Educational Opportunity Program
Welcome to the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at Penn State Lehigh Valley. EOP is an equal opportunity higher education program funded by The Pennsylvania State University. The “Lion-Hearted Initiative” is designed to meet the academic and financial needs of first-year, first-time students whose potential for college may not be completely reflected in their high school performance and whose economic background makes it extremely difficult for them to pursue a college education without financial aid and institutional support. Penn State Lehigh Valley’s program will facilitate student transitions from high school and lead to college readiness, positive adjustments, personal development, academic success and persistence to graduation. Our program makes higher education possible by building a strong community of students who are eager to learn by exposing them to academic, student life, and career experiences that focus on transition and success. In the first year of the program, Penn State Lehigh Valley will enroll (15) students.
This EOP program focuses on the academic development of eligible first-time students to Penn State Lehigh Valley. While the primary emphasis is on the development of students’ intellectual skills and habits, programmatic efforts are also made to increase confidence, develop socialization and broaden career horizons. The major focus of the program will be a student-centric philosophy. Through effective support services and programming, success will emerge because our focus is on the students.
Students in the program receive:
- Educational grant funding
- Study skills course work
- Access to tutoring
- Personal, academic, and career support services
- A personal coach
- Specialized student success seminars
- A pre-college summer bridge program
- A book award for the following semester