The $417,193 grant that Arizona Western College received for their new College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) is going to be applied for the program this year, and hopefully will probably be continued throughout the next four years.
According to a press release, AWC would be eligible for a total of $2,117,002 over five years to support students from families employed in migratory farm work to succeed in their initial year of college and beyond.
“AWC’s CAMP program could be the only one in Arizona, and 1 of 10 grants awarded for this purpose nationally,” commented Dr. Mary Schaal, AWC’s director of Institutional Effectiveness, Study & Grants in a press release. “It is a great honor to be selected for this very competitive grant award.”
To apply for the CAMP program, a student must be a U.S. citizen or a legal resident who is a migratory or seasonal farmworker, or a child of a single, entering their very first year of college. Qualifications also include anyone who has ever used migrant services during their K-12 education.
According to a press release, last year Yuma and La Paz County high schools served 2,092 migrant students (84 percent of all high school migrant students in Arizona).
The program will provide services for 40 students per year and will have helped 200 students over the span of the five-year program, which provides support in academic, personal, career and financial fields.
Supportive services that this program offers will include advising, educational planning, tutoring, career interest inventories, financial aid assistance and student stipends.