Opportunity Programs and

College & Opportunity Programs Three college systems you can apply to after you graduate from high school: CUNY (City U. of NY) SUNY (State U. of NY) Private Schools Many students at these schools belong to an opportunity program like SEEK, EOP, or HEOP! Opportunity Programs help to increase your access to colleges and universities. Basically if your grades are not as high as a school normally requires for admission, biy you can demonstrate your ability to be successful academically, then an opportunity program would be a great way for you to apply. There is also a financial requirement but we will talk more about these specifics as we go through each opportunity program. CUNY- reference that we discussed CUNY in the forst presentation, there are 26 in total throughout the 5 boroughs and students will be able to apply to 6 using one application. SUNY- name some for the students…Binghamton, Albany, New Paltz, etc. Remind them we will be doing a SUNY presentation next. Private- Name some private schools the students might know, St.Johns, Columbia, NYU, LIU

Opportunity Programs CUNY = SEEK SUNY = EOP Private Schools = HEOP Each system has an opportunity program that will help you realize your potential and pay for your education CUNY = SEEK SUNY = EOP Private Schools = HEOP

SEEK PROGRAM (CUNY) The "Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge“ (SEEK), is a program funded by New York state for CUNY students. This program is designed to meet the needs of students who are considered economically disadvantaged and academically underprepared. Prospective students must indicate that they wish to be considered for the SEEK program on their CUNY admission application. In general, only entering freshman are considered for this program. The SEEK program is designed to meet the needs of students whose families might have a lower income and a student whose grades are not as high as they could be. This program is ONLY for incoming freshman so be sure to check the box for SEEK on your CUNY application because you will not be able to do so after you are accepted.

Do I qualify for SEEK financially? Offer a simple example using a 3 family household. Explain that to figure out if a student meets the financial requirements the program will consider how many people are in the household and how much money the family members who support the child are making. The chart breaks it down based on whether 1 or 2 people in the household are working. Use this box to estimate financial eligibility. You need to know your household income.

Do I qualify for SEEK academically? Is your GPA and SAT close to the mean in both categor-ies? Briefly go through one example, showing the difference in GPA and SAT requirements for the general admission vs. the SEEK admissions.

EOP Program (SUNY) The Educational Opportunity Program provides academic and financial support to New York State residents who do not meet general admission criteria, but have the academic potential to earn a college degree. Although each campus program is slightly different, all campuses participating in EOP offer tuition assistance, financial aid for room, board, books and expenses. Other services may include: tutoring services for students who need additional help with their courses (similar to MGI) personal, academic and career counseling to help students adjust to college life pre-freshman summer programs EOP programs offer you counseling and tutoring just like MGI. They also often have a summer program right before school starts so you can get comfortable on campus and meet new people/make friends before your classes start. There are 64 SUNY’s in total.

SUNY & EOP Do I qualify for EOP financially? Use this box to estimate financial eligibility. You need to know your household income. Briefly address once again that the requirements are based on the number of people in the household and the total income. Also important to note that these numbers/requirements are different from the SEEK and HEOP ones.

Do you qualify academically for EOP (SUNY)? Look at the schools that interest you. Is your GPA and SAT close to the mean (the middle 50%) in both categories? If so, you may qualify for EOP!!

HEOP Programs at Private Schools HEOP programs are similar to SEEK and EOP. They provide financial, academic, and social support to incoming students who are often the first in their family to attend college. Admissions criteria and financial criteria vary from school to school.

Your family’s income & demonstrated need Qualifying for HEOP Your family’s income & demonstrated need Your grades and SAT should be below the school’s admissions criteria NY State resident Number in household (including head of household) Total annual income from preceding calendar year 1 15,590 2 21,000 3 26,420 4 31,830 5 37,240 6 42,650 7 48,060

HEOP Schools in New York State

The Good If you are admitted into an opportunity program like SEEK, EOP, or HEOP, you will graduate without a lot of debt! You will receive funding for your textbooks and supplies, not just tuition You will receive tutoring support if you need help with academics You will receive counseling support if you have difficulty adjusting to school You will be part of a community of students who will support you and you may also be connected with alums who can help you find a job! Really emphasize that these programs have a lot of benefits!

Keep in Mind… Opportunity programs are SMALL – just because you meet the eligibility requirements, you may not be accepted. Hunter College, for example, accepts approximately 100 SEEK students a year. Some HEOP programs only accept 10 students a year. If you want to improve your chances, you must apply early – do not wait until January. Often, schools review applications on a rolling basis. When the spots are gone, they’re gone! Once you are admitted, you need to maintain a high GPA or else you will lose your funding. Stress the importance of applying early. Just because you qualify for a program does not mean you are guaranteed a seat as each school has limited spaces for their programs.

Your household income + number of people in your home determines your eligibility for all three programs. Use W2s and tax forms of parent/guardian. Just briefly explain that this is the box on their parents W-2 form which shows what their annual income was.

FOR MORE INFO: http://www.cuny.edu/academics/programs/notable/seekcd/seek-overview.html or Google SEEK and CUNY http://www.suny.edu/student/academic_eop.cfm Or Google EOP and SUNY HEOP and Private Colleges and Universities http://heop.org/