Senior Time-line Checklist 2025-2026 (PDF) What’s coming up!
SchooLinks-career & college information.
All seniors are required to activate and complete their SchooLinks account to begin exploring career & colleges opportunities. If you are applying to any college, you must add the college in SchooLinks so we can send your transcript. Check your Canvas course titled Class of 2026 for “How to” for many questions related to SchooLinks.
College Information-info we receive from colleges each week.
- Northeast Community College-see website for visit days. https://northeast.edu/campus-visit/
- Southeast Community College-Lincoln! Campus Visits, Discovery Days, Healthcare Day, Technology Day and more. See website for complete details and registration: https://www.southeast.edu/admissions/visit-scc/index.php
- University of Nebraska-Kearney
- Campus Tours, Visit UNK, Special Events: https://www.unk.edu/visit Select Special Events for Health Science, Pre-Law & Teacher Education Days.
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- January 14, 2026-Housing Application, Roommate Finder, Learning Community application and Themed Community opt-in process opens in MyRed for those who have paid or deferred enrollment deposit. https://admissions.unl.edu/apply/first-year-dates-deadlines/
- Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture Discovery Days-explore the college of Technical Agriculture, participate in interactive classrooms, tours, opportunity t6o apply and learn about financial aid. See site for details and registration: ncta.unl.edu/discovery-days
- University of Nebraska-Omaha
- Downey Scholarship Program for mathematics majors at UNO. Covers housing, fees and materials, academic & professional mentor, renewable up to 4 years. Minimum ACT score 30 and 3.5 gpa. Downey Scholarship-Math majors-UNO
- University of South Dakota-see link for visit days, undergraduate programs, admissions, scholarships and more. https://www.usd.edu/
- Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation Scholarship: Must show financial need but need not be Pell Grant eligible to qualify. Plan to attend a Nebraska public college (Community College, State College, University System). Must have a 2.0 or above GPA. Requirements for the online application: Application Form, One Recommendation, FAFSA Document, High School Transcript, Short Answers, Consent Form. Application Deadline: February 1, 2026, before 5:00 pm CST – no last applications are accepted. FAFSA Submission must be submitted by March 11, 2026, before 5:00 p.m. CT. Scholarship website: Susan Buffett. See SchooLinks for more information.
Career Information
College Scholarship Information
Locate scholarship opportunities in your SchooLinks account. In the right-hand column, select College and then Scholarship Matching. See below for a sampling of a few available scholarships.
- Nitro Scholarship: Any senior enrolling in college for the fall of 2026 is eligible. This is a monthly drawing. Simple fill out the short application each month. See SchooLinks or website for more information. Upcoming deadlines: 11/30/2025 and 12/31/2025. Be watching after Christmas for the 2026 deadlines.
- Lamber-Goodnow Education Scholarship: Awards two $1,000 scholarships. Submit a 500- to 750-word essay telling how you are driven to innovate, how you plan to influence progress on any level in any space, or how you have already affected positive change with creative thinking. See SchooLinks or website for examples and more information. Deadline: 12/1/2025
- Lamber-Goodnow Nursing Scholarship: Award amount, $1,000. Write a 500 to 750-word essay on what drives you and why you want to go to nursing school. See SchooLinks or website for more information and to apply. Deadline: 12/1/2025
- Wayne State College Art & Design Scholarship: Designed to help students in the Art & Design programs at Wayne State College. Scholarship Levels: $33,000 over four years, covering tuition, fees, room, and board or $2,00 – $15,000 per year, depending on the student’s financial need and eligibility. See SchooLinks or website for more information. Deadline: 12/1/2025
- Hagan Scholarship: Multiple $60,000 scholarships awarded. Must have 3.5 GPA or above and enrolling in a four-year college or university this upcoming fall semester. Must work 240 hours from January 1 – September 1 prior to the start of the fall semester of each academic year. Based on financial need. See SchooLinks or website for more information. Deadline: 12/1/2025
- Lamber-Goodnow Nursing Scholarship: $1,000 scholarship. Requires a 500-750 word essay on what drives you and why you want to go to nursing school. See SchooLinks or website for more information. Deadline: 12/1/2025
- ACE (Access College Early) Scholarship: Pays tuition and mandatory fees for qualified, low-income high school students to enroll in college courses from Nebraska colleges or universities, either through dual enrollment or early enrollment agreements with these institutions. To qualify, the student or student’s family must be approved to participate in one of the federal need-based government programs, have experienced an extreme hardship that affects family income, or is participating in a designated Career Education program as established by the Nebraska Department of Education. Deadline for Fall term classes: December 15, 2025. See SchooLinks for more information.
