Information for Prospective Students

Eligibility

To be considered for HEOP at Ithaca College an applicant must be a resident of the State of New York one year preceding his/her first term of entry and be a first-time college student who meets the following academic and economic criteria:

Academic

Possess a high school diploma or the equivalent GED

Apply to Ithaca College through the Office of Admissions and supply all documentation required to complete the application

Be initially inadmissible to the degree program applied for

Economic

Family’s household income must not exceed the economic guidelines set forth by the State Education Department for the calendar year prior to attending college; or

Must be a recipient or dependent of an individual(s) receiving 1) aid to dependent children; 2) home relief; 3) family day care payments through a New York State or County department of social services; or

Student lives with foster parents who do not provide economic support for college; or

Student is a Ward of the Court

How to Apply

Complete an Ithaca College application and be sure to check the HEOP candidate box. Applications are available through high school counselor offices or the Ithaca College Office of Admissions

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid

 

Eligibility for Transfer Students

Transfers from one of the following New York State programs – SEEK, College Discovery, EOP, and HEOP are also considered for IC’s HEOP program.

What is HEOP?

HEOP is a partnership between the State of New York and its independent colleges and universities which provides residents the possibility of a college education who would otherwise be excluded from higher education due to their academic and economic circumstances. What makes HEOP unique is that it serves students who would not normally be admissible to the colleges they attend. The success these students have depends on the academic and support services HEOP programs provide and the financial aid assistance that makes attending college a reality.

Support Services

HEOP students perform well academically at Ithaca College because of the outstanding academic and support services provided through HEOP. IC’s HEOP program is well regarded and respected by the State Education Department because of the innovative service offered to its program students.

HEOP offers a broad range of support services in order to enable students to not only earn an Ithaca College degree but also to prepare for their success beyond their undergraduate experience. Supportive services include:

• Academic Counseling
  First-year students meet with the HEOP counselor on a bi-weekly basis during their first academic year. These one-on-one sessions are geared toward providing students with on-going guidance, academic advising, and referrals to substantial campus resources in order to ensure their success. Using a case management philosophy, our services are designed to support the faculty advising process by investigating the student’s curriculum and career choice, discussing classes, grades, and study strategies, as well as aiding in the transition to the College’s cultural and academic environment.
  
  Academic counseling continues throughout the student’s tenure at Ithaca College. Sophomore students meet monthly with the HEOP counselor, and juniors and seniors meet monthly with the HEOP director in order to make the most of their Ithaca College experience. Sessions often focus on career goals, preparing for graduate or professional school, obtaining internships on or off campus, seeking out volunteer opportunities, and job shadowing experiences. During these years students are also informed about academic/study abroad opportunities in order to broaden their college experience.
  
• Pre-freshman Summer Institute
  HEOP students are required to participate and attend the three-week session as mandated by the State Education Department.
  
  Our three-week pre-freshman summer institute provides a valuable and exciting preview of coursework at Ithaca College. Incoming first-year students meet and work with one another as they adjust to the expectations of higher education.
  
  The institute offers noncredit enrichment courses as well as academic success strategies. Besides an interdisciplinary academic experience, the program provides career-related, cultural, social and recreational activities on the campus and in the Ithaca community.
  
• Tutorial Services
  The availability of meeting one-one-one with the program’s Academic Consultants also plays a significant role in ensuring success for HEOP students. Tutorials are offered in many general education courses including writing, math, Spanish, chemistry, biology, economics, communications, and study strategies. ESOL tutoring is also available for students who are not native English speakers.
  
  All first-year HEOP students have a consultation with the program’s study strategies specialist early in their first semester. This initial meeting is used to provide assessment about where the student is currently at in their academic career and what kinds of additional support they may need.

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