College Opportunity Programs
EOP, SEEK, HEOP, Questbridge

SUNY- Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)
ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible for admission to EOP you must be:

• A New York State resident for 12 months prior to enrollment;
• Require special admissions consideration; and
• Qualify as economically disadvantaged according to the guidelines. In selecting students for the program, priority is given to applicants from historically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Income Guidelines for the 2016- 2017 Guidelines can be found HERE
EOP Profiles for each SUNY school can be found HERE

CUNY- Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge (SEEK)
Eligibility:

• be a legal resident of New York State for at least one year prior to entering college;
• be a high school graduate or recipient of a state-approved equivalency diploma;
• be a first-time freshman or previously enrolled in an HEOP or EOP program;
• have a gross family income that meets the New York State guidelines;
• be inadmissible according to the freshman admissions criteria established for the CUNY senior college you want to attend.

SEEK Fact Sheet can be found HERE

PRIVATE (New York)- Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)
What is HEOP?
The Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) provides supportive services and financial aid to New York State residents attending independent colleges and universities in New York State.
Who is Eligible?

• Have been a resident of New York State for one year preceding your term of entry into HEOP.
• Possess a high school diploma or a State-approved equivalency diploma 
• Be educationally disadvantaged. An educationally disadvantaged student is a student who otherwise would not be accepted as a matriculated student under the institution's normal admissions standards in the degree program for which application is made.
• At open admissions institutions, an educationally disadvantaged student must meet one of the following criteria: Meet other acceptable academic criteria, which differentiate the HEOP student from regularly admitted students (e.g., lower test scores, lower GED scores).
• Have the potential and motivation for successful completion of college.
• Be economically disadvantaged.

Questbridge: MUST APPLY JUNIOR YEAR
QuestBridge is a non-profit program that helps high-achieving, low-income students gain admission and scholarships to 39 of the country’s top-ranked colleges. QuestBridge does this by partnering with these schools to identify and support students who otherwise may not apply to leading colleges. We administer a unique application that focuses on the achievements and academic success of students who face economic challenges, and help to guide applicants through the college admissions process. Our college partners ultimately decide which students to admit, and they provide the scholarships, not QuestBridge.
ELIGIBILITY

• We seek students who have demonstrated a level of academic achievement that meets or exceeds the admissions standards of our colleges. (TOP % OF CLASS, SAT or PSAT scores > 1270)

• Finalists typically come from households earning less than $65,000 annually for a family of four, and often less. This is not a strict cut-off and we encourage students who feel they have faced significant financial hardship to review these financial details carefully to see if they may qualify.
• Personal Circumstance- Parents' level of education: 71% of Finalists are among the first generation in their family to attend a U.S. four-year college.
  • Extenuating circumstances: If students have an unusual level of responsibility, such as part-time jobs to help their parents pay the bills, or caring for siblings if their parents are absent or at work.

For more information on the application process and Questbridge facts, click HERE
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