Coauthored by Tyler Fisk
On Tuesday February 2, students and staff from Paul Smith’s College’s Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) attended Advocacy Day in Albany, NY to support student aid programs. They met with Assemblywoman Janet Duprey and Dan MacEntee from Senator Betty Little’s Office, and thanked them for their commitment to higher education. They urged them to support an increase in Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) to $6,500, and for an additional $2.5 million for the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Programs.
HEOP is something more than just a good scholarship. It’s the opportunity to rise above what I [Tyler] was born into. HEOP has allowed me to dream of a future that I otherwise ever would have. I currently am pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies and hope to someday become a teacher. HEOP, SEOG, and other financial aid programs help these dreams form in young men and women who come from disadvantaged homes. These kinds of dreams brought America to where it is today.
My role is to maintain and administer the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program grant from New York State. This includes periodic reporting on the program’s activities and effectiveness. I am also the academic advisor for juniors and seniors in HEOP.