The Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) graduate program provides financial assistance and academic support for a small, select number of students. The objective of the program is to increase participation in graduate and professional study by New Jersey residents from backgrounds of historical economic disadvantage.
Because funding is limited, students who received an EOF grant as an undergraduate (at Monmouth or any other New Jersey college or university) will be given priority consideration for a graduate EOF graduate grant. They are presumed to have met the financial eligibility criteria for graduate EOF funding as long as they continue to demonstrate financial need according to federal methodology and meet all other eligibility criteria for the award. Students who did not receive EOF funding as an undergraduate are also eligible for consideration.
Graduate EOF Eligibility Requirements:
- Must demonstrate an educationally and economically disadvantaged background
- Must be a New Jersey resident for 12 consecutive months prior to receiving the award
- Must be a full-time graduate student (9 or more credits per semester)
- Must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application
- Must meet the income eligibility criteria
- Must be enrolled in a degree or certificate program with a minimum requirement of 24 equivalent semester hours and be at least one academic year in duration.
- May not owe a refund on a grant or scholarship from any state or federal program or be in default on any state or federal loan
Graduate EOF grants at Monmouth range from $200 to $3,400 annually and are renewable provided that the student continues to meet the eligibility criteria. Individual award amounts are determined by the EOF Director, in conjunction with the Assistant Director of Financial Aid.
Interested students should contact the EOF Office at 732-571-3462 or by email at eof@monmouth.edu for additional information. It is important to note that students may only apply if they have not already received a graduate or professional degree at the same level of study for which they are intending to apply, and they cannot apply for an initial graduate grant in their last semester of enrollment in the graduate program.