EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY FELLOWSHIP GUIDELINES

The purpose of the Education Opportunity Fellowship (EOF) is to provide financial assistance to Michigan State University’s graduate and professional students who meet the following eligibility requirements.

1. To be eligible for an EOF Fellowship, the following guidelines must be met. A student must:
   
   1. Be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident of the United States. (Preference will begiven to State of Michigan residents).
   2. Demonstrate need for financial assistance in concert with the MSU Office of Financial Aid(turn in a Free Application for Federal Student Aid [FAFSA] to the Office of Financial Aid).
   3. Have a minimum undergraduate federal loan indebtedness of $25,000 or more.
   4. Be enrolled in a graduate or professional degree-granting program at Michigan State University.
   5. Enroll in and earn six or more graduate credits per semester (Fall and/or Spring) or earn three credits for the summer semester (if you are graduating in the summer semester). Failure to enroll for six or more graduate credits per semester (three credits for summer semester) will result in a termination of the EOF award for the semester.
   6. Meet the minimum academic standards of the university and make satisfactory academic progress as defined by the college, and the department/school in which the student is enrolled.
   7. Hold no full-time position during the time he/she is receiving this fellowship.
   8. Be graduating in the summer semester in order to be eligible to receive the EOF award for the summer semester of that year.
      
      NOTICE: Education Opportunity Fellowship (EOF) Program and Student Aid Grant for Medical Students (SAG)
      
      Students with undergraduate federal indebtedness of $25,000 or greater may qualify for the EOF or SAG. YOU CANNOT RECEIVE BOTH AWARDS IN THE SAME ACADEMIC YEAR.
2. To insure full consideration for the available funds, the applicant must:
   
   1. Complete an EOF application. The application is available at https://grad.msu.edu/fellowships/eof which can filled out online.
   2. Complete and turn in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available at the Financial Aid Office of any college or university. You must have the FAFSA form on file with the MSU Office of Financial Aid prior to the deadline date.
3. Fellowships will be based upon validated individual financial need. The maximum EOF award will vary each year depending on the available budget. The Office of Financial Aid determines who the recipients of the award are and the Graduate School initiates the fellowships.
   
   1. Eligible fellows will receive a determined amount per semester. (Generally Fall and Spring)
   2. An additional allowance for spouse and each dependent child will be determined.
   3. Please note that this award is “first come, first served”. Some eligible applicants may not receive funding because of the limited amount of this fellowship budget.
4. Processing of Application
   
   1. A copy of the EOF application is sent to the Office of Financial Aid to determine financial need on the deadline date. The original application remains in the Graduate School.
   2. When the analysis is received from the Financial Aid Office, a fellowship is initiated for the award amount by the Graduate School. Only those receiving fellowships will be notified that they are recipients of the award.
5. Financial support may be granted for five academic semesters for a Master’s degree program, eleven academic semesters for a Doctoral degree program, and eleven academic semesters for professional medical students. No student shall receive more than eleven academic semesters ofsupport.
6. A student receiving an EOF fellowship is responsible for the following:
   
   1. Keeping the University notified of current mailing address and telephone number at all times while on the fellowship.
   2. Notifying the Office of Financial Aid of any aid received from other sources (i.e., part-time work, assistantships, scholarships, etc.) after receiving notification of an EOF award. Failure to do so will result in the revocation of the fellowship. Students will be billed for excess monies received.
   3. Notifying the Graduate School of any changes in status as an MSU student (i.e. dropping/adding classes, withdrawal, change of department, etc.)
7. By signing the EOF application, applicants affirm that they have read and understand the EOF guidelines, and if awarded EOF funding, further have agreed to abide by the guidelines as outlined. Failure to meet any of the requirements of these guidelines will result in termination or revocation of an award and the student will be required to repay monies received to the university.