Pete Mendoza 
Several UTRGV grant-based programs, including the College Assistance Migrant Program, have yet to receive any form of federal funding for the Fall 2025 semester.
CAMP is a program “designed to serve first-year college students who come from a migrant/seasonal farm worker background,” according to its website.
The Rider received a copy of an email Monday regarding the offboarding of several program staff, which would take place Sunday, the end of the 2025 UTRGV fiscal year.
“Yes, federal funding for CAMP has not been released,” Patrick Gonzales, vice president for UTRGV Marketing and Communications, wrote in an email to The Rider Tuesday. “Because this matter involves ongoing federal processes, we do not have further comment at this time.”
The Rider contacted programs such as CAMP, TRiO Student Support Services, GEAR UP and Engaged Scholar and Artist Awards for a statement on Wednesday. As of press time, they referred The Rider back to Gonzales for further comment.
The Bill responsible for the hold is the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which froze education funding for different programs across the United States. The bill was passed in July.
Greg Contreras, president of the National High School Equivalency Program CAMP Association, said the association is attempting to advocate for the release of the $52 million of federal funds that were approved by Congress in the 2025 Fiscal Year budget.
“We’ve done a lot of advocacy at our state levels,” Contreras said. “… So, there’s been a lot of state level outreach.”
He said HEP CAMP has also sent letters to the members of Congress, created petitions that obtained 5,000 signatures and gone to Washington D.C. to continue to lobby and advocate.
“The latest that we’ve done is filed a lawsuit, on behalf of the National HEP CAMP Association,” Contreras said. “… Our association is the plaintiff, to file a lawsuit against the Department of Education to ask for the release of those funds.”
The lawsuit was filed on Aug. 18.
Without the money to fund the programs, staff have needed to be laid off, programs are closing down and students are not being able to get assistance, according to the HEP CAMP president.
Contreras said giving farmworking/agricultural students a chance for higher education can cause a “ripple effect” for the betterment of the country.
“We benefit by the hard work of the farm worker and for the Department of Education and, for the government to invest into our farm workers to also now get an education, it means that farmworkers will continue to contribute,” he said.
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