Honors Program Enrichment Option (HPEO) Explained

What is HPEO?

• HPEO is a scholarship service option for Honors students that takes the place of the regular 75-hour service assignment required with the University Academic Service scholarship (UAS) and the Vice President's Award scholarship (VPA). 
• HPEO is a requirement for students who have the Honors Academic Scholarship (HAS).
• HPEO requires 60 hours of diverse activities per semester, divided into three unique categories called "units."
• During first semester, HPEO begins with simple, straightforward "units," with limited options or choices.  Those options expand slightly in Unit 2 for spring semester.
• In sophomore through senior years, HPEO offers a wide variety of service, leadership, and scholarly options from which to choose.
• Students like HPEO because it offers more meaningful, interesting alternatives to a simple job or work assignment.
• HPEO requires of the student a high level of personal organization, good time-management skills, and personal responsibility.

Who is eligible for HPEO?

Honors students who: 

• Have and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50, and
• Take at least one Honors course or credit-bearing opportunity each semester until all Honors credit requirements are completed, and
• Have fulfilled successfully all previous semesters of HPEO obligations and service, and
• Are receiving the University Academic Service Scholarship, the Vice President's Award, or the Honors Academic Scholarship.

What are my responsibilities when doing HPEO?

• At the beginning of each semester, you must decide which options to pursue for each unit of HPEO, and submit a commitment form by the deadline.
• You need to familiarize yourself with the rules of HPEO and the procedures to use in reporting progress for each of the units.
• You must be conscientious in carrying out all of the commitments and obligations agreed to on the commitment form.
• You must report and document all activities and progress in a timely manner, adhering to published deadlines.
• You must communicate with Mrs. Roberts, the HPEO coordinator, regarding any problems, situations, or questions that arise during the semester. 

Adding, Dropping, and Losing HPEO

• If you have the UAS or the VPA, you may decide to drop HPEO at the end of any semester. You may not drop HPEO in mid-semester.
• You have one GPA semester of grace with HPEO - one semester during which you may continue HPEO even if your cumulative GPA falls below 3.50.
• For UAS and VPA, the semester of grace is the fall semester of freshman year. For the HAS, the semester of grace can be any semester, but may occur only once.
• After the semester of grace, a cumulative GPA below 3.50 results in the loss of eligibility to participate in HPEO.
• Students with the UAS or VPA may join or re-join HPEO at the beginning of any semester, as long they have maintained eligibility to participate (see above). You must join between semesters, not during the semester.