California's budget woes may lead to all-time lows for the Educational Opportunity Program.
Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposed budget, which will be decided on June 30, would cut $52 million from California State University funding. EOP, which provides financial and personal support for low-income and first-generation college students, is a direct target and would be dropped from all of the CSUs if the budget is approved.
"It would be a tremendous blow to the university to lose the special qualities EOP brings to the campus," said John Swiney, director of admissions at Chico State.
Chico State now receives $700,000 annually to support EOP faculty and the 1,200 EOP students.
Associate Director of EOP Christopher Malone said EOP benefits students by preparing them for college work, offering tutorial services, financial aid and personal and career counseling.
Junior Juan Munoz is the first of his family to go to college and said he has benefited greatly from EOP's assistance.
"EOP's been my home away from home," Munoz said. "If it weren't for EOP, I wouldn't be here. It's as simple as that."
Munoz said he has no one else to turn to for educational support and counseling.
"They tell me what to take and how to act in college," he said. "If I ask my parents, they just don't know because they never went to school after high school."
Munoz works for EOP and said he enjoys being able to pass on to others the same help he received.
"That's the cool thing about my job," he said. "I get to help people like me."
Martha Williams, director of EOP and Educational Support Programs at Chico State, said even though EOP is not ethnically based, the program has been a major contributor in enhancing the diversity of the student body.
Williams estimates that 50 percent of Latino students, nearly all African American students and a substantial number of Hmong-American and Southeast Asian-American students have come to Chico by way of EOP.
EOP provides a community for minorities and for first-generation college students.
Munoz said he feels this community has been essential for his success.
"Almost all of the other Latinos I know, my roommates and my best friends, I've met through EOP," Munoz said.
EOP brings a community to campus that Swiney said is critical.
"As a campus, we've had a definite plan to increase the diversity. To lose EOP would be a huge loss in achieving those goals," Swiney said. "It's been a tremendous help to the campus by promoting access to students who wouldn't otherwise be here."
Junior Tyrone Thompson, an EOP student and employee, said he thinks if it weren't for EOP a lot of the minorities wouldn't be here.
"As a first-generation college student, school can be really hard," Thompson said. "Sometimes you think college isn't for you and you want to give up, but your whole family's looking up to you. They're so proud of you; you can't just let them down."
There is currently no alternative source or plan to replace EOP if the tentative budget is approved.
"It remains to be seen," Williams said. "The chancellor's office is actively opposing it, but not knowing what the outcome might be makes it a tenuous time for us."
Williams said they are accepting and processing applications and admitting students as usual.
"We're deciding whether to possibly add a disclaimer to our admissions letters to warn people of possible change, but we haven't yet," she said. "We're following our normal admissions procedures but it's a time of great uncertainty."
EOP admits approximately 300 new students every year, and Williams said she'll try to accommodate as many as she can.
The California Faculty Association is taking an active role in organizing people to oppose the EOP-budget cut. Williams said she believes students will also have to make strides to keep the program afloat.
"The budget wasn't released until Jan. 10 and I've already had parents call who are very upset," Williams said. "Grant money and EOP is critical for low-income students."
The cut is surprising since EOP is the oldest equality program in the CSU system, Williams said. It was formed by the California legislature in 1968; since then, 300,000 students have gone through the program.
"It has had a major impact on people's lives and the state," Williams said. "It's just shocking."
Brooke Rose can be reached at brose@orion-online.net
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