Padilla, Merkley, Wyden, Bonamici Lead Bipartisan Group Demanding Administration Release Over $50 Million for Agricultural Farm Worker Students

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), along with U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), led 26 lawmakers in a bipartisan letter demanding that Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and Education Secretary Linda McMahon immediately release $52.1 million in previously mandated funds for the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), which support educational opportunities for students from agricultural farm worker families.

Across the nation, HEP and CAMP programs serve more than 8,000 students whose families work to put food on America's tables. California receives the largest allocation of HEP/CAMP funding. The refusal to release this funding that Congress has previously approved threatens to undermine these students' success.

"Continuing and potential new grantees, all of which are colleges and non-profit organizations, were slated to receive funding and begin providing support to students by July 1 but have yet to receive the funding that Congress provided earlier this year," wrote the lawmakers. "We understand the Department of Education informed HEP and CAMP leaders in June that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was reviewing these programs, but grantees have not received follow up information as to when the funds will be released, which has imposed challenges on individuals and families served by these programs and applicants and grantees (and their employees) impacted by the uncertainty and delay."

Specifically, HEP supports students from migrant and seasonal farm worker families in earning a high school equivalency diploma. The CAMP program provides tutoring, academic advising, counseling, stipends, housing assistance, and other services to first-year college students from migrant and seasonal farm worker families.

In a 2024 report to Congress, HEP and CAMP showed that the percentage of HEP participants who received a High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) increased by 4.2 percentage points from FY 2021 to FY 2022, and 84 percent of HSED recipients entered postsecondary education or training programs, attained upgraded employment, or entered the military. Additionally, CAMP exceeded the national retention rates for first-time college freshmen returning for their second year.

"We should strive to retain more students enrolled in college, just as CAMP programs have achieved. These are results that can help strengthen the economy for agricultural farmworker families and rural communities," continued the lawmakers.

In addition to Merkley, Wyden, Padilla, and Bonamici, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-Minn.-02), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas-37), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.-03), Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine-01), Deborah Ross (D-N.C.-02), Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.-25), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), and Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.-01).

Earlier this week, Padilla also joined Merkley and a bipartisan group of Senators to sound the alarm over the Trump Administration delaying millions of dollars in federal education grants with no-cost extensions for TRIO programs, which support low-income, first-generation college students from all backgrounds.

Senator Padilla has repeatedly fought back against the Trump Administration's efforts to cut critical educational services. In July, Padilla, Senator Schiff, and Representatives Norma Torres (D-Calif.-35), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), and Derek Tran (D-Calif.-45) led the entire California Democratic Congressional Delegation in demanding the Department of Education and OMB immediately release nearly $7 billion in Congressionally appropriated funding for K-12 schools and adult education - including $928 million owed to California. Padilla and 31 other Senators also wrote to OMB Director Vought and Education Secretary McMahon demanding the immediate release of this funding. He and Schiff condemned the funding freeze when it was announced.

Full text of the HEP/CAMP letter is available here and below:

Dear Director Vought and Secretary McMahon:

We write today to express our strong support for the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP). We urge you to implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, which President Trump signed into law and requires $52,123,000 to be used for carrying out CAMP and HEP. This funding is necessary to ensure these educational programs provide critical access to educational opportunities for agricultural farmworker students.

Continuing and potential new grantees, all of which are colleges and non-profit organizations, were slated to receive funding and begin providing support to students by July 1 but have yet to receive the funding that Congress provided earlier this year. We understand the Department of Education informed HEP and CAMP leaders in June that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was reviewing these programs, but grantees have not received follow up information as to when the funds will be released, which has imposed challenges on individuals and families served by these programs and applicants and grantees (and their employees) impacted by the uncertainty and delay.

HEP helps students who have dropped out of high school get their High School Equivalency Credential and serves more than 6,000 students annually. CAMP assists students in their first year of college with academic, personal, and financial support, and serves approximately 2,400 participants annually. Overall, nearly three-quarters of all CAMP students graduate with baccalaureate degrees.

The HEP/CAMP FY 2024 Report to Congress shows that despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage of HEP participants who received a High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) increased by 4.2 percentage points from FY 2021 to FY 2022 and 84 percent of HSED recipients entered postsecondary education or training programs, attained upgraded employment, or entered the military.

Similarly, the CAMP program is achieving results for students. The HEP/CAMP FY 2024 Report to Congress shows that "Despite pandemic-related challenges, in both fiscal years[2021 and 2022], CAMP exceeded the national retention rates for first time college freshmen returning in their second year." We should strive to retain more students enrolled in college, just as CAMP programs have achieved. These are results that can help strengthen the economy for agricultural farmworker families and rural communities.

HEP and CAMP programs rely on this funding to serve more than 8,000 students across the country. We urge the administration to release this previously allocated funding. We look forward to working with you to make this funding available as soon as possible.