State financial assistance program welcomed at SCCC

NEWTON — In what will surely boost efforts to help financially challenged students attending Sussex County Community College (SCCC), the College was recently awarded The New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program by the NJ State EOF Board of Trustees. This program will allow many students who fall under a certain threshold for income to attend college with much needed assistance and support services.
The New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund provides financial assistance and support services (e.g. counseling, tutoring, and developmental course work) to students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds who attend institutions of higher education in the State of New Jersey. Undergraduate grants range from $200 annually to $2,500 annually depending on the type of institution and financial need. These grants are renewable based upon continued eligibility.
"We are very excited to be a part of the NJ EOF Program," said Diane Pienta-Lett, Director of Financial Aid at SCCC. "Access to this program will allow SCCC to recruit and enroll a highly motivated and ethnically diverse student body who would otherwise face significant challenges to obtaining a college degree. Qualified Sussex County students will have access to extensive support services in the areas of academic and personal counseling as well as additional financial support. We look forward to selecting our first incoming class of approximately 50 students in the upcoming months."
Forty-one of New Jersey’s community colleges and public and private four-year colleges and universities participate in the EOF program. However, the actual number of available spaces at each college or university is limited. Because EOF is a campus-based program, each campus is responsible for student recruitment, selection, program services, and its own specific criteria for EOF admission and program participation.
Undergraduate Eligibility includes:
1. Must demonstrate an educationally and economically disadvantaged background
2. Must be a New Jersey resident 12 consecutive months prior to receiving the award
3. Must apply and be accepted to a participating New Jersey college or university
4. Must meet the academic criteria as set by the institution of choice
5. Must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
6. Gross Income must fall within a targeted criteria.
For more information about this program, to see if you qualify and how best to apply, contact Jan Jones, at 973.300.2346 or email jjones@sussex.edu. To speak with financial aid contact, Diane Pienta-Lett, at 973-300-2226 or by email, dpienta-lett@sussex.edu.