SUNY Chancellor King Announces Expansion of EOP Scholars Program for Students Pursuing Careers in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, and AI Fields
October 1, 2026
SUNY Will Launch New Efforts to Help EOP Students Prepare for Dynamic Careers in More High-Demand Sectors
Photos Available Here from Chancellor King's Visit with SUNY Erie Leadership and EOP Students
Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced the expansion of the SUNY Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Scholars Program. The expansion of the program will support EOP students pursuing fields including computer science, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI).
SUNY's EOP Scholars Program is designed to support students participating in EOP as they transition to graduate and professional education and high-demand careers. The program provides comprehensive academic, financial, and mentoring support to ensure student success. The expansion of the EOP Scholars Program will strengthen retention and completion for participating students and provide additional pathways to upward mobility.
"With strong support from Governor Hochul and the State Legislature, SUNY's Educational Opportunity Program is able to support thousands of students and empower them to move forward on the path of upward mobility and success," said SUNY Chancellor King. "For nearly 60 years, this successful program has made higher education more accessible for students throughout New York State by opening the doors to an affordable, excellent higher education. Through the expansion of the SUNY EOP Scholars Program, made possible by the support of the SUNY Board of Trustees, SUNY is investing in our students' future and ensuring they are equipped to enter these high-demand fields."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "Through the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature, programs like the Educational Opportunity Program empower SUNY students as they work to pursue a college degree. This expansion of the EOP Scholars Program will help further support our students to pursue careers in high-demand areas, including cybersecurity, AI, and computer science."
Yesterday, Chancellor King joined SUNY Erie President Adiam Tsegai to meet with EOP students to discuss the program.
SUNY Erie President Adiam Tsegai said, "SUNY Erie is proud to be the alma mater of Arthur O. Eve and to continue his legacy through the EOP Scholars program. As a graduate of EOP myself, I understand the value of the support and guidance the program afforded me. Recent EOP Scholars program students at SUNY Erie participated in a range of opportunities including learning and utilizing research and interviewing techniques, developing their critical thinking skills, while obtaining personalized academic support. We are excited this expansion of the program will serve to increase these opportunities into additional fields of study."
SUNY has taken steps to expand the support and resources available to EOP students. In February, SUNY announced the expansion of the EOP Scholars Program to support students in nursing and teaching degree programs focused on shortage areas following Chancellor King's June 2025 commitment to expand these efforts in the fields. In 2024, SUNY expanded this program to include mental health fields and engineering, and in 2021 SUNY launched the pre-medical Educational Opportunity Program, providing EOP students with additional support and mentoring towards their path to medical school.
To further support EOP students, SUNY launched a partnership with global education company Kaplan, to offer EOP students free access to comprehensive test preparation resources over the next three years, including practice tests, for graduate-level admissions exams and professional licensure exams. In February 2025, Chancellor King announced the EOP Career Development Internship Program in partnership with state agencies to provide students with real-world professional experience and skill development within a field that aligns both with their academic pursuit and personal interests, as part of SUNY's commitment to provide an internship or other experiential learning opportunity to every EOP student by the time they graduate.
State Senator Robert Jackson said, "As a proud SUNY EOP alumnus, I do not speak about the power of this program in the abstract—I carry it with me. EOP opened a door in my life and taught me what becomes possible when public institutions choose to see potential before privilege. At a moment when technology is rapidly rewriting the boundaries of what is possible, we have a responsibility to make sure opportunity is not reserved for those who already possess the means to reach it. That is what this expansion represents to me: not simply preparing another generation to enter the future, but making certain they have a hand in shaping it."
State Senator Lea Webb said, "As a proud SUNY and EOP alum, I am excited to see the expansion of this important program which supports our first-generation college students. Higher education is a passport to success, and the expansion of EOP to include technology-focused degrees such as cybersecurity and computer science means that more students will have the opportunity to study their chosen subject. The ability to obtain a college degree can completely change the trajectory of someone's life, of their family's life, and we must continue to prioritize programs like EOP that open doors to first-generation college students."
Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said, "SUNY continues to expand its EOP Scholars Program in ways that truly benefit its students. By zeroing in on job fields in high demand, SUNY is placing their students on a path towards long and fruitful careers."
State Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest said, "I am thrilled that more students will now be able to pursue fields like computer science and cybersecurity, and that students across New York State will feel its impact for years to come with this expansion program. When we invest in EOP, we invest in the next generation of New York's leaders. That is always worth it."
State Assemblymember Latrice Walker said, "I applaud the State University of New York and Chancellor John King on the expansion of the Equal Opportunity Program Scholars Program that will help students compete in a broader range of career fields, including artificial intelligence, computer science, and cybersecurity. The expansion will not only help students from underserved communities, but it also fortifies the already stellar legacy of Arthur O. Eve after whom the EOP program is named. It will open doors of opportunity for students from low-income communities who have been shut out for far too long."
Since its inception in 1967, SUNY's Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program has provided access, academic support, and supplemental financial assistance to students from low-income backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. In its 58-year history, EOP has graduated nearly 90,000 students and evolved into one of the country's most successful college access programs. EOP eligibility is based on income and academic readiness. EOP currently serves more than 9,000 students across 55 SUNY campuses. More information about SUNY's EOP can be found here.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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