FYRE

Eligible incoming freshman students receive work-study award and student employment information from the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships (Husker Hub). In June and July, incoming students with work-study awards can review the directory of FYRE opportunities and complete a short application form, including selecting their top three choices of research or creative projects.

By Fall term start, the Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships will match applicants with faculty mentors and notify applicants of their placements. Though a FYRE placement is not guaranteed, every effort will be made to make a connection that works for both the prospective FYRE student and the faculty mentor.

Eligible students will be identified and recruited by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (Husker Hub), Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships, and the TRIO/SSS program in summer. To be eligible to apply for FYRE, you must: 

• Have a minimum 2.5 high school GPA;
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
• Accept a federal work-study award, under the Financial Aid section in MyRED;
• Be enrolled at UNL for Fall term, as a full-time, degree-seeking, freshman student;
• Commit to at least 5-10 hours per week on the assigned research or creative project.

FYRE students are hourly workers and submit timesheets. Pay distribution is biweekly. Depending on the student’s funding source, payroll setup is completed by the Big Red Business Center or TRIO program. About 1 week prior to the program start, new FYRE students who have not previously held a job on campus will be contacted by the payroll contact. You will be asked to complete payroll paperwork and make an appointment to complete the federal I-9 requirement to establish identity and authorization to work in the U.S. You will be asked to provide an acceptable identity document (such as a driver’s license or state ID, or a passport) and proof of employment eligibility (such as a social security card). If you have lost these items, please take steps to locate them or obtain a replacement prior to the program start. Missing documentation will cause delays in receiving your pay. You will also need your banking information if you would like to set up direct deposit of your payments. Once payroll information is entered into the system and the program begins, current participants may view your deposit statements and other employment-related information in Firefly.

Undergraduate research and first-year experiences are both considered high-impact practices for undergraduate education. FYRE faculty mentors are committed to student success and are interested in designing and guiding research or creative projects specifically for new freshmen. 

In addition to supporting student learning about Nebraska’s culture of research innovation, FYRE mentors support student belongingness in the research environment and all of the university’s Colleges. Through providing meaningful social connection with research teams and co-curricular professional development workshops, FYRE aims to improve freshman student retention from the first to second year, a critical period for college student retention.

Compared to the UNL student population at large, FYRE students are twice as likely to be first generation college students (51% for FYRE, versus 24% for UNL students). Our collaborative efforts with faculty to retain first-generation college students have been immensely successful. In 2021-22, for first-generation, first-time freshmen specifically, the fall-to-spring term retention rate was 96.8% in FYRE, compared to 88.5% in the overall UNL student population.

In May, prospective faculty mentors submit research or creative project descriptions to the Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships using the FYRE Opportunities form below. To complete the form, you will need a project title and description, potential tasks and responsibilities, desired student qualifications, a mentoring plan, and space for comments. 

Unlike the UCARE stipend-based program, FYRE students are hourly workers and submit timesheets. Because work-study funds are limited, FYRE students are expected to work a consistent schedule of no more than 10 hours weekly. Pay distribution is biweekly. Depending on the student’s funding source, payroll setup is completed by the Big Red Business Center or TRIO program. Once payroll information is entered into the system and the program begins, your FYRE student may view deposit statements and other employment-related information in Firefly.

In early May, the FYRE Opportunities form opens for faculty to submit project descriptions. By early June, Undergraduate Research & Fellowships staff post project descriptions to the FYRE Opportunities Directory.

In June & July, the Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships and TRIO/SSS promote FYRE Opportunities to incoming freshmen through New Student Enrollment, Husker Hub, Summer Bridge, etc.

In early August, faculty will review applications and return a shortlist to the Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships, who will make the final placements. Every effort will be made to make a connection that works for both the faculty mentor and the FYRE student.

By the 1st week of Fall classes, FYRE students receive notification of their job matches. Those who accept positions start payroll paperwork. 

In early September (typically the first business day after Labor Day holiday), FYRE work experiences begin. 

In Spring term graduation week, FYRE positions end.

Important Dates for 2024-25

June 3 – FYRE Opportunities descriptions due

Late July – Student applications due

Early August – Application review and ranking

Mid-August – Placements finalized

Late August – Placement notifications to students & mentors

Late August – Payroll setup

Early September – FYRE positions & paid training begin

October 1 – 1^st Huskerwork module (Individual Development Plans) begins

May 16, 2025 – FYRE positions end