Velarion · Company Intelligence
Compensation Brief
Fiscal year 2025 · Filings through 2026-07-10

Nelnet Inc (NNI)

Fiscal year 2025 executive and director compensation, incentive-plan design, equity activity, and governance — every figure in this brief is traceable to its exact location in the company’s SEC filing — the document, the section, the page, and the table, linked directly.

$2,389,661
James Kruger total, FY2025
Chief Financial Officerhighest-paid officer; CEO Jeffrey Noordhoek: $2,243,420
CEO (Jeffrey Noordhoek) pay percentile vs peers
36:1
CEO-to-median pay ratio
99.85%
Say-on-pay support, latest vote
Companies that benchmark against NNI
3 companies name NNI as a compensation peer

Each company listed discloses NNI in its own benchmarking peer group, as disclosed in each company's most recent proxy statement within the last two proxy seasons. Two companies are therefore absent by design: one that named NNI in an earlier year and no longer does, and one whose own most recent disclosure is older than the last two seasons.

01

Summary Compensation Table — fiscal year 2025

Named executive officerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension / NQDCAll otherTotal
James Kruger$906,921$1,150,123$275,114$0$0$0$57,503$2,389,661
Chief Financial Officer
Timothy Tewes906,9211,150,123275,11400044,3082,376,466
President
Terry Heimes906,9211,112,592275,11400073,9612,368,588
Chief Operating Officer
Jeffrey Noordhoek906,9211,000,000275,11400061,3852,243,420
Chief Executive Officer
DeeAnn Wenger500,345537,531500,07700057,9641,595,917
President, Nelnet Business Services

A dash means the company reported no figure in that column; 0 means it reported zero. Figures are as printed in the filing, without adjustment.

Three-year trend — total compensation per named executive

Named executive officerFY2025 totalFY2024 totalFY2023 totalΔ FY20242025
James Kruger$2,389,661$1,716,059$1,846,476+673,602
Timothy Tewes2,376,4661,721,3871,869,226+655,079
Terry Heimes2,368,5881,590,2941,879,387+778,294
Jeffrey Noordhoek2,243,4201,555,6131,842,156+687,807
DeeAnn Wenger1,595,9171,128,766+467,151

Prior-year totals as disclosed in the corresponding proxy; deltas are computed values with the derivation shown in the register.

02

Equity transactions since the proxy statement was filed

Every insider equity transaction reported on Form 4 after the 2025 proxy statement — acquisitions, dispositions, exercises, and withholdings — and therefore not reflected in any table in that document.

InsiderRoleTransaction dateCodeSharesPriceValueSecuritySource
William J. MunnSecy/Chief Legal Off/Gen Coun2026-04-15A1,052$0$0CommonForm 4 ↗
William J. MunnSecy/Chief Legal Off/Gen Coun2026-04-15D1,05200CommonForm 4 ↗
James KrugerChief Financial Officer2026-04-30D5,00000Common, indirectForm 4 ↗
Matthew W. DunlapDirector2026-06-10D151311,961CommonForm 4 ↗
David S. GraffDirector2026-06-15A1,535111170,017CommonForm 4 ↗
Thomas E. HenningDirector2026-06-15A1,738111192,501Derivative, Class A CommonForm 4 ↗
Jona M. Van DeunDirector2026-06-15A1,219111135,016Derivative, Class A CommonForm 4 ↗
Kimberly K. RathDirector2026-06-15A1,535111170,017Derivative, Class A CommonForm 4 ↗
Kathleen A. FarrellDirector2026-06-15A1,626111180,096CommonForm 4 ↗
Preeta D. BansalDirector2026-06-15A1,626111180,096CommonForm 4 ↗
Jona M. Van DeunDirector2026-06-15A40711145,079CommonForm 4 ↗
James KrugerChief Financial Officer2026-07-09D2,50000Common, indirectForm 4 ↗

Transaction codes per Form 4: A acquisition · S open-market sale · F tax withholding · M option exercise · G gift. Value = shares × price as reported. Dividend-equivalent and fractional-share accrual rows (derivative Class A, under $10,000 and under 2,000 shares) are aggregated per date; every row appears in full below.

