Welcome to the Educational Opportunity Center
Gulf Coast State College's Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) is a federal TRiO grant program that assists low-income and first-generation participants with enrolling or staying enrolled in higher education. The EOC is located in Student Union West (room 88) and staff are available to assist students from 8:30a to 4:00p on Mondays through Fridays.
GRANT AWARD
GCSC was awarded a Fiscal Year 2021 Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) grant by the U.S. Department of Education on August 25th, 2021. That award (P066A210096) runs from 09/01/2021 till 08/31/2026 and is budgeted to receive approximately $272,753.00 annually. The EOC’s program costs are 100% financed by federal money and all services are provided free-of-charge to participants.
Eligibility
- First-Generation, i.e., whether your supporting parent(s) earned a four-year bachelor's degree
- Low-Income, based on federal guidelines
- Other federal criteria—such as being a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Desire to enter or continue a program of post-secondary education, which includes
public or private:
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Colleges
- Universities
- Technical Schools
- Vocational Schools
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- Adults (19 years of age or older)
- Anyone less than 19 years of age who is not being served by a Talent Search project
- Veterans
- Individuals who were in foster care after reaching age 13
- Those who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness
SERVICES
As a participant, the Educational Opportunity Center offers you assistance with:
- Information on educational institutions across the United States
- Completion of college or vocational/technical admissions applications
- Advice on establishing residency for tuition & fee purposes
- Application Fees, i.e., we can pay or waive on your behalf
- Transferring to an upper-level college or university
- Explanation of the financial aid process
- Submitting financial aid forms, such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- Information about how to apply for a college work-study position
- Assessments to discover your career interests
- Discussion of careers that match your interests and aptitude
- Information on colleges & vocational/technical programs related to your interests
- Information on selected careers, including job descriptions, employments trends and wage forecasts
- Information on obtaining recognized postsecondary credentials through the demonstration of prior knowledge and skills, such as competency-based learning
- Information about the GED
- Signing up for GED.com
- Voucher Codes, so you can test for free
- Ad-hoc tutoring, including a Part-Time Tutor who focuses on helping you pass each exam
- Scheduling in-person testing, i.e., you can take your GED exams at GCSC's Testing Center!
- Ad-hoc tutoring (at SUW 82) on various subjects, such as:
- Mathematics
- English/Language Arts
- Civics/Social Studies
- Science
- Advice on budgeting, saving, and managing money
- Information on Social Welfare programs, e.g., BayWay's OnDemand+
- Finance counseling, e.g., what does "Cost of Attendance" mean?
EOC STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION
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Lisa Fritch Assistant Director (850) 769-1551 ext. 4074 afritch@gulfcoast.edu |
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Nicci McEwen Educational Resource Advisor (850) 769-1551 ext. 4073 tmcewen@gulfcoast.edu |
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Sierra Watson Educational Resource Advisor (850) 769-1551 ext. 5813 swatson22@gulfcoast.edu |
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Cooper Clark GED Tutor (Part-Time) (850) 769-1551 ext. 4075 cclark24@gulfcoast.edu |
Please note that the contents of GCSC’s TRiO webpages, along with any printed publication materials (e.g., books, reports, or films) we separately disseminate, were developed under grants provided by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). However, those contents do not necessarily represent ED policy, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.