EOP
Definition of Eligibility
Economic Documentation | Educational Eligibility
Students supported by EOP allocations must meet minimum economic and educational eligibility criteria for admission. They must also have been residents of New York State for twelve months prior to their day of registration in college; are now a New York State resident who will be an undergraduate and who lived in New York State when they entered military service, Vista of the Peace Corps and reestablished New York State residence within six months after release from service.
The eligibility standards set forth apply only at the time of admission as a first-time freshman to a program. Once admitted, a student may continue to receive supportive services as needed, even if the family income rises above the current eligibility standards. However, a student’s economic status shall be reviewed under a recognized needs analysis system each year and appropriate adjustments made in the student’s financial aid package.
Each campus shall select its EOP students in accordance with the Educational Opportunity Program General Plan and Guidelines and its campus EOP general plan. Academic eligibility statements filed with the Office of Special Programs are used to determine whether admissions requirements have been met, and changes in those eligibility statements must be reported to the Office of Special Programs prior to their utilization.
Each campus is expected to give priority to applicants from families characterized by historical, educational, economic and cultural disadvantages, which implies that either the family has endured long-term economic deprivation or that the student represents a population segment underrepresented in higher education, or both. Families in this deprived status are generally characterized by inadequate schooling, little or no accumulation of assets and the inability to provide for more than the basic needs of family members.
Separation, divorce, or death of a wage earner in the calendar year prior to the academic year for which eligibility is being determined, and an accompanying decrease in family income below the EOP guidelines do not necessarily satisfy the historical disadvantages characteristically expected of EOP students. EOP Directors must approve these cases after review and recommendation by their financial aid office. The program director, in cooperation with the Director of Financial Aid, shall have the discretion of making a professional judgment as to whether a family is historically, economically and culturally disadvantaged in determining an applicant’s admissibility into EOP. There shall be no discrimination in admission decisions based on race, age, creed, religion, marital status, national origin, color, sex or disability.