Migrant families’ students could lose key support
Adrik Vargas
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – For 15 years, Arizona Western College’s (AWC) migrant student program has helped young people start college. Now, it’s future is uncertain.
The College Assistance Migrant Program, or CAMP, provides housing, meals, Wi-Fi, and academic support.
Each year, it gives scholarships to about 80 students, with the college stepping in to cover their second year. The program also helps “adopted” students who don’t qualify for the scholarship but still need guidance.
“They give us the confidence to believe that we can actually do this. And without that, it would be more likely impossible to achieve,” said First Generation student Alyssa Hernandez.
AWC is covering costs this year, but funding beyond that is unclear. President Trump’s budget proposal for 2026 calls for eliminating CAMP and other similar programs nationwide. That leaves AWC, which serves the largest number of migrant students in the state, especially vulnerable.
“Our students are successful because they have a group of people rallied around them. And I just get sad thinking about students who won’t get that support,” said CAMP Academic Advisor Rafael Encinas.
Encinas says the program helps students grow into confident adults. For Hernandez, it has given her the courage to dream big.
“My dream is to become the next state superintendent of Arizona. I wasn’t meant to be here. But truly, they have showed me that I’m worth while,” she said.