Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for HEOP at Niagara University, there are established economic and academic requirements that need to be met. These guidelines have been developed by the State Education Department and are as follows:

General Requirements

1. Be a high school graduate or possess a state-approved equivalency diploma or its equivalent.
2. Be a resident of New York state for at least one year prior to enrollment in HEOP.
3. Meet BOTH academic and economic guidelines as defined in the following sections.

Academic Eligibility

1. Applicants should demonstrate academic potential and motivation for success at the collegiate level
2. Consideration for acceptance will be based on your complete academic profile including high school grades and academic history that would indicate inadmissibility under Niagara University's regular admissions standards
3. Evaluation begins for applicants with a: minimum High School Average/GPA of 74

Financial Requirements

1. To be considered, the applicant must meet the economic criteria established by the New York State Education Department. All income must be verified by appropriate documentation.
2. Reference to the economic guidelines need not be made if the applicant falls into one of the following categories, and documentation is available:
   
   1. The student or his/her family is a recipient of payment through a New York State County Department of Social Services;
   2. The student is living with foster parents who do not provide support for college, and no financial assistance is provided by the natural parents;
   3. The student is a ward of the state or county.

Economic Eligibility for First-Time Students

All economic eligibility criteria apply to the calendar year prior to the academic year of first entry to college. A student is considered economically disadvantaged if he or she is a member of:

• a household supported by one parent if dependent, by the student or by a spouse if independent, whose total annual income is not more than the applicable amount listed in the table below; or
• a household supported solely by one member thereof who works for two or more employers with a total annual income which does not exceed the applicable amount set forth in the following table by more than $2,790; or
• a household supported by more than one worker (parents if dependent; student and spouse if independent) in which the total annual income does not exceed the applicable amount listed in the table below by more than $5,570; or
• a household supported by one worker (parent if dependent; student if independent) who is the sole support of a one-parent family in which the total annual income does not exceed the applicable amount listed in the table below by more than $5,570.

For the purpose of this subdivision, the number of members of a household shall be determined by ascertaining the number of individuals living in the student's residence who are economically dependent on the income, as defined in subdivision 6 of this section, supporting the student.

Please note that when completing the FAFSA, the 2021 household size shall be reported for 2022-2023.

Add $8,288 for each family member in excess of eight.