By UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Jon Armstrong always looks forward to Fort Hays State University’s Student Recognition Programs (SRPs). But he is especially anticipating getting back on the road for the annual Tiger Road Show this year.
Armstrong, director of Admissions at FHSU, will join 30 to 40 university personnel on the month-long, 12-city series that recognizes high school and transfer students are interested in learning more about Fort Hays State. The SRPs tour is reverting to in-person events after pivoting to an online version last year.
“We are definitely ready to be back in person,” Armstrong said. “This is a way to have personal contact and start building relationships with our students and their parents.”
The SRPs, in their 34th year, span from one end of the state to the other – and beyond. FHSU also holds SRPs in Denver and Kearney, Neb. Local COVID-19 protocols for each location will be followed.
Armstrong said that registration numbers are steady this year, and he encourages all juniors and seniors in high school, as well as all prospective transfer students, to attend these free events. High school juniors, seniors, and transfer students have already been invited to SRPs in their areas.
There is still time for students and their families to sign up, if they haven’t already, by going to www.fhsu.edu/admissions/events/srp/hays-srp-registration.
The 2022 series will begin on Sunday, Jan. 30, in Garden City and Dodge City, and conclude in Denver on March 6. The local Hays SRP, in the university’s Memorial Union, is set for Feb. 20. Other SRP locations are Beloit, Kansas City area (Olathe), Topeka, Colby, Wichita, Salina, Great Bend, and Kearney, Neb. Time, date, and location for each event can be found at https://www.fhsu.edu/admissions/events/srp/.
Armstrong said he and his team learned a lot last year while transitioning to remote mode for the SRPs. His office received positive feedback with the switch, and plans are underway to furnish another virtual SRP option for other out-of-state students later in March. Nonetheless, Armstrong still favors the in-person format.
“Every student at each of the events are introduced personally, and it’s easier to speak one-on-one with them that way,” Armstrong said. “We hope that sends them a positive message that we care about them at Fort Hays State.”
Each of the 12 events will feature four scholarships with award levels ranging from $15,000 to $6,000 over four years, or $3,750 to $1,500 yearly. They are the $3,750 Tiger Pride Scholarship; the $2,750 Victor E. Scholarship; the $2,000 Black and Gold Scholarship; and the $1,500 Hays City Scholarship. These scholarships are not need-based, and there are no built-in award amount reduction for students who secure additional financial awards from other sources.
Fort Hays State’s enhanced scholarship program will include three levels of transfer scholarship awards, ranging from $500 to $1,500. These awards are based on the student’s cumulative GPA.
FHSU President Tisa Mason or another FHSU administrator will individually introduce all students attending each event. Those being awarded scholarships to Fort Hays State for the next academic year will be recognized. Other university officers, administrators, and faculty also attend the programs to answer questions and to visit with prospective students and their families and friends.
Pizza is served at each of the evening events, while the afternoon SRPs feature a dessert buffet. Students and their friends and families have the opportunity to mingle with FHSU faculty, staff, and administrators before and after the scholarship presentations.
Since its beginning in the 1988-89 year, Fort Hays State’s Scholarship Recognition Program – unique in higher education – has had the mission of recognizing all students interested in college, and their friends and families. Each SRP event features three drawings – one for a $600 book scholarship, one for a $1,000 tuition scholarship, and another for a laptop computer.