The Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Act became law in 1968. As conceptualized by its authors, the purpose of the EOF Program is to provide an opportunity for students from disadvantaged backgrounds of New Jersey to participate in the State's Higher Education Program. Last year we celebrated New Jersey's Educational Opportunity Fund 35th anniversary, which has been the single most important vehicle for low income and minority access in higher education.

In accordance with State guidelines, the College of Nursing EOF program (CN-EOF) provides academic and student support services to those low income students who demonstrate potential and who may not have performed well on standardized college entrance examinations.

In its commitment to excellence, the College of Nursing has developed a flagship EOF program. The program is administered by a Director and is staffed by an Administrative Assistant, a Counselor, a Nurse Psychotherapist, Developmental Specialist, several Co-adjunct Faculty, peer tutors, peer counselors and a Computer Coordinator. The EOF curriculum consists of:

a pre-entrance six-week summer program

concurrent support courses in the sciences, math and English.

counseling seminars

special topic seminars in writing, test-taking and nursing process.

a pre-junior clinical enrichment course

a State Board review

a student leadership development program

Individual and group tutoring and counseling services form the cornerstone of our comprehensive, student-oriented service model.

For the last decade, the College of Nursing EOF Program has received the highest rating in the sector among EOF programs statewide according to the Program's Performance Criteria (PPC). The CN-EOF Program is recognized as a model program. It has made many contributions in the areas of recruitment, and graduation of minority nurses in the State.

The graduates of the College of Nursing EOF Program have assumed leadership roles as professional nurses in urban hospitals, in our community agencies, and as school nurses. Increasing numbers of our alumni have returned to graduate school and have complete Masters Programs in Clinical Nursing, Administration, Public Health and Business. In 1996, our first graduate completed her Doctoral degree in Nursing.

The Official EOF Page of the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education