University of Nebraska at Kearney is celebrating significant philanthropic support that will expand scholarships, strengthen academic programs and enhance health care education in rural Nebraska.
Gifts to UNK this past year are part of a record-setting $416.6 million in new funds committed to the University of Nebraska System in the fiscal year ending June 30. More than 60,600 donors contributed, marking the highest single-year totals in both dollars raised and number of supporters.
“The generosity we’ve seen this year is a powerful reflection of the deep pride and commitment that Nebraskans, our alumni and friends around the world feel for the University of Nebraska,” said University of Nebraska President Dr. Jeffrey Gold. “Even more so today, our donors believe in our mission, and I’m extraordinarily grateful for their investment in recruiting and retaining excellent faculty, advancing transformative research, providing scholarships that open the door to a University of Nebraska education, and so much more.”
The private support is part of Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future, a multiyear initiative that has raised $2.7 billion of its $3 billion goal. The campaign has already surpassed its donor goal, with more than 155,000 unique benefactors.
Philanthropic highlights for UNK from the 2025 fiscal year include:
- UNK alumni Merle A. and Kay Horst made a $500,000 gift to create scholarships for undergraduate students from farming communities majoring in accounting or business administration at UNK.
- Multiple gifts were received to increase the pipeline of UNK students hoping to practice health care in rural Nebraska. The Health Science Education Center II is scheduled to open early next year as part of the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex on the UNK campus. Because of this UNK-UNMC initiative, more students will be able to study and train in rural Nebraska for health care professions.
- Multiple gifts were received to honor Nebraska’s one-room and rural school teachers as part of the One Room, One Teacher scholarship program. The program pays tribute to Nebraska educators while raising scholarship funds for UNK College of Education students.
- A former chair of the UNK Sociology Department, the late Ruth Ann Pigott Janssen left a nearly $2.25 million estate gift to support scholarships and other priorities in the sociology department as well as a future capital project at UNK.
“We are thankful to each and every donor for their generosity,” said Brian Hastings, president and CEO of the University of Nebraska Foundation. “While philanthropy cannot replace state and federal dollars, it plays a vital role in enhancing the university experience, driving innovation and shaping the future of the University of Nebraska. These investments will grow tomorrow’s workforce and fuel progress across our state. That’s the power of philanthropy – Only in Nebraska.”