A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

Promising Initiatives to Improve Education in Your Community - February 2000

College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) and
High School Equivalency Program (HEP)

The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) provides funds for supporting migrant and seasonal farmworkers to complete the first academic year of college. The High School Equivalency Program (HEP) is designed to assist migrant and seasonal farmworkers obtain a GED certificate or a general education diploma equivalent to a high school diploma in the state of the grantee.

In FY2000, a new grants competition for $3 million will fund approximately 9 new CAMP grants, and $6 million will fund about 16 new HEP grants.

Eligible Entities

Entities eligible to apply for either CAMP or HEP are institutes of higher education (IHE) or private nonprofit organizations working in cooperation with IHEs. Among the FY1999 awards made last year, there are 12 CAMP grantees, and 23 HEP grantees, and all 35 projects serve a combined population of approximately 4,500 students. The CAMP assists in first-year academic requirements and continues to provide follow-up services to help students successfully continue postsecondary education. By locating the HEP programs at IHEs, migrant and seasonal farmworkers also have opportunities to attend academic programs, cultural events, and other academic and cultural events not usually available to them.

Types of services that may be provided

General: Grantees may use funds to provide academic and supporting services and financial assistance to eligible participants (migrant and seasonal farmworkers as defined).

CAMP: Outreach and recruitment; supportive and instructional services; career and academic counseling; tutoring; financial assistance; other services necessary for completing the program, including follow-up services.

HEP: Recruitment services; educational services necessary to pass an examination and obtain a high school equivalency diploma in the state where the grantee is located; supportive services, such as counseling, placement services for college preparation, health services, housing for those enrolled in residential programs, and exposure to cultural and academic events usually not available to migrant youth.

Performance indicators

CAMP performance indicators are: 1) All CAMP students will complete their first academic year at a postsecondary institution in good standing; 2) CAMP students will graduate from 4-year colleges or universities at higher rates.

HEP indicators are: 1) An increasing percentage of HEP participants will complete the program and receive their GED; 2) An increasing percentage of HEP participants who receive a GED certificate will enter postsecondary education or other training programs; and 3) An increasing percentage of HEP participants who receive a GED certificate will be placed in career positions or enter the military.

Additional information

The CAMP and HEP grants are five-year cycle non-competing continuation awards. Parties interested in obtaining new grant applications for FY2000 can access materials from the Department's Web site at http://www.ed.gov/GrantsApps.

For more information, please contact Mary Suazo at (202) 260-1396 or
by e-mail (link removed Marach 15, 2007) or
visit the Office of Migrant Education (OME) Web site at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/MEP/

Examples

St. Edward's University, Austin, Texas

The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, will serve 40 eligible migrant/seasonal farmworkers living in Texas. The comprehensive services include social, academic and financial support such as tutoring, advising, counseling, health care and developmental classes provided by a qualified and dedicated staff that is supported by the university. St. Edward's has effectively served the migrant and seasonal farmworkers for many years and has an effective mentoring component. Local businessmen, lawyers and other professional members of the community adopt a student to mentor during his or her college years. This approach provides CAMP students with exposure to various occupations and gives them role models.

The university works with private foundations to help finance the education of the CAMP students as they continue their education. St. Edward's commitment is ongoing. An endowment fund has been established to assist students and to guarantee the continuation of the program. The purpose of the endowment funds is to ensure that the migrant students who choose to continue their studies will be guaranteed full financial aid during their matriculation at St. Edward's.

Eligible students are recruited from the entire geographical area of Texas. All students are residential and attend during two semesters annually. Fifteen hours of instruction and tutoring are provided 5 days a week for 16 weeks per semester, including day and night opportunities for services.

University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado

The University of Colorado's BUENO High School Equivalency Program (BUENO-HEP) proposes to assist 500 migrant and seasonal farmworker students in obtaining the equivalent of a secondary school diploma and placement in an institution of higher education.

BUENO-HEP builds upon the proven program practices of a statewide, coordinated system of instructional. supportive, and financial assistance services for qualifying migrant and seasonal farmworkers. The program is designed on the premise that learners' needs are at the center of the program, while supportive services help students obtain skills necessary to succeed in postsecondary life, the military, or to help students make successful transitions from farmwork to non-agricultural work settings.

The recruitment of students will be conducted year round in partnership with federal, state and local community-based organizations. This effective coordination is an important element in BUENO-HEP's capability to recruit and matriculate so many HEP students. Prospective students will take GED Practice Tests and the Colorado Occupation Career Informational System examination. Students will be enrolled in BUENO-HEP from five surrounding counties for GED instruction at the three instructional satellite sites in Brighton Fort/Lupton, La Junta, and Alamosa. Instruction will be provided five days per week for 30 hours per week, over a session of 10 to 14 weeks. Three sessions are proposed and include a summer period of instruction.

Publications

For more information on our College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) and High School Equivalency Program (HEP), please visit:

Adult Education, Migration, and Immigrant Education by Roger Diaz de Cossio, National Institute of Adult Education-Mexico.
Migrant Services Directory: Organizations and Resources (Link removed March 15, 2007.) Migrant Services Directory: Organizations and Resources (2003) - The Migrant Servieces Directory (2003) provides summaries and contact information for major Federal programs and national organizations that serve migrant farmworkers and their families. It can be used as a tool for increasing coordination among programs and organizations that serve the same client population.
Migrant School Locator Demonstration Project — A summary of a demonstration project illustrating the feasibility of using World Wide Web technology to connect selected migrant student databases in the United States.

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