03

Grants of plan-based awards — fiscal year 2025

ExecutiveAwardGrant dateThresholdTargetGrantedMaximumGrant-date fair value
DeeAnn WengerRSU2025-03-1010$500,077
James KrugerRSU2025-03-1010275,114
Jeffrey NoordhoekRSU2025-03-1010275,114
Timothy TewesRSU2025-03-1010275,114
Terry HeimesRSU2025-03-1010275,114
03b

Vehicle mix — grant-date fair value by award type

Named executive officerTime-vested (RSU)Performance-vested (PSU)Options / SARs% performance-vested
DeeAnn Wenger$500,077$0$00.0%
James Kruger275,114000.0%
Jeffrey Noordhoek275,114000.0%
Timothy Tewes275,114000.0%
Terry Heimes275,114000.0%

% performance-vested = PSU grant-date fair value ÷ (RSU + PSU + Options), a computed value with the derivation shown in the register.

04

Outstanding equity awards at fiscal year-end 2025

ExecutiveAwardShares unvestedExercise priceMarket value unvested
James KrugerRSU10,689$1,421,209
Jeffrey NoordhoekRSU10,6891,421,209
Terry HeimesRSU10,6891,421,209
DeeAnn WengerRSU7,426987,361
Timothy TewesRSU10,6891,421,209
05

Incentive-plan design — the Compensation Discussion & Analysis

The general compensation philosophy of the Company, as an organization that values the long-term success of its shareholders, customers, and employees, is that the Company will pay fair, competitive, and equitable compensation that is designed to encourage focus on the long-term performance objectives of the Company and is differentiated based on both the individual's performance and the performance of their respective business segment.

CEO STI target (% of salary)
CEO LTI target (% of salary)
Independent consultantTowers Watson
Clawback policytrue
Anti-hedgingtrue
Anti-pledgingTrue
06

Say-on-pay — recent advisory votes

Meeting yearMeeting dateForAgainstAbstainSupportOutcome
20262026-05-14123,485,112184,56632,87999.85%Passed
20252025-05-15126,823,158123,56037,15299.9%Passed
20242024-05-16127,827,846328,32347,14999.74%Passed
20232023-05-18128,109,990138,04431,89099.89%Passed
20222022-05-19128,684,073265,61259,07399.79%Passed
20212021-05-20132,391,044123,39967,32499.91%Passed

Rows are labeled by annual-meeting year, with the meeting date beside each; the vote held in a given year acts on the prior fiscal year's compensation.

Say-on-pay — history, company's computation

Meeting yearMeeting dateApproval — company's computation
20262026-05-1499.85%a
20252025-05-1599.9%b
20242024-05-1699.74%c

a. Approved under the standard stated in the filing — “Although abstentions and broker "non-votes" will be counted for purposes of determining whether there is a quorum (as discussed above), they will not be counted as votes cast with respect to Proposals 2, 3, and 4 and thus will not have the effect of votes for or against Proposals 2, 3, and 4.”.

b. Approved under the standard stated in the filing — “Although abstentions and broker "non-votes" will be counted for purposes of determining whether there is a quorum (as discussed above), they will not be counted as votes cast with respect to Proposals 2 and 3 and thu nominee has not received voting instructions from the customer and the bank, broker, or other nominee cannot vote the shares because the matter is not considered to be routine under NYSE rules.”.

c. Approved under the standard stated in the filing — “Although abstentions and broker "non-votes" will be counted for purposes of determining whether there is a quorum (as discussed above), they will not be counted as votes cast with respect to Propos nominee has not received voting instructions from the customer and the bank, broker, or other nominee cannot vote the shares because the matter is not considered to be routine under NYSE rules.”.

Approval percentages are the company's own reported computations under its own stated standard, not recomputed by Velarion. Where a company does not state a standard, none is assumed.

