Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy FAQs

The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by the State of Nebraska in recognition of high school students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation.

The Seal of Biliteracy will be reflected on a student’s high school transcript. The seal honors students’ bilingual proficiency and serves as evidence of skills that are attractive to future employers and college admissions offices nationwide. Learn more about universities and colleges in Illinois and Missouri that acknowledge the Seal of Biliteracy (Including the NSoBL) on the SoBL and College Share Spreadsheet.

Now, the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO), the University of Nebraska-Kearney (UNK), and Doane University are in the process of recognizing and attaching credits to the NSoBL.

Easyway International LLC is the only business that recognizes the NSoBL. The non-profit organizations that recognize the seal include Shaanxi Commerce Representative Office and Midwest U.S. Commerce Representative Office of Weinan City. If your business and organizations are interested in supporting the NSoBL, please contact Chrystal Liu at chrystal.liu@nebraska.gov

Any multilingual high school student who can demonstrate proficiency in English and at least one language other than English.

There are three rounds of applications each year. The application deadlines are April 1st, August 1st, and November 1st.

Students should study the language and obtain the required proficiency level before completing the application. The application is available online through the World Language Pages on the NDE website.

NSoBL has two levels: the gold and the silver levels. The gold level is awarded to students with an intermediate-high level of proficiency in two or more languages. The silver level is awarded to students with an intermediate-low level of proficiency in two or more languages. For more details please check the Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy Proficiency Levels.

Districts can adopt the seal so that the seal is recognized on transcripts. The NSoBL is acknowledged in many other states. Many universities and colleges in Illinois and Missouri have attached retroactive credits to the seal, which means that students with the seal get retrospective credits for the novice level courses for the seal free of charge – without paying for the courses.

We provide a seal that can be attached to students’ diplomas. Students will also get a confirmation email claiming they are awarded the Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy (NSoBL).

Students can attain the seal for each language in which proficiency is demonstrated. There is no limit to the number of languages that can be endorsed.

Schools or districts do not need to store assessments to be used in determining proficiency. There is a list of approved national assessments with the required score for the seal on the Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy Assessment Requirements website.

No, the proficiency level is measured with the required assessment score. Schools do need to provide official transcripts for students using the 30 credit hours in their application. For more details, please check the Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy Assessment Requirements.

All schools, public and private, may choose to adopt the Seal of Biliteracy through their established policy process. However, students may also apply for the seal without district recognition. The application process was meant to enable students who were, for any reason, unable to apply with the assistance of the school.

English learners are encouraged to apply for the seal. They will have to demonstrate proficiency in the native language as well as English. It is beneficial for students to have instruction, access to materials, and resources in their native language for this purpose.