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Jeremiah Brown

Paying
for School

Using hard work and scholarships to help cover the cost of college

Getting Started

– Jeremiah Brown –

Paying for school was definitely something that was heavy on my mind during high school. Coming up with a plan to pay for it was something my mom and I strived for. I’m the product of a single mother, and I just believe my mom didn’t raise me to stay home but to go out and explore.

I was a wrestler in high school and so that’s originally what got me interested in Nebraska because my favorite wrestler went here. Then, I went to a college convention, and I talked to the Nebraska staff about the architecture program. When I actually got in, it was a really good feeling.

My Path to Paying for School

When I got to Nebraska for my tour, my mom and I set up an appointment at the financial aid office to talk about exactly what scholarships I could potentially get my first year.

I learned I would be eligible for additional scholarships my sophomore year, if I met all the criteria. They told me to just get through the first year and then if I completed all criteria to earn the scholarship, I would be fine going through the rest of my schooling. Now I have that scholarship and more from the College of Architecture.

I also applied for a lot of external scholarships. My counselor helped me to find the scholarships she felt I qualified for, and then I would go in and fill those applications out. You could tell she really just wanted to help her students get to college because all of us were new to it.

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I took the initiative. I applied for as many as I could. Some were smaller—like $500—but they all added up after a while. I had some family members help me as well. I worked and saved. I did take out just a little bit of student loans, not too many. That was really how I got through my first year.

My mom had to make a lot of sacrifices. With every paycheck, she would help me. It means a lot to me, and it means a lot to my mom. That’s why I take it really seriously because I’m kind of doing it for two people. That’s really what keeps me going when I feel like I’m stressed or I feel like giving up. I am doing this for both of us. This is bigger than I am.

Helping Others See Their Path

Since coming to college, I’ve worked at Husker Hub [a one-stop student services center]. I understand different perspectives on paying for school, and it helps me be more aware and more willing to help because I do understand what they’re going through. People ask me all the time, “What advice would you give us?”

I just explain to them my story and how you just always have to have faith and believe it’ll work out because that’s what I did. I encourage them to apply for scholarships at the university and externally. I tell them to just keep looking to see what’s out there because there’s always something.

That’s the biggest piece of advice I give to students and parents when they ask, “How do I do this? How do I get my student there?” There are so many opportunities through the university and organizations that just want to help students out.

“If you want to go to Nebraska, you can do it. Now you just need to pave the way, so you can make that actually happen.”

— Jeremiah Brown

Trust Yourself. Trust Your People.

There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. You might not be able to see exactly how it’s going to work out, but you have to trust in yourself, and you have to trust in the people around you. I believed I could come to this university because I knew I was good enough to, and so you have to believe that as well, and you need to surround yourself with people who believe that.

That’s the best part when parents believe their students can achieve their goals. If you want to go to Nebraska, you can do it. Now you just need to pave the way, so you can make that actually happen. Whether that’s applying for a bunch of scholarships, making sure you have a good GPA, or doing well on your standardized testing, just make sure you get everything done that you need to do.

Why it’s Worth It

I love college mostly because of my major. It means so much to me because I want to design houses for families. I never had the opportunity to ever have a home. The fact that this could help me change other people’s lives by building people homes means so much.

I would love to build up communities and give families homes. It means lot for my mom as well. To have someone at her household who achieved a four-year college degree will mean so much to her. I would like to give her a house of her own someday.

I encourage students to keep going because at the end of the day, you will know who you are on the inside and I think that’s enough to keep anybody going. You always have people rooting for you. When you achieve that goal of fulfilling your career of choice, all the hours and the sleepless nights will all be worth it.