De Anza’s EOPS Program helps students succeed
February 3, 2016
If you want to save money on textbooks and fees, interested in academic advice and priority enrollment, the EOPS Program is likely a one-stop shop to all your needs.
“Our mission is to serve economically disadvantaged students to be successful in achieving their academic goals with textbook costs, counseling and financial aid registration,” EOPS Program Director George Robles said.
Amy Lin, accounting major, said the EOPS program helped her to take the right classes with priority enrollment and improved the educational process for her.
“Now I am more focused than before,” she said.
Lin encouraged all eligible students to apply for the program.
Eligibility criteria includes full-time enrollment, California residency. The student also should complete fewer than 105-degree applicable units and be educationally and financially disadvantaged.
There are two methods for students to be considered financially disadvantaged. Method A means the student should be receiving General Assistance or SSI benefits and Method B applies to single students whose income is below $17,505.
Since its inception in 1969, the EOPS Program at De Anza College has aided with the transfer of numerous students.
“In the previous five years, 150 students [using the program] have transferred to four-year universities in the UC and CSU systems,” Robles said.
Robles said that enrollment into the program has steadily grown.
“This Winter Quarter, 720 students applied and we anticipate another increase of 830 students in the upcoming Spring Quarter,” he said.
Getting into the EOPS Program is not as tough as you might think. Students can visit the EOPS office, located at the lower level of the Campus Center across from the coffee shop, to find out if they are eligible.
“The expectations we require of students enrolled in EOPS are that they have an academic plan, make an appointment to meet with academic counselors and to maintain a 2.0 GPA,” Robles said. “However, if the student cannot maintain this GPA, they should meet with an academic counselor, and an exception can be made to secure their success.”