The Charles & Alberta Walther Scholarship Fund
The Charles and Alberta Walther Scholarship Fund administered through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. (agent) assists children and grandchildren of Omaha firefighters who plan to continue education in college, vocational school, or graduate school.
The Charles & Alberta Walther Scholarship Fund
The program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.
Eligibility
Applicants to the Charles & Alberta Walther Scholarship Fund must be:
- Children or grandchildren of firefighters currently serving the city of Omaha, Nebraska, or retired or deceased firefighters who served the city of Omaha.
- High school seniors or graduates who plan to enroll or students who are already enrolled in a full-time undergraduate or graduate course of study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year.
- Applicants must have a B or better grade point average (3.0 on a 4.0 scale).
- A U.S. Citizen or legal resident.
Awards
If selected as a recipient, the student will receive a $2,500 award. Up to three (3) awards will be granted to students attending a four-year college or university. One (1) award will be granted to a student attending a two-year college or vocational-technical school leading to an associate degree or certificate. If there is not a qualified two-year college or vocational-technical school applicant, the award will remain unfilled.
Awards are not renewable, but students may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements.
Awards are for undergraduate and graduate study only.
Awards are for these qualified education related expenses only tuition, required fees, and books/supplies.
Payment of Scholarships
Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. (agent) in early August. Checks are mailed to each student and are made payable to the school for the student
Selection of Recipients
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:
- Academic record
- Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
- Work experience
- A statement of educational and career goals and objectives
- Unusual personal or family circumstances
- An online recommendation
Financial need is not considered.
Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer or employee of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. or the Omaha Fire Department play a part in the selection. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.
Notification
Applicants will be notified in April. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients.
Notifications are sent via email. When setting up your account, avoid using a school or work email. Instead, use an active, personal email address that you will continue to have access to.
Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address as safe senders in your email contact list.
Requirements
As part of your application, you must upload the following documents:
- A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
- Student name
- School name
- Grades
- Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.
NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload an official copy of those test scores separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.
One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than March 11, 2026 at 3:00 PM Central Time.
Your application is not complete unless all required documents are submitted electronically.
