Zach Wendling
LINCOLN — A Nebraska lawmaker and his husband have created an annual endowed scholarship to support “LGBTQA+ champions” at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha and Jeff Formanek announced the Fredrickson-Formanek Scholars Fund on Thursday. The fund will provide permanent financial support to first-year UNL students who are champions and supporters of LGBTQA+ causes and rights.
The couple created the scholarship in an effort to combat divisive rhetoric surrounding LGBTQ issues, according to a news release.
“Nebraska’s state motto is ‘Equality before the law,’” Fredrickson said in a video announcing the scholarship. “We feel so fortunate that this new program will have a real impact on building a brighter future for Nebraska and Nebraskans.”
A $2,000 scholarship — split evenly over a fall and spring semester — will be awarded to a student beginning in fall 2024 through UNL’s Gender and Sexuality Center. The scholarship is available through the annual scholarship application process.
Recipients must carry at least 12 credit hours per semester while the scholarship is provided.
Preference may be given to students who are Nebraska high school graduates or who demonstrate financial need.
Pat Tetreault, director of the Gender and Sexuality Center, said they are grateful for the leadership and generosity through the gift. It demonstrates the support, recognition and commitment the center offers at UNL, she added.
“The generosity and courage of State Sen. Fredrickson and Mr. Formanek highlights the opportunities for LGBTQA+ youth to thrive at UNL and in Nebraska,” Tetreault said in a statement to the Nebraska Examiner.
The endowed fund is created through a $50,000 gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation. As the endowment grows, more than one annual scholarship may be available.
The gift is made as part of efforts to engage at least 150,000 benefactors to give $3 billion to support the University of Nebraska — “Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future.” The campaign has raised more than $2 billion from more than 130,000 unique donors.
Fredrickson, a mental health professional, is an Omaha native and the first openly gay and second openly LGBTQ state lawmaker in Nebraska history. Fredrickson and Formanek, director of the Royal Bank of Canada’s Capital Markets division, met while working in New York.
The couple decided to return to Fredrickson’s home state to raise their son.
“To the young LGBTQ people across Nebraska: We’re here. We see you,” Formanek said in the launch video. “And we want you to know that there are so many people who have your back and are investing in all the amazing possibilities that the future may hold for you.”