ABAC was notified of its selection for the grant by the United States Department of Education. Representative Sanford Bishop announced the decision. The grant was written and submitted by the college.
The purpose of HEP is to provide the necessary educational services to help eligible migrant and seasonal farm workers or their children complete the requirements for the high school equivalency exam. Upon successful completion of the exam, students receive their General Education Diplomas (GEDs).
The project will provide outreach and recruitment services to reach eligible students in addition to the necessary academic instruction and assistance leading toward the successful completion of a GED. Academic, vocational, and personal counseling and placement services will be components of the program. Placement services will include preparation to enter post-secondary education, the work force, or the military.
ABAC will serve 50 eligible students from the state of Georgia in a commuter and residential program. Thirty-five of the proposed students will be residential students who reside in campus facilities. The other fifteen will be commuter students. Financial assistance, housing, campus dining, and social/cultural events will be available to participating students.
"With this tremendous investment of resources, ABAC will be a leader in the nation in providing educational opportunities to children of migrant farm workers," ABAC President Mike Vollmer said. "We will be able to provide the access for these students to get their high school diplomas, and then support them during their first year of college. This is a win-win situation for the students and the state of Georgia."
Rocio Cardenas, Director of HEP, said that these new funds will also be useful in recruiting students for another one of ABAC's innovative programs, CAMP (College Assistance Migrant Program), which she also directs.
"Once students receive their high school diplomas through the new High School Equivalency Program, they will qualify to enter CAMP," Cardenas said.
CAMP is designed to recruit and assist students who are migratory or seasonal farm workers, or children of such workers, providing them with the financial services and assistance to complete their first year of college. CAMP services include counseling, tutoring skills workshops, financial aid stipends, and housing assistance to eligible students in their first year of college and follow-up services to participants after their first year.
In addition to outreach and recruitment services targeted to reach all eligible persons in the southeastern United States, CAMP also includes a network of resources that will benefit the students and assist them in achieving academic success. Prior to 1999, there was no program like CAMP in the southeastern United States.
Cardenas said the approval of the HEP grant shows that there is a definite need for a GED program for migrant students.
"The migrant population in Georgia is large enough to warrant a need for programs like HEP," Cardenas said. "Currently, there are only two programs [HEP] in the Southeast, both located in Florida. Hopefully, the approval of this grant will demonstrate the need for more migrant students programs, and HEP will spread to other areas in the Southeast."
Diane Kilgore, Director of ABAC's Office of Public Service and Business Outreach, said she is excited to see HEP added to ABAC's outreach programs.
"There is a great need for GED programs for migrant students," Kilgore said. "HEP is a great opportunity for us to reach out to migrant students and help them receive a quality education. Our office is proud to be affiliated with programs such as these."
The first group of students is scheduled to start the program in mid-October. There will be two separate components: the commuter component (Fall) and the residential component (Spring/Summer). The sessions will last 10 weeks.
"I am excited to see HEP and CAMP as part of ABAC," Cardenas said. "These programs show the commitment of the college and the community toward all migrant students. The HEP grant exemplifies the continuing efforts of ABAC to diversify the campus population."
For additional information on HEP, contact Cardenas at (229) 386-6934 or Kilgore at (229) 386-3267.
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