2024-2025
Applicant Preparation Worksheet
About this Worksheet
The goal of this Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) applicant preparation worksheet is to
help you gather the necessary information to complete the EOP application within Cal State
Apply. This worksheet will provide an overview of EOP, information and materials needed for
the application, prompts to the biographical questions, and guidance for the EOP
Recommendation Forms.
If you need additional assistance completing the EOP portion of the Cal State Apply
application, please see the EOP section of the Cal State Apply Applicant Help Center
About the EOP Program
What is EOP?
The Educational Opportunity Program designs, administers, and supports programs that
deliver access and retention services to historically low income and educationally
disadvantaged students. An EOP student has the potential to perform satisfactorily in the CSU
but has not been able to realize this potential because of a disadvantaged economic or
educational background.
The program provides admission, transitional, academic, and financial assistance to EOP-
eligible undergraduate students. To learn more about the goals of EOP, services provided, and
eligibility requirements, visit the Questions about EOP webpage.
Who is eligible for EOP consideration?
The following eligibility criteria are specified in the CSU Educational Opportunity Programs
Regulations and Guidelines. An EOP student:
• Has a history of low family income
• Must be enrolled on a full-time basis (part-time attendance requires program director’s
approval.
• Is an undergraduate.
• Needs admission assistance as an exception admit OR meets regular admission
requirements but in the opinion of the EOP personnel will require a full range of
assistance to succeed.
• Has been nominated by an appropriate state agency, a California high school or
community college, the Veterans Administration, a campus president, or a designee of
the California State University.
How do I complete and turn in the EOP application?
To apply, submit the EOP application electronically as part of your Cal State Apply application.
The EOP application is automatically part of the Supporting Information tile of your Cal State
Apply application. Make sure to select “Yes” when asked if you are interested in applying to
Information Needed for the EOP Application
EOP Materials Preparation & Information
Below is information that you need to gather in order to complete the EOP application. This
worksheet does not reflect all required information needed for EOP admission. For example,
the Parent/Guardian Education Level and Educational Programs Participation questions are in
other sections in Cal State Apply but the responses are needed to evaluate your EOP
application.
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) name(s) and occupation(s)
(If you do not have any Parent/Guardian information to report (e.g., foster youth)
enter "Does not apply")
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) actual/estimated incomes for 2022 and 2023
(Income information is required to be considered for the program)
Information about participating in any public assistance programs such as
CalWORKs, CalFresh, welfare, AFDC, TANF, Social Security, disability, etc.
Information about participating in publicly funded programs such as subsidized
housing (public or affordable housing programs, Section 8), employment/training
programs (i.e., CETA), school lunch programs, etc.
Full names and email addresses of two individuals who can complete the EOP
Recommendation Forms. Please see below for detailed information.
EOP Biographical Questions
The biographical questions listed below are included in the EOP application. It is
recommended that you prepare your responses in advance and ask a teacher and/or
counselor to help with proofreading. Having completed responses in advance will save time
when completing the EOP application.
Answers to these questions will help EOP determine your eligibility to the program. Please be
sure to respond as precisely and honestly as possible and expand on each answer. Use
complete sentences and avoid responses such as "yes" or "no." Responses to each question
have a 2500-character limit.
1. Briefly describe your family's economic background. Include information about your
financial challenges.
2. Why would you like to attend college? Discuss your career and personal goals. Are
there any particular circumstances, school experiences, or persons that influenced your
preparation or motivation to attend college (e.g., cultural/financial background, family,
teachers, schools you attended)? Please explain.
3. Briefly discuss your academic background. Did you utilize any additional support at your
high school, such as tutoring? Do your grades in high school and/or college reflect your
academic ability or potential?
4. List any volunteer, extracurricular activities, or work experience in which you are or have
been involved in the past two years.
5. Is there any additional information you would like EOP to consider in determining your
admission to the program?
EOP Recommendations
To apply to EOP, you must have two recommendations. You should contact the individuals
who you will use as recommenders before submitting the EOP application to get the correct
spelling of their names and accurate email addresses. Talking to your recommenders in
advance will help determine if they have the time and are willing to complete the
recommendation form. The recommenders will be answering questions about your academic
skills, characteristics, motivation, achievements, and barriers to success.
Whom to Select as Your Recommenders
1) One recommendation must be from an academic counselor/teacher who can comment on
your academic preparedness for university academic work.
2) The second recommendation can be from an individual who can comment about your
potential to succeed in college. For example, a counselor, a teacher, a community member,
or employer. Recommendations from friends or relatives are not accepted.
The systemwide EOP Recommendation Forms deadline is January 31, 2024. Some campus
deadlines may vary, please check EOP deadlines at: EOP Deadlines by Term. The Cal State
Apply application will automatically set the deadline at two weeks from the day you request the
EOP recommendation. Recommenders can complete the form after the two-week automated
deadline, but both recommendations must be received by the campus deadline.
Recommender’s Information
Recommender (1) First and Last Name
Recommender (1) Email Address
Recommender (2) First and Last Name
Recommender (2) Email Address
Once you add in your EOP Recommenders names and email addresses into the EOP
application and submit the Cal State Apply application, they will be emailed with a request to
complete the recommendation by the deadline.
It is your responsibility to ensure that two recommendations are submitted by the deadline.
You can check on the status of the recommendations on your Cal State Apply application by
using the Check Status tab.
Your Next Steps
Now that you have collected the application information and written draft responses to the
biographical questions, you are ready to complete the EOP application in Cal State Apply .
The EOP application questions will be in the Supporting Information tile.
If you have questions about your EOP application, please contact the individual EOP campus
at EOP campus contacts.
