According to the federal guidelines set up by the department of Education, EOC is designed to provide information regarding financial and academic assistance available for individuals who desire to pursue a program of postsecondary education. EOC also provides assistance to individuals in applying for admission to institutions that offer programs of postsecondary education, including assistance in preparing necessary applications for use by admissions and financial aid officers.
EOC targets low-income, first generation adults. 2/3's must meet both criteria, 1/3 can be any adult needing EOC services.
| Department of Human Services | State health Departments |
| State Employment Offices | Headstart programs |
| Vocational Rehabilitation | Four-year universities |
| Department of Corrections | Public school systems |
| Technology Centers | Two-year colleges |
| WIA | Private counseling centers |
There are five programs serving Oklahoma. (Southeastern Oklahoma State University, East Central University, Rogers University, Carl Albert State College & Tulsa Community College.)
EOC provides assistance with completing federal financial aid applications. Through the FAFSA on the Web, EOC projects are able to transmit financial aid applications quickly. Additional funding tools and online searches are used to help clients fund their education.
EOC's provide academic and career assessments with the use of tools such as COPS, CAPS, COPES, and TABE.
EOC's assist clients with admission forms, scholarship information, class schedules, GED information, and general information about schools of interest to the client.
Some EOC programs provide clients with tours of colleges and vocational schools.
An EOC project may provide additional supportive services to help increase the client's probability of success. Types of additional services include tutoring, test prep, time management, and study skills seminars.
Each program's numbers vary depending on how many counties they are serving. Southeastern Oklahoma State University's EOC serves 1,450 clients in eleven counties.
Participants may be placed in adult basic education classes,
GED classes, branches of the military, technology schools,
proprietary schools, two-year colleges, or four-year
universities. In some cases, clients may be referred to
literacy programs. In program year 2000-2001 SOSU's
EOC program placed participants in 32 different colleges and
technical schools.