OMAHA - Higher education officials in the University of Nebraska system are preparing for about 51,000 students to return to the Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney campuses in five weeks while also focusing on preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“This will not be a normal year,” University of Nebraska President Ted Carter said. “We have to learn how to live in a COVID-19 world. And do this with mitigation.” Carter said he wants to see fall sports happen.

Carter predicted that the number of tuition hours would stay about the same while tuition revenue would decrease because fewer out-of-state and international students will enroll. Since the April announcement of Nebraska Promise, which will provide free tuition for undergraduate Nebraska students whose families earn less than $60,000 a year, applications have been up 21%, Carter said.

He expects that about 10,000 or more students might ask for and need a test — and TestNebraska, the state’s testing initiative, could help in that effort.

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