New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund

Scholarship Sponsored by Office of the Secretary of Higher Education

Overview
The New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) offers financial aid plus supportive services — for example, counseling, tutoring, and developmental coursework — to students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds who enroll at participating higher education institutions in New Jersey. Undergraduate EOF awards vary from $200 to $3,050 per year depending on the institution attended and demonstrated financial need. Awards are renewable so long as a student maintains eligibility.

Participating institutions and campus-based delivery
Forty-two colleges and universities across New Jersey take part in the EOF program. Because EOF is administered on each campus, the number of slots available at any institution is limited. Individual campus EOF programs handle recruitment, selection, delivery of services, and set their own admission and participation requirements. For campus contact details, refer to the listings for Public Research Universities, State Colleges and Universities, Community Colleges, and Independent Colleges and Universities and their campus programs.

Applying / Program contact
Admission into EOF is managed by the campus program. Prospective applicants should contact the EOF Campus Program Director at the institution they plan to attend to learn about that campus’s specific eligibility standards and application procedures.

Undergraduate eligibility (summary)
To be considered for an undergraduate EOF grant an applicant must:
1. Demonstrate both educational and economic disadvantage.
2. Have been a New Jersey resident for at least 12 consecutive months before receiving the award.
3. Apply to and be accepted by a participating New Jersey college or university.
4. Satisfy the academic requirements established by the chosen institution.
5. File either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application.
6. Have gross income and assets within the thresholds shown in the EOF online income/asset table.

Graduate EOF program and awards
EOF also operates a small graduate grant program intended to increase participation in graduate and professional programs by New Jersey residents from historically impoverished backgrounds. Priority consideration for graduate EOF funding is given to students who previously received EOF as undergraduates; such students are generally presumed to meet the graduate financial eligibility if they continue to demonstrate need. Graduate grants range from $200 up to $4,900 annually, varying by institution type and need, and are renewable subject to continued eligibility.

Graduate eligibility (summary)
To qualify for a graduate EOF grant an applicant must:
1. Demonstrate an educationally and economically disadvantaged background.
2. Have been a New Jersey resident for 12 consecutive months prior to receiving the award.
3. Apply to and be accepted by a participating New Jersey college or university.
4. Be enrolled full-time as defined by the institution.
5. Meet the financial eligibility standards described in the undergraduate section above.
6. Be enrolled in a degree or certificate program that requires at least 24 equivalent semester hours and spans a minimum of one academic year.

If you need the campus program contact list or the online income/asset table referenced above, contact your intended institution’s EOF office or visit the EOF campus program pages.