LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The joy shared by prospective students and their parents crumbled soon when they got emails telling them that the students had not, in fact, been awarded coveted Regents scholarships to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The emails with the good news were sent Friday afternoon. The bad news came in follow-up emails less than an hour later.

University spokesman Steve Smith says fewer than 500 students received the emails, which he blamed on a clerical error. About 11,000 prospective students were supposed to be sent reminders to finish their financial aid applications. A portion of them received the Regents scholarship confirmation email instead.

The scholarships are worth as much as $27,000 over four years. Recipients number between 450 and 500 students each semester.