Informational Graphic ByYanelli Z. Robles and Rebecca Esparza / Staff
By Rebecca Esparza
EOPS may be a student’s favorite four-letter word.
Members say it is a program to swear by.
Extended Opportunity Programs and Services is a muti-pronged assistance program that officers priority enrollment, tutoring, book support, transfer counseling, emergency loans and student employment. Members can also get help with student employment, calculators and a cap and gown for commencement.
To be eligible students must be residents of California or classified as AB 540, carry at least 12 units or be considered “educationally disadvantaged.” The state’s definition of educationally advantaged includes no high school diploma, a high school GPA less than 2.50, enrollment in basic skills courses, first-generation college students or speaking a language other than English at home.
“We serve more than 2,000 students annually,” said Benjamin Nahoum, the EOPS Senior Project Clerk. “We offer career, academic and personal counseling. One of the major things we do is book and supply grants.”
EOPS students also receive help creating a Student Education Plan (SEP) during counseling sessions. A SEP serves as a guide for course selection. EOPS students go to the front of the registration line.
“Priority enrollment helps students get a crack at the classes they might need for their major,” Naholm said. “It can be advantageous and help them get into those hard-to-get classes.”
EOPS is not all work, no play. Counselors host social events as well as academic activities. Transfer workshops are a big draw. They help walk students through the sometimes-tricky process of transferring. It also offers tours of major California universities like UCLA, Berkeley, Santa Barbara and others.
EOPS is a godsend for thousands of low-income students according to Assistant Professor Angela Brammell.
“There are a lot of students that would not be able to attend college successfully without EOPS funds,” she said. “It makes Southwestern College possible for so many students who go on to do great things.”
Professor of Reading Dr. Sylvia Garcia Navarette said EOPS can “be a great equalizer” for disadvantaged students.
“EOPS is such a bargain, such a great program,” she said. “It can help students in so many ways. Every student that is eligible should apply. There is nothing to lose and so much to gain.”
