Pathy Leiva
Director of Access and Opportunity Programs
Since its launch in 2001, the SUNY Oneonta College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) has helped more than 450 students from migrant/seasonal-farm-working families pursue their dreams of earning a college degree.
Across the country, CAMP can be found on 51 college campuses. We have the distinction of hosting the only one in New York state, and this marks a milepost year for the program. CAMP is celebrating 20 years here at SUNY Oneonta.
The SUNY Oneonta program accepts 25 students per year. To qualify, the applicant or a member of their immediate family must be employed in agriculture, on a temporary or seasonal basis, for the past two years or the applicant must have participated in a Migrant Education Program (MEP). MEP is a federal initiative, administered through state education departments, that supports high-quality K-12 education programs for migratory children, ensuring they graduate with a high school diploma or earn a GED.
CAMP provides scholarships of $3,600 to $3,800 for a student’s first year. Of that, $1,600 goes directly to financial aid. The rest is used for transportation so that students can visit their families; books and school supplies; and a $20 weekly stipend that students can spend as they desire.
I am proud of our students, our graduates and the staff that has made CAMP a shining example of the caring community that is SUNY Oneonta.