Wenatchee Valley College CAMP Program Receives $2.4M Federal Grant

The Wenatchee Valley College CAMP program has received a multi-million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education. As a result this program is fully funded through 2029.

The College Assistance Migrants Program is designed specifically for an underserved demographic: migrants and seasonal farmworkers. CAMP enrollees are invariably first-year undergraduates.

According to a press release, "The program provides academic and financial support services to empower students, so they have a strong foundation to build upon as they work toward a bachelor's degree."

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Some of the eligibility requirements are as follows. To qualify for CAMP assistance, students must legally reside in the United States. They must possess a high school diploma or equivalent. And they must be enrolled at WVC on a full-time basis - that means 15+ credits per quarter.

Lastly, students are rendered ineligible if they haven't completed a FAFSA application. (The FAFSA process is notoriously convoluted and intimidating, even for non-migrants. It's also prone to unexplained glitches.) A WVC financial award letter can be substituted for EFC (Expected Family Contribution).

The CAMP website helpfully defines a migrant farmworker as "someone whose job requires travel which keeps him or her from returning to a permanent home the same day."

By contrast, "A seasonal farmworker is someone who has been employed in farmwork for at least 75 days in the last two years, including seasonal work."

CAMP participants are divided into "cohorts." For example, if a student began at WVC during the 2022-23 academic year, they belong to Cohort 14. Current freshmen - or rising sophomores - belong to Cohort 15.

There's a chronological explanation for this. The CAMP program - one of nine such programs in Washington State - began in earnest in 2009.

Since then over 800 students have participated. The program is funded by the DOE's Office of Migrant Education.