For Seniors

RECRUITERS/COLLEGES Visiting SHS
During Lunch in Commons

• Bethel College - Wednesday, January 21st
• Dodge City Community College - Monday, January 26th
• Hutchinson Community College - Friday, January 30th
• Wichita State University - Tuesday, February 3rd
• Washburn University - Wednesday, February 25th

Class of 2026 Senior Photos for the Yearbook

The deadline for senior photographs for the yearbook is December 18, 2025 so plan now to meet the deadline. Photographs can be turned in as printed pictures, digitally on a CD or jump drive, or emailed to salinasouthgrad@gmail.com. If you are sending them digitally, make sure they are at a high resolution or the reproduction in the yearbook will be unsatisfactory. Senior portraits must meet the following criteria to be used in the yearbook:

• Head and shoulder photo or can be cropped to head and shoulders photo. (We can crop them for you.)
• No hands or selfies.
• Shoulders should be clothed.
• Color (not black and white or duo-tone)
• Plain background (It can be outside.) No cars, animals, props, etc. 
• Vertical photo or croppable to a vertical.

The rationale behind these regulations is that head size remains consistent among all pictures and that all portraits command the same amount of attention rather than one individual standing out on the page. If you have any questions about the requirements or want the yearbook adviser to look at a photograph to see if it meets requirements, contact Kim Warren at kim.warren@usd305.com or 309-3798.

Yearbook staff members are also available to take a senior portrait for the yearbook. Students can contact Kim Warren (kim.warren@usd305.com or salinasouthgrad@gmail.com) to set up an appointment in the fall.

Inter-State school photos can also be used. The yearbook staff has access to the photos, but students just need to let Mrs. Warren know they want these used.

These photos are also used for the Senior Slideshow at graduation.

Post-High School Planning Information

Post-high school planning Presentation

Financial Aid Presentation

• How to find scholarship opportunities
• Tips for writing resumes
• Getting a strong start on the scholarship application process

scholarship bootcamp presentation

2026-27 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Form
The 2026-27 FAFSA is open!  Students enrolling for the academic year 2026/2027 can submit their FAFSA; families should use their 2024 income tax information. Before students and parents can complete the FAFSA, the student and all parents/guardians in the household must create an FSA ID. To create your FSA ID go to FSA ID Website.  

Senior Opportunities...

Great Plains Manufacturing Scholars Program
Enhance your education with real-world, industry-specific training and get to your full-time career faster. With this scholarship, many students will earn their degree with little or no student debt. The Great Plains Scholars Program is a one-of-a-kind scholarship that helps students earn a bachelor's degree from one of K-State Salina's engineering technology programs. Students will gain first-hand exposure to specialized industry technology, including line assembly, robotic weld automation centers and more. By completing the Scholars Program, students will have earned over 2,400 hours of relevant, professional manufacturing experience and their degree!  Get Started

Google Certifications - Rural & Remote NWK
Rural & Remote NWK is pleased to announce a partnership with Grow with Google and is now offering scholarships to anyone (including graduating seniors) that are interested in upskilling, whether they are looking for a career change or wanting to advance in their current position. The scholarships are valid for one year and cover any/all of the following Professional Certifications. These certifications are designed for those without any prior experience or training and more information can be found on our website. We also have a new Cybersecurity Pathway that is very promising for anyone interested in technical remote work. This training begins with the Google Cybersecurity Professional certification, is suitable for anyone interested in Cybersecurity, and does not require any previous experience or training. R&R NWK is working with Enterprise KC, a non-profit organization that is focused on cybersecurity, to bring additional resources to the region and access to remote work opportunities to individuals in Northwest Kansas. Do you anyone that may benefit from these programs? Anyone interested in learning more should fill out a Contact Us form on our website or feel free to contact Maria Dahlquist (Technical Program Specialist) at 785-324-2266 with any questions. 

ACT/SAT Test Prep - METHODIZE
Students can take advantage of ACT/SAT Test Prep in XELLO. Methodize is Method Learning’s brand new online learning platform. Methodize consists of newly updated and revised ACT and SAT courses. Our online program has served over a million students in the past two decades and Methodize distills that experience into a new platform that makes it easier for students and teachers to do test prep. Students can access Methodize under "Resources" in their XELLO account.

