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Undergraduate Admissions

Steps to Apply for the NJ Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF)

Before You Start

Follow the steps below if you are a first-year applicant and:

  • a U.S. citizen;
  • a U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swains Island);
  • a U.S. permanent resident (I-151 or I-551);
  • a U.S. conditional permanent resident (I-511C);
  • another non-U.S. citizen eligible for federal aid; or
  • have an Arrival/Departure Record (I-94) with eligible USCIS designation.

What You Need

First, find out if your family filed taxes for 2021. You will need the appropriate documents in order to fill out the EOF application. You must report all sources of your household's taxable and nontaxable income for 2021. These documents may also be requested from you to determine or confirm your eligibility for the EOF program.

Filed Taxes

Some examples of documents to verify income for those who filed taxes include:

  • You and/or your family’s federal tax returns (IRS form 1040 or 1040-SR)
  • You and/or your family's schedules and worksheets
    • Schedule 1 - Additional Income and Adjustments to Income
    • Schedule B - Interest or Dividend Income
    • Schedule C - Business Income or Loss
    • Schedule D - Capital Gain or Loss
    • Schedule E - Rental Real Estate
    • Schedule F - Farm Income

Note: Be sure to get both parents' tax returns, schedules, and worksheets if they were still married or living together during the year.

Where to Get It

Did Not File Taxes

Some examples of documents to verify income for those who did not file taxes include:

  • W-2 statements if you and/or your parents worked but did not/will not file taxes; Form 1099-G if you and/or your parents received unemployment benefits; or a non-filer statement from the IRS if you and/or your family did not file and were not required to file a federal tax return
  • Public assistance statements, namely Welfare, Temporary Assistance Needy Families (TANF), SNAP (formally food stamps), WIC, or Subsidized Housing/Section 8
  • Child support, social security benefits, pension, Medicaid/disability (SSI), or veteran benefits statement(s)

Where to Get It

How to Apply

Before You Start

Follow the steps below if you are a first-year applicant and are a New Jersey DREAMer and meet the following criteria:

  • NOT a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (green card holder)
  • Attended a New Jersey high school for at least 3 years
  • Graduated/will graduate from a New Jersey high school or received/will receive the equivalent of a high school diploma in New Jersey
  • Registered for Selective Service (male students only)
  • Able to file an affidavit stating that you have filed an application to legalize your immigration status or will file an application as soon as you are eligible to do so

What You Need

First, find out if your family filed taxes for 2021. You will need the appropriate documents in order to fill out the EOF application. You must report all sources of taxable and nontaxable income for your household for 2021. These documents may also be requested to determine or confirm your eligibility for the EOF program.

Filed Taxes

Some examples of documents to verify income for those who filed taxes include:

  • You and/or your family’s federal tax returns (IRS Form 1040 or 1040-SR)
  • You and/or your family's schedules and worksheets:
    • Schedule 1 - Additional Income and Adjustments to Income
    • Schedule B - Interest or Dividend Income
    • Schedule C - Business Income or Loss
    • Schedule D - Capital Gain or Loss
    • Schedule E - Rental Real Estate
    • Schedule F - Farm Income

Note: Be sure to obtain both parents' tax returns, schedules and worksheets if they were still married or living together during the year.

Where to Get It

Did Not File Taxes

You will need to show all sources of income for your household for 2021. Some examples include:

  • W-2 statements if you and/or your parents worked but did not/will not file taxes; Form 1099-G if you and/or your parents received unemployment benefits; or a non-filer statement from the IRS if you and/or you family did not file and were not required to file a federal tax return
  • Public assistance statements, namely Welfare, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), SNAP (formally food stamps), WIC, or Subsidized Housing/Section 8
  • Child support, social security benefits, pension, Medicaid/disability (SSI), or veteran benefits statement(s)

Where to Get It

How to Apply

  • Apply for undergraduate admission to Rutgers University. The application fee is deferred when you indicate on the application that you are potentially eligible for EOF.

    Apply to Rutgers

  • The information on the EOF application is used to make a preliminary determination of your eligibility for the EOF program. (First-year applicants only.)

    EOF Application Instructions

    Sample IRS 1040 Tax Return (PDF)

  • December 1 is the priority date for New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application (NJAFAA) submission.

    New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application

    Register for Selective Service (Male Students Only, Ages 18-25)

  • Complete and submit the Rutgers application and the Non-Resident Rutgers Tuition Exemption Form declaring that you have filed an application to legalize immigration status or will file an application as soon as you are eligible to do so. Send this form with an official high school transcript to the appropriate admissions office.

    Nonresident Tuition Exemption Form (PDF)

  • You must set up and monitor your account for the New Jersey Financial Aid Management System (NJFAMS) throughout the academic year for status updates and document requests from the NJ Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESSA) for state aid eligibility.

    New Jersey Financial Aid Management System (NJFAMS)

EOF Transfer Form

If you are a transfer applicant who would like to be considered for the Rutgers EOF program, DO NOT complete the EOF Application, but complete the EOF Transfer Form instead.

Before You Start

Follow the steps below if you are an eligible transfer applicant, as indicated by the following criteria:

  • You are a high school graduate/GED holder, and
  • You will have completed at least 12 college credits after leaving high school and a college transcript showing these courses and final grades will be submitted by the required due dates.

Note: Current high school students who are taking college courses while attending high school should apply as first-year students regardless of the number of college credits earned while in high school.

How to Apply