UTEP Receives $2.3 Million to Help Migrant Farm Workers Complete High School
Program will provide intensive equivalency courses for 55 farmworkers
EL PASO, Texas (Aug 13, 2024) – The University of Texas at El Paso is continuing its work to support migrant and seasonal farm workers in their pursuit of a High School Equivalency Certificate (HSE). The effort is supported by a new grant of $2.3 million from the U.S. Department of Education.
The UTEP initiative, called the High School Equivalency Program (HEP), began in 1972. In its latest iteration, 55 participants ages 17 and above from across Far West Texas and Southern New Mexico will attend intensive high school equivalency courses over a 12-week cycle at various sites, including the UTEP Campus. Participants also can take courses at a designated site near their home or attend the program remotely.
Norma Chacon, director of the UTEP HEP program, said the campus-based courses are an especially valuable part of the program.
“The students often bring their families, and at that point we are not just changing one life but recruiting their friends, parents, brothers, sisters or children. They all suddenly want to be a part of us,” Chacon said.
HEP provides students with the materials they need to obtain their GED certificate, career orientation sessions, support from tutors and presentations from various speakers. Participants also receive guidance on how to get into postsecondary education.
Organizers say the goal of the program is to create and foster opportunities for the students to grow academically and unlock their potential.
“We must do a lot of investigating in crop cycles and work schedules,” Chacon explained. “These students are very used to moving around and losing years of academic education, so we often split courses and classes while providing remote materials to keep them up to date.”
HEP has served more than 3,000 individuals since its inception. Chacon said it maintains a high graduation rate of 70% per cycle.
To make that possible, participants receive multiple forms of so-called wrap-around support in addition to financial assistance for their coursework. Those include transportation assistance, testing fees, books and more, all funded by the program.
The most recent grant from the Department of Education will fund these efforts until 2029.
About The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is America’s leading Hispanic-serving university. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 24,000 students are Hispanic, and more than half are the first in their families to go to college. UTEP offers 170 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.
Last Updated on July 23, 2024 at 12:00 AM | Originally published July 23, 2024
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