WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY DAILY EVERGREEN

October 11, 2006

WSU gets grant for students from migrant families

University will receive $20 million during the next five years to help students who otherwise might not go to college.

By Dustin Goodnight

After nearly 10 years and three previous attempts, WSU received the College Assistance Migrant Program grant in late September from the U.S. Department of Education.

The grant will award the university $2 million during the next five years to support 50 first-year students from migrant or seasonal farm-worker families.

The effort to bring the grant to WSU was spearheaded by Interim Dean of Students Lucila Loera. Loera, who submitted two separate applications, said numerous attempts were required because federal funding was slim and many universities were in competition for the grant, known as CAMP.

 “CAMP sends a message that we are an institution about access,” Loera said.

Steve Nakata, director of communications and public relations for the WSU Office of the Vice President for Equity and Diversity, oversaw the original grant application nearly a decade ago. He said the grant’s arsenal of support programs like academic tutoring, mentoring, financial aid counseling, leadership training and cultural enrichment opportunities should give migrant students an opportunity to succeed that they may not have otherwise received.

Nakata said many of the target students come from families for which farming is the only source of income. He said this environment rarely provides students with the motivation or the means to be successful in higher education.

“It’s difficult to imagine coming from a background of working the fields, moving from state to state and trying to complete high school,” Nakata said. “If we can support these students in their transition, the more likely they will succeed..

CAMP will work to complement other programs already in place like WSU’s High School Equivalency Program, he said. The university’s HEP program helps students finish high school.

“We are fortunate to have a strong high school equivalency program,” Nakata said of the longest running HEP program in the nation. “CAMP will be a next step to the HEP program. That kind of help will continue at the next level..

Nakata said CAMP could go a long way in recruiting migrant students to the university. Given the opportunities available, Nakata expects a positive image of the program to spread quickly.

“There has to be a recruitment component because not all families will know of the program,” Nakata said. “It’s important that these students are successful because word of mouth is our best recruitment strategy..

 Since the funding for CAMP bega.

Oct. 1, the program will consist of 50 students from the current student body for its first year. Then, with the help of HEP, a new class will be chosen in fall 2007. A CAMP staff has yet to be assembled.