SUNY Oswego was among nine schools in an expansion of the SUNY Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Scholars Program to support students in teaching degree and nursing programs focused on shortage areas, State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced earlier this month.

“The initiative is to get more EOP students into the teaching profession, especially in an area where there are shortages of teachers,” said Joey Tse, director of SUNY Oswego’s EOP. 

The funding of $30,000 for the EOP Teaching Scholars program will support students to help create a pipeline for future educators, as well as materials, transportation and other needs. 

This includes recruiting for and staffing a quarter-course spring course, starting in March, in the College of Education, Health and Human Services. Aimed primarily at freshmen and sophomores, the course would cultivate interest and preparation for students who want to pursue teaching.

“I think it’s important because the teaching profession needs students who are passionate about helping students,” Tse said. “There’s been a decline in teachers from a first-generation, underrepresented or disadvantaged background. It’s great to see new teachers from these backgrounds go back, especially to where they grew up, to become a role model and beacon of success.”

For participating Oswego students, a small stipend will support materials and key aspects like transportation. The latter is often a challenge for students who do not have cars but have student teaching placements outside the city of Oswego.

“The grant looks at how we can support students throughout any lifecycle of needs,” Tse noted.

The effort aligns with Oswego’s existing efforts in EOP and its Teacher Opportunities Corps (TOC), which recruits underrepresented populations into teaching fields that face a shortage of qualified applicants.

“This is not just a program; it is a strategic, equity-centered investment in our students and in the future of our schools,” the university said of TOC in its application for the grant. “By leveraging TOC’s legacy, EOP’s unparalleled student support network, and Oswego’s strong district partnerships, the EOP Teaching Scholars Program will create a replicable model for recruitment, retention and educator preparation.“

About the program

This new effort, announced on Feb. 6, builds on the successful EOP Scholars Program to support SUNY EOP students pursuing careers and advanced degrees in pre-med, engineering and mental health.

“SUNY provides students with a pathway to upward mobility and opens doors to meaningful and successful careers,” Chancellor King said. 

“For nearly 60 years, the Educational Opportunity Program has made a higher education more accessible for students – many the first in their families to go to college –- through financial aid, guidance and academic support,” King added. “By expanding the EOP Scholars Program to support nursing and teaching students, we are working to empower more New Yorkers to enter these essential fields.”

SUNY's EOP Scholars Program is designed to support students participating in EOP as they transition to graduate and professional education and high-demand careers. In 2021, SUNY launched the pre-medical Educational Opportunity Program, providing EOP students with additional support and mentoring towards their path to medical school. In 2024, SUNY expanded this program to include mental health fields and engineering. 

In June 2025, Chancellor King committed to expand these efforts in two high-demand career areas: teaching in shortage fields and nursing.

The new initiative allocated $300,000 among nine campuses to mitigate costs connected to those degrees, including travel, work attire and equipment to complete required certifications for clinical hours or student teaching. 

SUNY campuses submitted program proposals to be a part of the pilot expansion of the EOP Scholars program to support nursing and teaching students. 

In February 2025, Chancellor King announced an EOP Career Development Internship Program in partnership with state agencies to provide students with real-world professional experience and skill development within a field that aligns both with their academic pursuit and personal interests.

Since its inception in 1967, SUNY's Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program has provided access, academic support, and supplemental financial assistance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. 

In its 58-year history, EOP has graduated nearly 90,000 students and evolved into one of the country's most successful college access programs. EOP eligibility is based on income and academic readiness. EOP currently serves more than 9,000 students across 55 SUNY campuses.