Sacramento State - News and Information

July 17, 2009

The federal HEP grant will aid agricultural farmworker families.

Sacramento State will receive more than $450,000 in federal funding for a program that serves migratory and agricultural farmworker families. The University also will gain more than $22,000 in federal money to provide scholarships for disadvantaged nursing students.

A one-year grant of $451,221 was awarded to the Bilingual and Multicultural Education Department’s High School Equivalency Program (HEP) from the U.S. Department of Education. The federal agency expects to continue awarding the grant for five years, for a total of $2.25 million.

Since its creation in1993, University HEP has helped more than 1,700 migratory and seasonal workers and their families pass General Education Diploma (GED) examinations in English and Spanish. The program also provides counseling to help graduates move into better and higher-paying jobs and/or continue their education at vocational and community colleges.

”HEP provides a six- to nine-month study program to help individuals who work in agriculture or are migrant farmworkers to obtain a GED,” says Professor Maria Mejorado, HEP director. “So, for migrant students who will not earn a high school diploma because they did not pass the high school exit exam or did not have sufficient units, we are an excellent route.”

HEP operates year-round and serves up to 180 participants. The grant’s coverage area includes Woodland Community College and Winters High School in Yolo County, San Joaquin Delta College in San Joaquin County, Galt Adult School in Sacramento County, and Dixon High School in Solano County.

”This money will greatly benefit many Sacramento-area families, as it supports providing a path to a better life for many first-generation Americans, says U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento. “Community-based programs like those operating with Sacramento State are helping Californians to improve their lives and reach their full potential.”

For more information, call (916) 278-4156 or visit http://www.edweb.csus.edu/hep/

Meanwhile, Sacramento State also was awarded a $22,483 grant from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) to provide scholarships for disadvantaged students in the Division of Nursing.

“We have received this nursing school grant for approximately 18 years, and it has allowed numerous students to pay for tuition, books and living expenses,” says Bonnie Raingruber, nursing professor and director of the Center for Health and Human Services Research at Sacramento State. She noted there was increased competition for the funding this year as HHS received 100 more applications from nursing schools nationwide than it did a year ago.

The two new grants awarded to the University are separate from the federal stimulus package passed by Congress earlier this year.

For media assistance, contact Sacramento State’s Public Affairs office at (916) 278-6156.