07

CEO pay ratio

Ratio (CEO : median employee)36 : 1
CEO total compensation$2,243,420
Median employee compensation$62,738
08

Director compensation — fiscal year 2025

DirectorCash feesStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentiveAll otherTotal
Thomas E. HenningIndependent · Lead Independent Director · Audit · Risk and Finance · Executive$16,000$226,587$0$25,000$267,587
Preeta D. BansalIndependent · Audit · People Development and Compensation · Compliance19,000211,856025,000255,856
Adam K. PetersonIndependent · Audit · Compliance · Departed during FY19,000211,856025,000255,856
Jona M. Van DeunIndependent · People Development and Compensation · Compliance · Nominating and Corporate Governance18,000211,85603,000232,856
Kathleen A. FarrellIndependent · Nominating and Corporate Governance · Risk and Finance · Executive14,000211,85600225,856
David S. GraffIndependent · Audit · Risk and Finance16,000200,04900216,049
Kimberly K. RathIndependent · People Development and Compensation (Chair) · Nominating and Corporate Governance14,000200,04900214,049
Matthew W. DunlapEmployee director · Compliance · Risk and Finance184,00000184,000
Michael S. DunlapEmployee director · Board Chair · Executive0000
09

Board fee structure and ownership guideline

Annual cash retainer$10,000
Annual equity retainer
Per board meeting fee
Committee chair fees (audit / comp / nom-gov)12,500 / 12,500 / 12,500
Stock ownership guideline
09b

Total cost of the board

ComponentFY2025
Cash retainers and fees$300,000
Equity awards (grant-date value)$1,474,109
All other compensation$78,000
Total cost of the board$1,852,109

Computed as the sum of the director compensation table rows above; inputs and formula shown in the register.

10b

Chief executive pay against the peer group

Most recent fiscal-year chief executive compensation at each disclosed peer, taken from that company's own proxy statement.

RankCompanyFYChief executiveSalaryStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentiveTotal
1Nelnet Inc2025Jeffrey Noordhoek$906,921$275,114$0$0$2,243,420

Each peer's compensation is from its most recently filed proxy; fiscal years differ by company. Each peer's figures come from its own filings; the subject company is highlighted. Peers whose chief executive compensation is outside our coverage universe are stated as such, never left blank.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Who was the highest-paid executive at Nelnet Inc in fiscal 2025?
The highest-paid executive at Nelnet Inc in fiscal 2025 was James Kruger, Chief Financial Officer, with total compensation of $2,389,661.
How does Nelnet Inc's chief executive pay compare to its disclosed peer group?
The CEO pay percentile of disclosed peers is not disclosed in this extract.
What is Nelnet Inc's CEO-to-median employee pay ratio?
As disclosed, the CEO-to-median employee pay ratio was 36:1.
How did shareholders vote on Nelnet Inc's executive compensation?
Shareholders supported the latest executive compensation proposal with 99.85% approval.
How much does Nelnet Inc spend in total on board compensation for fiscal 2025?
The total board compensation for fiscal 2025 was $1,852,109.

Answers are drawn only from the figures disclosed in this brief and cited to their location in the source filing. Where a figure required for an answer is not disclosed, that is stated rather than estimated.

11

Source register

Each figure's location is given both for the eye (section · page · table · row · column) and for a script (table/row/column index and exact character span in the filed document). Any figure can be independently confirmed against the source.