Kansas Regents Public Universities -
Financial Aid & Scholarship Information…

Emporia state university

• April 1 - Priority deadline for Federal Financial Aid
• To apply for talent scholarships, contact the department directly. Contact information is on their site.

fort hays state university

• November 15 - Priority deadline for scholarships
• February 15 - Final deadline for general scholarships
• April 1 - Priority deadline for Federal Financial Aid

kansas state university

• December 1 - Priority deadline for premiere scholarships
• February 1 - College/Departmental scholarship deadline
• February 1 - Priority deadline for Federal Financial Aid

pittsburg state university

• March 1 - Deadline for general scholarships

university of kansas

• December 1 - Priority deadline for general scholarships
• March 1 - Priority date for Federal Financial Aid

wichita state university

• WSU begins awarding scholarships for incoming freshmen in September. Apply early for full consideration for scholarships
• October 15 - Deadline for admittance to be included in the DSI Competition (Distinguished Scholars Invitational)
• December 1 - Deadline for freshman merit scholarships

Scholarship Resources...

There are innumerable scholarship search resources online. The best search services are free, so there is no need to spend any money to use one of the services.

Preparing for College: Senior Checklist

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER

• Register for the SAT and/or ACT if you didn’t take a college entrance exam as a junior or want to take one again. Remember: Your counselor can help with fee waivers.
• Take a look at some college applications. Make note of all the pieces of information you will need to compile.
• Check with your school counselor to make sure you are on track to graduate and fulfill college admission requirements.
• Take every opportunity to get to know colleges. Meet with college representatives who visit your school, attend local college fairs, and visit campuses.
• Narrow down your list of colleges. Collect information about the application and financial aid process at each school.
• Create a checklist and calendar to keep track of standardized test dates, college application due dates, and financial aid deadlines. Make note of the other materials, such as recommendations or essays, you’ll need to complete your applications.

OCTOBER

• Some colleges will have deadlines (rolling, priority, early decision, and early action) as early as this month.
• If you cannot afford the application fees that many colleges charge, ask your counselor to help you request a fee waiver.
• Finalize your college essay. Many schools will require that you submit at least one essay with your application.
• Request personal recommendations from teachers, school counselors, or employers.
• Research scholarships. Ask your counselor, your colleges, and local religious and civic groups about scholarship opportunities. You should never pay for scholarship information.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER

• Finalize and send any early decision or early action applications due this month. Have a parent, teacher, counselor, or other adult review the application before it is submitted.
• Every college will require a copy of your transcript from your high school. Follow your school’s procedure for sending transcripts.
• File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon after Dec. 15 as possible. In addition to determining your eligibility for federal funds, many colleges and states use the form when distributing grants, so don’t delay. Watch the mail for your Student Aid Report (SAR)—it should arrive four weeks after the FAFSA is filed.
• Make sure testing companies have sent your scores directly to the colleges to which you are applying.
• Begin to organize regular decision applications and financial aid forms, which will be due in January and/or February.
• If needed, register for the January SAT. It is the last one colleges will be able to consider for a senior.
• Many popular and selective colleges will have application deadlines as early as Jan. 1. Others have deadlines later in January and February.
• If necessary, register for the February ACT (some colleges will be able consider it).
• In January, ask your guidance office to send first semester transcripts to schools where you applied. At the end of the school year, they will need to send final transcripts to the college you will attend.

FEBRUARY - MAY

• Acceptance letters and financial aid offers will start to arrive. Review your acceptances, compare financial aid packages, and visit your final choices.
• Don’t slack in the classroom. The college you decide to attend will want to see your second semester transcript.
• May 1 is the date when the college you plan to attend requires a commitment and deposit. When you’ve made your college decision, notify your counselor. Send in your deposit by the postmark date of May 1. If you’ve been offered financial aid, accept the offer and follow the instructions given. Also notify schools you will not attend of your decision.
• Request that your final transcript be sent to the college you will be attending.
• If you are wait-listed by a college you really want to attend, visit, call, and write the admission office to make your interest clear. Ask how you can strengthen your application.