The Higher Education Opportunity Program is a comprehensive academic support service program designed for New York State residents who have not had educational opportunities which prepared them for college and who meet the income guidelines established by the Board of Regents.

HEOP students receive a broad range of innovative support services, including participation in a 6-week pre-freshman summer program, academic, personal and career counseling, individual and small group tutoring, leadership training and student development workshops. HEOP students are expected to live on campus unless the student is above the traditional age and/or is married or has dependents.

The HEOP program is jointly sponsored by the College and the New York State Higher Education Opportunity Program. Students are admitted without regard to age, gender, race or creed.

Students must apply for financial aid and there is no direct cost to the student for tuition or room and board during the six-week residential program.

Academic Advisement and Counseling- The HEOP professional staff provides individual counseling to students on academic, personal, career and financial matters.

Skill Preparation and Tutoring- Individual and group tutoring is available through The Academic Learning Center at no cost to HEOP students. HEOP students are required to take skill building courses like Self Management:Theory and Application, Career Planning and Decision Making and Employment Practicum.

Assistance is also available for students who might have some need of support in English as a Second Language.

Student Development Workshops/Meetings- As members of the HEOP program students are required to attend skill building workshops and informational meetings. Workshops are offered on a variety of topics, money management, issues related to academic and career development, alumni networking and personal empowerment have been offered in the past.

Funding permitting, the above-mentioned support services are available for HEOP students for up to five years of full-time study.

FINANCIAL AID

HEOP students are required to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Information from this form will be submitted to New York State to calculate what you will be eligible for from the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). In order to receive a financial aid package each year of attendance at Marist College you will need to complete this process. Once the family contribution is established, the remaining need will be met with a Federal PELL Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal College Workstudy Program, New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), HEOP funds and a Marist College scholarship, The Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship. The Federal Stafford Student Loan is available to assist students in fulfilling a part of their educational expenses at the College. Financial Aid is available for HEOP students for up to five years of full-time study and is contingent upon State funding.

HEOP CRITERIA

You may be eligible to enroll in the HEOP Program if

• You have been a resident of New York State for one year preceding your term of entry into HEOP.
• Possess a New York high school diploma or its equivalent.
• Be a high school graduate who has not taken college courses for credit.
• Be inadmissible to Marist College under regular admission guidelines.
• Demonstrate the academic potential for satisfactory completion of a degree program.
• Your total household income falls within the economic guidelines established by the New York State Education Department (see economic chart provided).
  OR
• You are a transfer student from an HEOP, EOP, College Discovery or SEEK Program and had been a NYS resident prior to entering college the first time.

ECONOMIC GUIDELINES

For students first entering college between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009 the following criteria apply. Look under Column A if you are a member of a household supported by one member thereof with a total annual income which does not exceed the applicable amount for the number of people in your household. Look under Column B if you are a member of a household supported solely by one member thereof who works for two or more employers. Or Column C if you are a member of a household supported by more than one worker or a household in which one worker is the sole support of a one-parent family. For the purpose of this subdivision, the number of members of a household shall be determined by ascertaining the number of individuals living in the student’s residence who are economically dependent on the income.

A student is considered automatically economically eligible if s/he falls into one of the following categories, and documentation is available

• The student's family is the recipient of family assistance program, or safety net assistance through the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance or a county department of social services; or is the recipient of family day-care payments through the New York State Office of Children and Family Assistance or a county department of social services;
  
• The student is living with foster parents who do not provide support for college and, money is not provided from the natural parents; or
  
• The student is a ward of the State or a county.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply to Marist College's HEOP Program, you must submit the following

1. A Marist College application for admission with "HEOP" stamped or written in the upper right-hand corner. [Please note: There are three different application forms for Marist admissions; General, Transfer and Adult (22 years and older)].
2. Official high school transcript or General Equivalency Diploma (GED). If you are a transfer student we will need official academic transcripts from any institution of higher learning you attended.
3. Two letters of recommendation, preferably from current teachers.
4. A personal statement explaining how an education will help you achieve your future goals, or describe an event that has had an impact on your academic and/or personal development.
5. Official score reports of the SAT, ACT or TOEFL exam. This information is not necessary for transfer students unless requested.
6. A signed copy of your/your parent's/guardian's Federal Income Tax Return (Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ) AND/OR a letter of documentation from Social Services or the Social Security Administration.
7. Copies of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
8. If you are a transfer student, we will need Financial Aid transcripts from all institutions you attended.
9. Transfer students need to submit a Transfer Eligibility Form from all institutions attended in the past to verify that you were previously enrolled in an opportunity program. This form is available through the Marist College HEOP Office.