FAQ’s

What is the Educational Opportunity Fund program (EOF)?

The New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) provides financial assistance and comprehensive support services (e.g. counseling, tutoring, and developmental course work) to students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds who attend participating institutions of higher education in the state of New Jersey. Undergraduate grants are awarded annually depending on the type of institution and financial need. These grants are renewable based upon continued eligibility.

How do I apply for the EOF program at TCNJ?

Prospective students must complete the Common Application and check the box indicating interest in applying for EOF, which is found in the Supplemental School Form section of the Common Application.

Is there a deadline to apply for EOF?

In order to have time to review applications, we adhere to the February 1st deadline for TCNJ admissions. The FAFSA must also be submitted by February 15th.

To provide our Admissions team with adequate time to review EOF applications, you are strongly encouraged to apply by February 1st. EOF has limited funding and will not be able to accept additional students once funding is expended.

What will happen after I submit my application for EOF?

You will receive a confirmation email that your application has been received. The email  will provide instructions on how to access the TCNJ portal and provide required  documentation. As your application is being processed, we may request additional  information or ask follow-up questions. All applicants will first be reviewed for admission and merit award eligibility. After receiving student financial data and eligibility from the FAFSA, students will be assessed for need-based funding, such as the TCNJ EOF Promise Award and Commitment Grant Scholars award.

I have been admitted into the EOF program at another NJ college. Does that mean that I am automatically admitted into TCNJ’s EOF program?

No. While all EOF programs are required to follow the state guidelines regarding student’s financial eligibility, there are other factors such as academic preparation that varies across different programs. The number of students each program can admit depends on funding, so timing is another factor that can contribute to a student being eligible at one college and not another.

I will have my Associate’s Degree when I graduate from high school. Am I eligible for EOF at TCNJ?

Yes, you are eligible for EOF and the TCNJ EOF Promise Award if you earned an associate’s degree as part of a dual-enrollment program while in high school.

Students who earn an associate’s degree after graduating from high school are eligible for the EOF grant, but not the TCNJ EOF Promise Award and can apply to EOF as part of TCNJ’s EOF Plus program. Contact the EOF Department at 609-771-2280 and visit https://eof.tcnj.edu/eof-plus/ for more information regarding this opportunity.

Can I apply into the EOF program as a Transfer student?

Transfer students can apply to EOF as part of TCNJ’s EOF Plus program. Contact the EOF Department at 609-771-2280 and visit https://eof.tcnj.edu/eof-plus/ for more information regarding this opportunity.

I realize that I mistakenly applied for the EOF program or I am no longer interested in being considered for the program. How can I be removed from consideration?

All requests must be submitted in writing to Admissions at tcnjinfo@tcnj.edu. Please include your name, date of birth, and reasoning for withdrawing your application from EOF consideration.

Which documents are required to be considered for the EOF program?

To be considered for the TCNJ EOF program’s Promise Award, all applicants must submit verifiable income documentation (i.e. parents’ full U.S. tax returns, social security statement, disability statement, TANF, etc.) for the last two years, as indicated in the EOF Materialstab in your TCNJ Portal,a household verification worksheet, and a completed and processed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

I submitted my FAFSA. Can you pull the financial information from the FAFSA website or am I still required to submit the financial documentation requested?

No. All TCNJ EOF program applicants who want to be considered, must submit documentation of verifiable income to the institution. Please submit as soon as possible but no later than February 15th.

My parents did not work or file taxes for the requested tax years. What must I do to complete my application?

If your parents did not work or file taxes for the requested tax years, you must submit a Verification of Non-filing Letter from the IRS, which certifies that your parent has not or is not required to file taxes. A Verification of Non-filing Letter is required for each parent who didn’t file and for each year U.S. taxes were not filed. In addition to this, you may be asked to provide proof of additional sources of income, such as NJ Disability payments, Social Security, TANF, and other governmental benefits.

What are the financial qualifications to be eligible for EOF?

Please follow the link below to see the EOF income eligibility scale with asset cap calculation for the current year:

https://www.nj.gov/highereducation/EOF/EOF_Eligibility.shtml

If my custodial parent was an EOF student, does that mean I am automatically eligible for EOF?

No. Legacy status does not guarantee automatic acceptance into the EOF program.  Applicants must demonstrate historic educational and economic disadvantage.

What should I do if TCNJ requests additional documents to determine my eligibility?

TCNJ cannot make a determination until all required documents and materials are submitted. Please respond to inquiries and take the necessary steps as soon as possible to reduce any delays in processing your financial aid and TCNJ Promise Award eligibility. Please contact Admissions or the Office of Financial Assistance for additional information.

My custodial parent recently married or remarried. Whose financial information should I provide when completing my FAFSA and EOF application?

If you are considered a dependent student on the FAFSA and your custodial parent was married or remarried at the time of completing the FAFSA, then you must provide income info for both individuals. If your custodial parent was not married or remarried at the time of completing the FAFSA then you will only provide the custodial parent’s income information. Be mindful that we are requesting information pertaining to the income of the requested tax return years. Changes in family size/income may affect future EOF eligibility. If you need further assistance contact Admissions at 609-771-2131.

If my biological parent has a live-in partner/spouse who financially supports our household, which income information is required to complete my FAFSA and EOF application?

It is not necessary to provide U.S. tax information for your parents’ partner/spouse on the FAFSA. However, if your parents did not work during the requested tax years you must submit a Verification of Non-filing Letter from the IRS for each year your parents did not work. If your parents worked but did not file U.S. taxes, submit a Wage and Income Transcript from the IRS along with a Verification of Non-filing Letter for each year taxes were not filed. Be mindful that TCNJ’s Office of Student Financial Assistance may request information about the monetary support provided by your parent’s partner. In addition, EOF applicants are required to show proof of verifiable income. Having non-verifiable income is a reason for denial from EOF.

I currently live in New Jersey with a guardian or custodian, as my parents live outside of  the state of New Jersey. I believe I should be considered independent. What documentation should I submit?

Please contact Admissions for help with this. Our contact number is 609-771-2131.

What documentation should I provide if I am an Orphan or Ward of the Court or in a Legal  Guardianship?

If you are an orphan, you will need to provide your biological parent(s) death certificate. If you are a Ward of the Court, you would need to provide documentation from the NJ Department of Children and Family Services to support your status. If you are in a legal Guardianship then you must provide a copy of the Guardianship document.  Please be advised that “Custody Guardianship” does not meet the standard and therefore is not acceptable for Independent status as per the FAFSA. If you have questions regarding your status please contact Admissions at 609-771-2131 or via email at tcnjinfo@tcnj.edu. 

I am homeless or at risk of homelessness and cannot provide parental income information, but would like to be considered for EOF. Which documents should I submit to verify my status?

You must submit a letter from your School District Homelessness Liaison, Director of an Emergency Shelter, or the Director of a Runaway or Youth Shelter certifying that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or at risk of being homeless during the time of the requested tax years.

I have the income documentation required but no scanner. How can I submit income documentation online?

We understand that it can be quite challenging to submit documentation without access to a scanner. Thankfully, there are apps available that can help. We recommend the Adobe Scan App. It is free to download and can capture any document and convert it into a PDF. Once you are done capturing images of all your documents with the app, simply email them to yourself, download or save them to your drive and upload the documents on to the Application Portal. Be sure to capture, save and upload each tax year or required document individually so that you can easily locate and upload documents to your Application Portal.