Educational Opportunity Fellowship (EOF)

Application Deadline: Monday, April 27, 2026

The Educational Opportunity Fellowship (EOF) is designed to enable promising students who do not fare well in conventional competitions for graduate fellowships.

Those encouraged to apply include: 
- first generation college graduates;
- students who attended marginally adequate or inadequate schools;
- students who have to work excessively while attending school;
- or those whose social and economic background made acquiring education an unreasonably difficult enterprise.

School/department deadline: All nominations must be submitted by the school/department. Students must contact their school/department for their internal deadline. We will not accept any self-nominations. 

Eligibility

Eligible students must be:

1. Incoming or currently enrolled students in graduate study at Indiana University, Bloomington. 
2. U.S. citizen or permanent resident. International students are not eligible. 
3. A first-generation college student (neither parent achieved a Baccalaureate Degree) or a student who demonstrates acute financial need.

NOTE: Doctoral students with an SAA or a fellowship with a minimum of $24,000 are NOT eligible to apply

Stipend and Benefits

The EOF is a one-year award which includes a $2,500 stipend and a fee reduction. (Out-of-state recipients are eligible to pay tuition at the resident rate for up to 24 credit hours or 12 hours per semester for fall and spring.)

EOF support is limited to two years; however, renewal is not automatic. Nominees must be nominated each year for consideration.

Department Nomination Process

Departments must:

• submit the application form
• Upload a brief statement from the student describing why they believe they should be awarded an EOF. In the statement, ensure they address any factors that have limited their opportunities, their academic goals and aspirations, and other challenges they have faced because of their financial burden.
• upload a FAFSA for the current academic year (redacts social security numbers and any other sensitive data) In lieu of the FAFSA report, students may submit a financial need statement with information about their income and number of dependents.