- Freedom Fighters Scholarship – Benedictine College: The program serves to close equity gaps for historically marginalized student populations, including students who identify as of color, students who are first-generation in college, students from economically under-resourced families or communities. Program highlights: Full-tuition scholarship (renewable for 4 years), Summer Program in Atchison, KS, providing tutoring & mentoring for public school students, personal interactions with distinguished guest speakers who are exceptional leaders in their fields, professional development & networking opportunities, courses in African American History, Leadership, and seminar on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. See SchooLinks or website for more information. Deadline: 12/15/2025
- Burger King Scholars Program: Scholarship grants range from $5,000 to $60,000 and are intended to help students offset the cost of attending college or post-secondary vocational/technical school. Recipients are selected based on their GPA, work experience, extracurricular activities, and/or community service. See SchooLinks or website for more information. Deadline: 12/16/2025
- Walter Scott, Jr. Scholarship – UNO (Scott Scolars): Award up to $36,000. Scott Scholars is the most prestigious scholarship extended by the University of Nebraska System. Exclusively available to students studying STEM disciplines, the scholarship provides complete funding for an undergraduate college experience that includes tuition, room and board, and whole-person learning opportunities. Submit early as applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with limited spots in our final applicant pool! See website or SchooLinks for more information and to apply. Deadline: 12/29/2025
- Elks Scholarships-State & National-National-Legacy–deadline February 2, 2026, and Elks State of Nebraska Vocational & Past Exalted Ruler’s Scholarships-deadline February 15, 2026. See SchooLinks or website for specific details. https://nebraskaelks.org/scholarships.php
FAFSA Information-Free Application for Federal Student Aid-How will I pay for college?
- FAFSA is OPEN. APPLY EARLY! Need help with FAFSA? First, create an account early at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch. Creating an account early allows you to get your id number so when FAFSA opens in the fall, you are ready to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASA) for the 26-27 school year. Both the students AND the parent need their own FAFSA ID. Go to https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa to file a free application for federal student aid. Need help? Contact EducationQuest, located in Lincoln, NE for answers to FAFSA questions. https://educationquest.org/pay/applying-for-financial-aid/.
Dual Credit Course Information
- ACE Scholarship-The Access College Early (ACE) Scholarship pays tuition and mandatory fees for qualified, low-income high school students to enroll in college courses from Nebraska colleges or universities, either through dual-enrollment or early enrollment agreements with these institutions. See link for details and online application. https://ccpe.nebraska.gov/access-college-early-ace-scholarship-program
Graduation Information
- NOTE ON GRADUATION – NO ONE WILL GO THROUGH THE GRADUATION CEREMONY UNLESS THEY HAVE ACTUALLY GRADUATED WITH ENOUGH CREDIT HOURS (230), PASSED REQUIRED CLASSES, ATTENDED 4 FAITH RETREATS, AND COMPLETED 36 HOURS OF SERVICE
- Graduation for the Class of 2026 is Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 1:30pm at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Parents will receive an email in March regarding graduation, senior-parent mass & breakfast, post-graduation party for seniors and more.
Senior Service Information
- Please see Pius website for all requirements for senior service. Pius X Senior Service Hour Program 2026 | Lincoln Pius X Catholic High School or contact Mrs. Roberts at victoria-roberts@cdolinc.net.
ACT Testing and ACT Prep Information
- For information on the ACT, go to https://www.act.org. The site has information regarding testing dates and testing preparation. If a student receives free or reduced lunch, please stop in the Counseling Center to get a fee waiver.
For Pius Tuition: Scholarships, Good Shepherd Scholarship, Opportunity Scholarships
- See scholarship site on Pius website https://www.piusx.net/foundation/scholarships or email Sophia Werning at sophia-werning@cdolinc.net for Pius tuition scholarship information.