When asked to rank the importance of student support on a scale of one to ten, Koua Moua, a student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, replied without hesitation, “ten.”

Support for students through private donations to scholarship funds is instrumental in changing many students’ dreams of attending college into reality - and Moua is one of those students.

Moua, a pre-med sophomore who is majoring in psychology and neuroscience, received the Susan Thompson Buffet Scholarship. The scholarship was established in honor of William H. Thompson, who was a professor and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Omaha University, which became UNO. It awards up to $3,200 towards tuition and $400 towards books per semester, and is renewable for up to five years or until graduation.

For Moua, who is among approximately 75 percent of UNO’s 15,000 students who apply for financial aid, receiving a scholarship made receiving an education possible.

“I started out basically with nothing."

“I started out basically with nothing. No education, no English speaking background, a big family, little money and a life of struggles,” said Moua, whose family came to the United States from Thailand in 1994 to escape conflict left from the Vietnam War. “This scholarship symbolizes success, an accomplishment that means a great deal to my family who has sacrificed so much.”

One of the highest priorities in the Campaign for Nebraska is to make the university accessible to students across the state by increasing private support for student assistance, both for students with financial need and those who achieve great merit. UNO, in particular, is focused on increasing first generation and need-based scholarships.

Student support is the key to keeping Nebraska’s finest students, like Moua, in the state, regardless of their financial situation.

“Just knowing there are kind people out there who are willing to help me out and who see the potential in me is a big relief,” he said.