The University of Northern Iowa Educational Opportunity Center (UNI-EOC) received funding for five years, from 2011-2016, for $437,266 per grant year from The U.S. Department of Education. The funding falls under Title IV of the Education Act of 1965 and is part of the TRiO programs. The UNI-EOC is one of 128 grantees awarded a five-year grant to provide college admissions counseling and information to qualified individuals.

The grant will enable UNI-EOC to continue providing free academic or career advisement and assistance to qualified individuals. Two-thirds of the adults served in the program must come from low-income families, where neither parent graduated from college. Program services include college admission assistance, financial aid assistance, workshops, help resolving defaulted student loans, counseling for identifying financial aid options, and money management education.  The center provides help to 2,000 prospective students annually, many of whom are first-generation college students ready to pursue higher education. The services are all free.

 Of significance, the UNI-EOC project wrote for the competitive priority in addressing the needs of the military-connected students, veterans, members of active duty, and spouses of active-duty service members.  The program has collaborated with numerous community agencies and organizations in order to fulfill its mission of assisting adults who wish to pursue higher education in the area.

 The EOC staff wishes to thank all our community agencies and partnering colleges that have helped us to be successful through the years.  We also want to extend our appreciation to UNI President Dr. Ben Allen, Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Gloria Gibson and Dr. Dwight Watson, Dean of the College of Education and various members of our host institution, the University of Northern Iowa, for their continued support of the UNI-EOC program.