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U.S. Department of Education

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- What is the purpose of the EOC program?
- What kinds of activities can be supported with grant funds?
- How often are competitions generally held?
- What is the duration of the average grant?
- What is the average annual grant amount? 
- Is there a cost matching requirement?  If so, are in-kind contributions acceptable as part of the grantee’s match?
- What are the reporting requirements for grantees?  What kind of records and data should be maintained or collected in order to complete required reports?
- What are the requirements for auditing and/or evaluation of funded projects? 
- Are there program-wide performance measures?
- What are a few concrete examples of allowable activities?

The purpose of the Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) Program is to provide information regarding financial and academic assistance available to individuals who desire to pursue a program of postsecondary education; provide assistance to individuals in applying for admission to institutions that offer programs of postsecondary education, including assistance in preparing necessary applications for use by admissions and financial aid officers; and provide information regarding financial and economic literacy to participants.

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An Educational Opportunity Centers project may provide the following services:

- Public information campaigns designed to inform the community about opportunities for postsecondary education and training;
- Academic advice and assistance in course selection;
- Assistance in completing college admission and financial aid applications;
- Assistance in preparing for college entrance examinations;
- Education or counseling services designed to improve the financial and economic literacy of participants;
- Guidance on secondary school reentry or entry to a General Educational Development (GED) program or other alternative education program for secondary school dropouts;
- Individualized personal, career, and academic counseling;
- Tutorial services;
- Career workshops and counseling;
- Mentoring programs involving elementary or secondary school teachers, faculty members at institutions of higher education, students, or any combination of these persons;
- Programs and activities described above that are specially designed for participants who are limited English proficient, participants from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, participants who are individuals with disabilities, participants who are homeless children and youth, participants who are foster care youth, or other disconnected participants; and
- Other activities designed to meet the purposes of the EOC Program.

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The EOC Program grant competition is held every four years.

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All EOC grants are funded for five-year grant award cycles.

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The average EOC grant award amount is $370,458.

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The EOC Program does not require cost sharing or matching.

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All EOC Program grantees are required to submit an annual performance report (APR) documenting progress toward meeting their approved project objectives.

All EOC Program grantees are required to maintain participant records that show --

- The basis for the grantee's determination that each participant is eligible to participate in the project;
- The services that are provided to the participant;
- The specific educational benefits received by the participant; and
- To the extent practicable, any services the participant receives during the project year from another Federal TRIO program or another federally-funded program that serves populations similar to those served under the EOC Program.

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Any non-Federal entities expending $500,000 or more a year in federal awards are required to conduct an A-133 audit.  In addition, EOC grantees must have an evaluation plan in place that substantiates formative and summative evaluation measures, as stipulated in the funded application.

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The success of the Educational Opportunity Centers Program is measured by the percentage of low-income, first-generation college students who successfully pursue postsecondary education opportunities.

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- Providing individualized personal, career and academic counseling;
- Assisting participants in the completion of admission applications for postsecondary education and financial aid applications;
- Conducting workshop on financial and economic literacy; and
- Involving participants in: (1) visits to postsecondary educational institutions; (2) participation in "College Day" activities; and (3) field trips for participants to observe and meet with persons who are employed in various career fields and can act as role models for participants.

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