HEOP - Eligibility Information

The Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for HEOP at Utica College, there are established economic and academic requirements that need to be met. These guidelines have been developed by the State Education Department and are as follows:

General Requirements

1. Be a high school graduate or possess a state-approved equivalency diploma or its equivalent;
    
2. Be a resident of New York State for at least one year prior to enrollment in HEOP;
    
3. Meet both academic and economic guidelines as defined in the following sections.

Academic Requirements

1. A student's academic profile, including high school grades, standardized testing scores and academic history would indicate that he/she would be non-admissible under Utica College’s regular admissions standards;
    
2. A student demonstrates potential for successful completion of the Undergraduate program for which he/she is applying. 
    

Basic Criteria	Traditional Student	Allied Health	HEOP Student
High School Average	87 or 3.1*	90 or 3.5	79 – 86 or 2.0 –2.4*
SAT Mathematics	530	610	400
SAT Critical Reading	540	630	420
SAT Writing	540	640	420
SAT Composite Score	1610	1880	1240
ACT Composite Score	23	27	16
Class Rank	Not applicable**	Not applicable**	Not applicable**

*Based on a 100 or 4.0 scale.
** Each student will be reviewed on an individual basis**

Economic Requirements

1. To be considered, the applicant must meet the economic criteria established by the New York State Education Department; all income must be verified by appropriate documentation.
    
2. Reference to the economic guidelines need not be made if the applicant falls into one of the following categories, and documentation is available:
   
   a.) The student or his/her family is a recipient of payment through a New York State County Department of Social Services;
   
   b.) The student is living with foster parents who do not provide support for college, and no financial assistance is provided by the natural parents;
   
   c.) The student is a ward of the state or county.

Economic Eligibility for First-Time Students

All economic eligibility criteria apply to the calendar year prior to the academic year of first entry to college. For 2010-11, it is the 2009 calendar year. A student is considered economically disadvantaged if he or she is a member of:

• a household supported by one parent if dependent, by the student or by a spouse if independent, whose total annual income is not more than the applicable amount listed in the table below; or
   
• a household supported solely by one member thereof who works for two or more employers with a total annual income which does not exceed the applicable amount set forth in the following table by more than $2,790; or
   
• a household supported by more than one worker (parents if dependent, student and spouse if independent) in which the total annual income does not exceed the applicable amount listed in the table below by more than $5,570; or
   
• a household supported by one worker (parent if dependent, student if independent) who is the sole support of a one-parent family in which the total annual income does not exceed the applicable amount listed in the table below by more than $5,570. 

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, as defined in subdivision 6 of this section, supporting the student.

For students first entering college between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011:

Number of Members in Household (incl. head of household)	Total Annual Income in Preceding Calendar Year
1	$16,060
2	$21,630
3	$27,210
4	$32,790
5	$38,360
6	$43,960
7 or more	$49,500 plus $5,570 for each family member in excess of 7

Back