Collaborative College Assistance Migrant Program

HIstory

A Brief Overview of the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) &
The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) History
The High School Equivalency Program and the College Assistance Migrant Program (HEP-CAMP) have existed since 1967 and 1972 respectively. The HEP helps migrant students who have dropped out of high school get their GED. CAMP assists migrant students in their first year of college with academic, personal, and financial support. Since their inception, both programs have achieved stunning success rates. In the 1998-1999 academic year, 73 percent of the HEP participants received their GEDs while 88 percent of the CAMP students successfully completed their first year of college. Overall, nearly three-quarters of all CAMP students graduate with baccalaureate degrees.

1967 - Educational Systems Corporation, a private educational research company, developed the original HEP and CAMP concepts for the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), which was created as part of the Johnson Administration's War on Poverty.

Title III of the Economic Opportunities Act authorized the HEP. Catholic University in Washington, D.C. was chosen to pilot the first HEP project.

1972 - The first CAMP grants were awarded to:

• Adams State College in Alamos, Colorado;
• California State College in San Diego, California;
• Pan American University (now University of Texas Pan American) in Edinburg, Texas; and
• Saint Edward's University in Austin, Texas.

The Pan American University was the first postsecondary institution to have both a HEP and a CAMP program.

1973 - The OEO planned to expand HEP from 19 to 30 projects when the Nixon Administration decided to dismantle the office and discontinue many of its programs.

HEP became part of the Manpower Division of the Department of Labor (DOL) under the Community Education and Training Act (CETA), and the expansion plans were discontinued.

1980 - HEP and CAMP were transferred to the newly created Department of Education (ED).

1982 - There were 19 HEP and 6 CAMP projects. The number of projects would remain relatively constant until 1999.

1993 - HEP and CAMP projects received their first five-year grant award, previously grants had to be renewed annually.

1995 - President Clinton submitted a budget proposing zero funding for HEP and CAMP. The decision spurred outrage from migrant education advocates who spearheaded a campaign to save the programs. As a result, the Congress agreed that the programs were a necessary and vital investment in the future, and funds were appropriated for the 1996-1998 grant years.

1999 - HEP and CAMP were included as part of the Clinton Administration's "Hispanic Education Action Plan." The programs received their first significant funding increase since the early 1980s. 23 HEP and 12 CAMP projects were awarded - a record number for the programs.

2000 - HEP and CAMP funding was increased to $15 million and $7 million, respectively. 15 new HEPs and 8 new CAMPS were added.

2001 - Another record funding year for the programs - HEP received $20 million and CAMP, $10 million, enabling the Department of Education to add 10 new CAMP projects and 13 new HEPs. There were a total of 81 projects operating in 21 states and Puerto Rico.

2002 - Program funding was increased to $38 million -- $15 million for CAMP and $23 million for HEP.