#SupportsDocumentFiledAccessionLocation in document
1Section 01, James KrugerDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Summary Compensation Table for Fiscal Years 2025, 2024, and 2023” · page 25. As printed: 2,389,661. Filing ↗machine: r11 · c36 · span 379189–379198
2Section 01, Timothy TewesDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Summary Compensation Table for Fiscal Years 2025, 2024, and 2023” · page 25. As printed: 2,376,466. Filing ↗machine: r15 · c36 · span 387222–387231
3Section 01, Terry HeimesDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Summary Compensation Table for Fiscal Years 2025, 2024, and 2023” · page 25. As printed: 2,368,588. Filing ↗machine: r7 · c36 · span 371145–371154
4Section 01, Jeffrey NoordhoekDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Summary Compensation Table for Fiscal Years 2025, 2024, and 2023” · page 25. As printed: 2,243,420. Filing ↗machine: r3 · c36 · span 363075–363084
5Section 01, DeeAnn WengerDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Summary Compensation Table for Fiscal Years 2025, 2024, and 2023” · page 25. As printed: 1,595,917. Filing ↗machine: r19 · c36 · span 395293–395302
6Section 03, DeeAnn Wenger RSUDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table for Fiscal Year 2025” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t7 · r19 · c10 · span 394476–394483
7Section 03, James Kruger RSUDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table for Fiscal Year 2025” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t9 · r4 · c2 · span 449572–449574
8Section 03, Jeffrey Noordhoek RSUDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table for Fiscal Year 2025” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t9 · r2 · c2 · span 445551–445553
9Section 03, Timothy Tewes RSUDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table for Fiscal Year 2025” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t9 · r5 · c2 · span 451501–451503
10Section 03, Terry Heimes RSUDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table for Fiscal Year 2025” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t9 · r3 · c2 · span 447644–447646
11Section 07, pay ratioDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “CEO Pay Ratio”. As printed: 36 : 1. Filing ↗machine: span 573615–573622
12Section 08, Thomas E. HenningDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 267,587. Filing ↗machine: t3 · r8 · c13 · span 249036–249043
13Section 08, Preeta D. BansalDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 255,856. Filing ↗machine: t3 · r3 · c13 · span 239184–239191
14Section 08, Adam K. PetersonDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 255,856. Filing ↗machine: t3 · r9 · c13 · span 250997–251004
15Section 08, Jona M. Van DeunDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 232,856. Filing ↗machine: t3 · r11 · c13 · span 254919–254926
16Section 08, Kathleen A. FarrellDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 225,856. Filing ↗machine: t3 · r6 · c13 · span 245114–245121
17Section 08, David S. GraffDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 216,049. Filing ↗machine: t3 · r7 · c13 · span 247074–247081
18Section 08, Kimberly K. RathDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 214,049. Filing ↗machine: t3 · r10 · c13 · span 252959–252966
19Section 08, Matthew W. DunlapDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 184,000. Filing ↗machine: t3 · r4 · c2 · span 239878–239885
20Section 08, Michael S. DunlapDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗
21Section 02, William J. Munn 2026-04-15Form 42026-04-170001008886-26-000095Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. Filing ↗
22Section 02, William J. Munn 2026-04-15Form 42026-04-170001008886-26-000095Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. Filing ↗
23Section 02, James Kruger 2026-04-30Form 42026-05-040001008886-26-000109Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. Filing ↗
24Section 02, Matthew W. Dunlap 2026-06-10Form 42026-06-110001008886-26-000162Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. Filing ↗
25Section 02, David S. Graff 2026-06-15Form 42026-06-170001008886-26-000173Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. Filing ↗
26Section 02, Thomas E. Henning 2026-06-15Form 42026-06-170001008886-26-000172Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. Filing ↗
27Section 02, Jona M. Van Deun 2026-06-15Form 42026-06-170001008886-26-000175Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. Filing ↗
28Section 02, Kimberly K. Rath 2026-06-15Form 42026-06-170001008886-26-000174Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. Filing ↗
29Section 02, Kathleen A. Farrell 2026-06-15Form 42026-06-170001008886-26-000176Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. Filing ↗
30Section 02, Preeta D. Bansal 2026-06-15Form 42026-06-170001008886-26-000177Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. Filing ↗
31Section 02, Jona M. Van Deun 2026-06-15Form 42026-06-170001008886-26-000175Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. Filing ↗
32Section 02, James Kruger 2026-07-09Form 42026-07-100001008886-26-000199Insider equity transaction reported since the proxy statement. Filing ↗
33Section 06, 2026 voteForm 8-K2026-05-180001258602-26-000035Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 99.85% (votes for as printed: 123,485,112). Filing ↗
34Section 06, 2025 voteForm 8-K2025-05-200001258602-25-000039Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 99.9% (votes for as printed: 126,823,158). Filing ↗
35Section 06, 2024 voteForm 8-K2024-05-210001258602-24-000041Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 99.74% (votes for as printed: 127,827,846). Filing ↗
36Section 01 trend, Δ column (computed)ComputedcomputedΔ = current-FY total − prior-FY total per named officer.machine: formula: Δ = FY(n) − FY(n−1)
37Section 03b vehicle mix (computed)ComputedcomputedRSU / PSU / Options grant-date fair values summed per officer from the grants table; % performance-vested = PSU ÷ (RSU+PSU+Options).machine: formula: sums + PSU ratio
38Section 09b board cost (computed)ComputedcomputedCash 300,000 + equity 1,474,109 + all other 78,000 = 1,852,109, summed across the director compensation table rows.machine: formula: Σ = 1,852,109
39Nelnet Inc (subject), Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-04-020001258602-26-000024CEO total compensation as printed in Nelnet Inc's own proxy. As printed: 2,243,420. Filing ↗machine: r3 · c36 · span 363075–363084