The McCook Community Foundation Fund has added another scholarship for the 2026-2027 school year in addition to several other scholarship opportunities. 

New in 2026 is the George and Lois Tiller Memorial Scholarship for McCook and Southwest High School graduates. The scholarship will be awarded for the second to fourth year of a four-year school or any year of community college or vocational school.

Applications are also being accepted for the Bernard and Nelda Haag Memorial Scholarship, the Barbara Fassler-Neumann Nursing Scholarship and the Frank and Marion Weiland Memorial Scholarship. And the Learn and Return Scholarship is available on a rolling basis for those returning to McCook after graduating.

The $1,000 Haag Scholarship is available to graduating seniors (or students currently enrolled in an accredited college) who are from Red Willow, Furnas, Frontier, Hayes or Hitchcock counties. The recipient will be selected based upon leadership, extracurricular activities, dedication to agriculture or rural living, a desire to return to a rural area or to Southwest Nebraska, lifelong learning and financial need.  

The Fassler-Neumann Scholarship is for graduating seniors of Southwest Nebraska high schools, graduates of an area high school currently pursuing study in a medical field, or practicing medical professionals in Southwest Nebraska who have resided in the area for at least four years. Preference will be given to applicants from McCook High School and to those expressing a desire to return or remain in Southwest Nebraska.  

Started in 2025, the Weiland Scholarship was created by Frank’s grandson Doug Keith in honor of his grandparents. Weiland Field is also named in honor of Frank Weiland. The $1,000 scholarship is available to a graduating McCook High School senior or student currently enrolled in college who graduated from McCook High School. The applicant must live (or have lived) in McCook or Red Willow County. Each applicant must be entering or currently attending an accredited school of higher education.

The focus for selecting the recipient will be based upon leadership and self-motivation through involvement in extracurricular activities in high school; a dedication to education; a desire to return to a rural area or Southwest Nebraska; lifelong learning; and the personal essay. A recipient may reapply in subsequent years as long as he or she continues to meet the parameters of the scholarship.

The Tiller Scholarship is for McCook area residents pursuing post-secondary undergraduate education at an accredited community college, vocational school, college or university. The scholarship will be awarded to those who have already started their schooling at a four-year university or who are beginning at a community college or vocational school.

MCFF also oversees the McCook Learn and Return Scholarship, which is a collaboration between MCFF and the McCook Economic Development Corp., to encourage young people to get their education and then return to their hometown. The scholarship helps with tuition assistance with the promise of the recipient returning to McCook to work. Forgiveness of the scholarship is based upon the years worked in McCook.

Available on a rolling basis, the MCFF Scholarship Committee will award the scholarship, while MEDC will oversee the contract and possible repayment if the obligations are not met.

Application forms are available from area high school guidance counselor’s offices, McCook Community College Financial Aid Office, or by email at mcffund@gmail.com, The applications are also available on the MCFF website, mccookfoundation.org.

Applications for each of these scholarships must be submitted by Wednesday, March 31, 2026, to MCFF, PO Box 525, McCook, NE 69001 or emailed to mcffund@gmail.com.