With the loss of the Opportunity Scholarships that had enabled many families across Nebraska to choose the best fit for their students’ education, many families were facing difficult decisions about whether they could continue to afford a Catholic education for their children. Hundreds of students who had received educational scholarships through Nebraska legislative bills 753 and 1402 were losing access to support that could be the deciding factor of whether they could continue attending Pius X High School.
On Sept. 29, 2025, Governor Jim Pillen positioned Nebraska as the nation’s first state to opt in to the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program. While this exciting new program paves the way for renewed school choice opportunities for Nebraska families, it does not launch until 2027.
The Pius X Foundation looked for a way to help families avoid the loss of essential tuition assistance during the “gap” period
between when Opportunity Scholarships end and when Federal Scholarship Tax Credits will restore school choice to Nebraskans.
The new Dr. Wayne L. and Eileen Ryan Bridge Scholarship has been made possible by a transformational $565,000 grant from the Ryan Foundation to help overcome families’ financial barriers to a Pius X education. The Bridge Scholarship provides essential assistance for families during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years as the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program prepares to launch.
Pius X Foundation Executive Director Courtney Johnson noted: “The loss of school choice funding created a significant challenge for many of our families, and we knew we had to act quickly to protect access to a Pius X education. The Ryan Foundation’s longstanding commitment to making Catholic education accessible made them an ideal partner in this effort. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity and shared belief in the transformative power of Catholic education. Their support will help ensure that every family who desires a Pius X education has the opportunity to pursue it.”
Dr. Wayne Ryan and Eileen Ryan were active philanthropists during their lives. Their acts of kindness came in different forms, whether it was Eileen paying for a stranger’s groceries who couldn’t afford them, or Dr. Ryan designing a device pro-bono to test astronauts’ immune systems in space. Dr. Ryan and Eileen married on October 2, 1948, at St. Peter’s Church in Omaha. The couple was always willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed help. In 1971, Dr. Ryan founded Streck, Inc. Through his work at Streck, Dr. Ryan significantly advanced hematology and molecular diagnostics with his products which in turn played a key role in accurately and cost effectively diagnosing and treating disease globally. Securing over 60 patents during his career, Dr. Ryan was inducted into the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame in 2007. Well-known for her kindness and generosity, Eileen was very active in community organizations that lent helping hands to those in need.
As a devout Catholic, Eileen was a lifelong supporter of
the Archdiocese of Omaha, the Jesuits and various catholic parishes and missions. The couple founded The Ryan Foundation to facilitate their giving to charitable causes they cared deeply about.
Dr. Ryan passed away on November 3, 2017 and Eileen Ryan passed away March 7, 2013.
The Dr. Wayne L. and Eileen Ryan Bridge Scholarship will provide
generous scholarships to past Opportunity Scholarship
recipients, incoming freshmen, and transfer students, which are estimated to average $1,500 per student. Scholarships will be prioritized based on families’ financial need, to provide assistance to as many Pius X students as possible.
Pius X High School Chief Administrative Officer Jeremy Ekeler expressed the impact of this generous new scholarship for our school’s families: “From my previous work in education policy, I know both the impact of educational freedom and the consequences when that funding is ripped away. These bridge scholarships are exactly that – a bridge to a future at Pius X for many families as we await full implementation of the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit.”
