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NOTE TO EDITORS: Media representatives are welcome to attend to learn more about the educational opportunities FHSU provides to its students and to meet parents, students and members of FHSU's faculty, staff and administration.

HAYS, Kan. -- This year's edition of Fort Hays State University's annual 13-city, two-month Student Recognition Program will begin in Garden City and Dodge City on Jan. 15, swing into Colorado and Nebraska, and end in Colby on March 5. The highlight at each event is the recognition of scholarship winners.

High school juniors and seniors and transfer students in Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado have been invited to SRPs in their areas. The programs are held in communities across Kansas, in southern Nebraska and in Denver to accommodate area students and their parents and guardians.

Any student who lives outside the designated SRP areas (listed in the schedule at the end of this news release) is welcome to attend the nearest SRP but must RSVP by calling 1-800-628-FHSU (3478) or 785-628-5666 or by signing up online at www.fhsu.edu/admissions/srp

Receptions hosted by FHSU alumni in each locale include dessert or pizza buffets provided by the FHSU Alumni Association. Students and their parents have the opportunity to mingle with FHSU faculty, staff and administrators and with area FHSU alumni before and after the scholarship presentations.

Many high school seniors and transfer students will receive certificates for a variety of scholarships awarded to them by FHSU.

FHSU alumni and other interested community members are also encouraged to attend.

Scholarships to be awarded at this event include the $1,200 Miller Black and Gold Academic Award and the $800 Hays City Silver Academic Award. Both are renewable provided students maintain the minimum required academic standing. Also to be awarded are the $2,000 Presidential Scholarship, the $700 Fort Hays Bronze Academic Award and the $500 Copper Academic Award, all of which are one-time scholarships awarded only to incoming freshmen enrolling in college for the first time. Also awarded are the $1,000 Transfer Student Scholarship, which is also a one-time award.

Students can also receive $500 or $900 Academic Opportunity Awards, given to scholars by individual academic departments.

Each SRP event features a multimedia presentation by FHSU President Edward H. Hammond and two drawings -- one for a $400 FHSU Student Recognition Program Scholarship and another for a laptop computer. Four $400 SRP scholarships will be awarded at the reception in Hays.

The SRP schedule that follows includes the area served at each program site.

Garden City, 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, at the Clarion Hotel and Convention Center, 1911 E. Kansas Ave. Dessert will be served. The RSVP deadline is Jan. 11.

Garden City serves students from 13 southwest Kansas counties and four southeast Colorado counties: Greeley, Wichita, Scott, Lane, Hamilton, Kearny, Finney, Stanton, Grant, Haskell, Morton, Stevens and Seward in Kansas; and Baca, Bent, Kiowa and Prowers in Colorado.

Dodge City, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, at Dodge City High School, 2201 W. Ross Road. Pizza will be served. The RSVP deadline is Jan. 11.

The Dodge City SRP serves eight counties -- Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ford, Gray, Hodgeman, Kiowa and Meade -- and Ness City in Ness County.

Overland Park, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Doubletree Hotel, 10100 College Blvd. Dessert will be served. The RSVP deadline is Jan. 25.

The Overland Park SRP serves students from 12 eastern Kansas counties: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami and Wyandotte.

Topeka, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Ramada Inn, 420 SE Sixth Ave. Dessert will be served. The RSVP deadline is Jan. 25.

Topeka serves students from 13 counties: Brown, Coffey, Geary, Jackson, Lyon, Marshall, Morris, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee and Wabaunsee.

Holdrege, Neb., 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, at The Tassel, 1324 Tilden St. Pizza will be served. The RSVP deadline is Jan. 26.

Students from 14 Nebraska counties are invited to Holdrege: Adams, Buffalo, Dawson, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Gosper, Hall, Harlan, Kearney, Lincoln, Phelps, Red Willow and Webster.

Hays, 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6, at FHSU's Memorial Union, 700 College Drive. Dessert will be served. The RSVP deadline is Feb. 2.

The Hays SRP serves students from Ellis and Trego counties and from the cities of La Crosse in Rush County; Natoma in Osborne County; Plainville in Rooks County; and Ransom in Ness County.

Phillipsburg, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at the Huck Boyd Community Center, 860 Park St. Dessert will be served. The RSVP deadline is Feb. 6.

Students invited for this SRP are from Norton, Phillips, Smith and Graham counties and from the cities of Stockton and Palco in Rooks County.

Beloit, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at North Central Kansas Technical College, 3033 U.S. 24 Highway, in Severance Student Union. Pizza will be served. The RSVP deadline is Feb. 13.

The Beloit SRP is for students from the Kansas counties of Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Republic and Washington and from the cities of Osborne and Downs in Osborne County. Students from the Nebraska counties of Clay, Jefferson, Nuckolls and Thayer are also invited.

Wichita, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19, at Hilton Wichita Airport, 2098 Airport Road. Dessert will be served. The RSVP deadline is Feb. 15.

The Wichita SRP serves students from 19 south-central and southeast Kansas counties: Barber, Butler, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Reno, Sedgwick, Sumner, Wilson and Woodson.

Salina, 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 19, at Lakewood Middle School, 1135 E. Lakewood Circle. Dessert will be served. The RSVP deadline is Feb. 15.

Students from eight counties are invited to Salina: Chase, Clay, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Marion, McPherson, Ottawa and Saline.

Great Bend, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20, at the Highland Hotel, 3017 W. 10th St. Dessert will be served. The RSVP deadline is Feb. 16.

Students invited to the Great Bend SRP are from Barton, Pawnee, Pratt, Rice, Russell and Stafford counties and from Bison and Otis in Rush County.

Denver, Colo., 1:30 p.m. Mountain time Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Doubletree by Hilton, 3203 Quebec St. Dessert will be served. The RSVP deadline is Feb. 22.

The Denver SRP serves students from all Colorado counties except for Bent, Baca, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Kit Carson and Prowers counties, which are served by SRP programs in Colby and Garden City.

Colby, 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 5, at Colby Senior High School, 1890 S. Franklin. Pizza will be served. The RSVP deadline is March 1.

Students from nine Kansas counties, two Colorado counties and four Nebraska counties are invited to the Colby SRP: Cheyenne, Decatur, Gove, Logan, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas and Wallace in Kansas; Cheyenne and Kit Carson in Colorado; and Chase, Dundy, Hayes and Hitchcock counties in Nebraska.