The Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) here at St. Lawrence University is on the verge of losing funding for its program. The HEOP advocacy day fell on Feb. 22. HEOP students from all over New York State took to social media to advocate for their school’s program. The HEOP office here at St. Lawrence encouraged students to head to Albany, NY, to join the fight in supplementing their current program. Governor Katy Hochul’s prospective budget for 2024 is putting the HEOP Program on the back burner, harming current programs that are up and running to provide students with the financial support that they need.
The HEOP program serves St. Lawrence University, as well as other private institutions in New York State. According to the HEOP works website, the program serves over 4,250 students across NYS, helps students overcome academically and financially disadvantaged backgrounds and circumstances, and addresses the lack of critical socioemotional and academic resources that are available to students. William Short, director of the HEOP Program here at SLU, says, “HEOP students come from circumstances characterized by under-resourced realities, but that does not mean that they aren’t intelligent and motivated.” Short adds, “if anything, those circumstances result in people who are resilient and determined problem solvers who have developed higher order critical thinking skills but did so outside of school curricula, so it doesn’t show up on high school transcripts or in standardized testing.”
The Governor of New York State, Kathy Hochul, has proposed a budget in which 9.1 billion dollars is to be spent on education. The allocation of these funds is spread out across K-12 education, higher education programs, and federally funded Pell grants. In 2024, the HEOP will receive a 13 percent cut from where it is currently. This leaves HEOP program students from all over the state financially overlooked.
A program that has been federally funded for over fifty years is close to being defunded. This means that many of your peers, teammates, and classmates are at risk of losing an opportunity to better their lives. Erin Colvin, Associate Director, and alumni of the Educational Opportunity program says, “This program is what helped me and is the reason I am here today dedicating my career to supporting students from the time they are in high school applying to college through earning their degrees and beyond.” Colvin adds, “Opportunity Program students have created a legacy that goes beyond the classroom. We see the funding for these programs is an investment for the future.” Losing funding means that the school’s budget for HEOP students will also decrease, making it harder for students to concentrate on their academic success here at St. Lawrence University. The survival of the HEOP depends on support from the St. Lawrence community, alumni, and advocacy from current students. Look around, realize the privileges you have, and put them to use.