Grant Programs

The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at Arizona Western College is a unique, federally funded grant program designed to help students with migrant or seasonal farm working backgrounds succeed in college. CAMP was established nationally in 1972 and has helped over 20,000 students accomplish their educational goals.

CAMP offers valuable information on pre-college preparation and first-year support services that encourages student development of the skills necessary to persevere and successfully graduate from college. Services include academic counseling, tutoring, skills workshops, health referrals, financial aid stipends and a residential program. Students also have the opportunity to develop lifelong friends while participating in social activities in a collegiate environment.

CAMP collaborates with AWC faculty, student services, outreach programs and community-based agencies to improve educational and career opportunities for all CAMP students. Follow-up services are provided to participants after their first year.

For eligibility requirements and application information, CAMP.

The CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act Grant was funded by the US Department of Education to provide economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act established the Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) fund to provide grant funding in the form of emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operation due to the pandemic. Grants ranging from $100 to $800 are awarded to students who were enrolled in for-credit classes on March 13, 2020. Students enrolled in 12 credit hours received $800; 9-11.5 credits, $500; 6-8.5 credits, $250; and less than 6 credits, $100.

For eligibility requirements and application information, CARES Act Report.

CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents in School) Grant is funded by the Arizona Department of Education. The grant provides child-care financial assistance to low-income students who are parents, in post-secondary education through provision of campus-based and/or community child-care services. CAMPUS CARE offers multi-site solutions to increase help for students, providing options for child-care and supporting students' ability to balance academic choices with real world challenges.

For eligibility requirements and application information, Child Development.

On March 13, 2020, General Motors Desert Proving Grounds presented the Arizona Western College Foundation a $10,000 donation funded through the General Motors Foundation to support students through the Edgar Mendoza GM Foundation Scholarship. These scholarships are awarded to students in the AWC Automotive Technology program

For eligibility requirements and application information, Foundation Scholarships.

The lnstinct2 grant staff are tasked with implementing six related initiatives that work together to build the Informatics degrees pathway that links an AAS degree from Arizona Western College with a BAS degree at University of Arizona South. These six initiatives together create a comprehensive suite of projects, activities, and services that will create, implement and support the new and exciting Informatics degree pathway.

Our Initiatives

• Initiative One: Curriculum Development and Design Enhancement
• Initiative Two: Student Support Services
• Initiative Three: Outreach and Advising Support
• Initiative Four: Infrastructure/ Technology
• Initiative Five: Articulation /Transfer Models
• Initiative Six: Social Belonging Intervention Randomized Control Trial

Curriculum Information

The planned renovation and expansion of the Arizona Western College San Luis Informatics Center is the result of a Federal Title III STEM Grant awarded to AWC on October 1, 2016; “Informatics STeming Into New Careers for Today and Tomorrow” (INSTINCT2).

This renovation/expansion will double AWC’s learning spaces currently at San Luis Middle School; thus creating two active learning classrooms, a Discovery Lab and an open student work area, the “Student Idea Incubator.” Each of these spaces will be equipped with state-of-the-art computer equipment in order to provide a newly created AAS degree in computer informatics.

The AAS Informatics degree from Arizona Western College transfers seamlessly to a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Informatics from University of Arizona South. This degree pathway will incorporate updated curriculum with an emphasis in four innovative degree emphasizes that utilize the latest technology and are taught using hands-on, real-world experiences: (1) Systems Administration, (2) Software Development/Information Management, (3) Cyber Operations and (4) Digital Design.

The addition of these classes, along with the renovation of the other spaces, will establish a path where all 4 years of a baccalaureate degree in Informatics can take place in South Yuma County.

This project is in part supported under a Title III, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) grant from the U.S. Department of Education; Hispanic Serving Institutes Division. $861,655 toward this renovation will be derived from Federal grant dollars; which is 94.2% of the total project costs. Arizona Western College will contribute $53,000 which is 5.8% of the total project costs.

Project “Impact” is a $500,000, 4-year grant funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). It will enhance student learning experiences by expanding AWC’s academic library services to include a Conservation Lab as well as a Digital Humanities Center that supports the College and its three partner Universities.

The development of the Conservation Lab will allow scholars to practice the craft of arts preservation and cataloguing while preserving local art collections. The establishment of a Digital Humanities Center will provide student access to multimedia and multidisciplinary learning space dedicated to preserving the region’s unique intellectual content of materials relevant to the area, through the conversion of content to digital formats. Both library additions will help meet the significant demand for digital resources compatible with the changing needs of academia.

Arizona Western College is a participant in TRIO, three federally funded grant programs originally established as Student Support Services, Talent Search and Upward Bound under the Higher Education Act of 1965. TRIO was given its name at the inception of the first three programs; however, it now includes eight federal outreach and student service programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. The federal TRIO programs are administered, funded and implemented by the US Department of Education.

SSS – KEYS (Keep Envisioning Your Success) at Arizona Western College is a federally grant-funded program designed to increase the college retention and graduation rates of approximately 240 students each school year through outreach and student service programs.

The KEYS program assists students in earning their associate’s degree by providing:

• Advisement with postsecondary course selection and career counseling
• Academic tutoring
• Peer mentoring
• Information on both the full range of student financial aid programs and completion of financial aid applications and scholarships
• Education and counseling services to improve financial literacy
• Graduation and transfer guidance for enrollment in four-year programs

For eligibility requirements and application information, visit KEYS.

Talent Search is a US Department of Education grant-funded program created to identify and assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. The goal of Talent Search is to increase the number of youths from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and continue on to college, ultimately attaining a post-secondary degree.

Services provided by the program include:

• Academic, financial, career and/or personal counseling including advice on entry or re-entry to secondary or postsecondary programs
• Career exploration and aptitude assessment
• Tutorial services
• Information on postsecondary education
• Exposure to college campuses
• Information on student financial assistance
• Assistance in completing college admissions and financial aid applications
• Assistance in preparing for college entrance exams
• Mentoring programs
• Special activities for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders

For eligibility requirements and application information, visit Talent Search.

Upward Bound is a US Department of Education grant-funded program designed to increase the academic skills and motivational levels of low-income and/or first-generation college students to the extent that they will complete high school, successfully enter a post-secondary educational program and graduate.

The Upward Bound program provides:

• Academic instruction in mathematics, laboratory sciences, literature and composition and/or foreign languages
• Academic tutoring
• Counseling and mentoring
• Cultural enrichment
• Work-study programs
• Training designed to improve the financial literacy of students

For eligibility requirements and application information, visit Upward Bound.

The Yuma Educational Success (YES) program is a new collaborative initiative for AWC, NAU Yuma, and the Yuma Union High School District. It will create systems to support student enrollment, transfer, and retention for student progress from from high school into college and between AWC and NAU.

A total of $1.7 million of this 2.7 million award from the Helios Education Foundation will be shared with AWC to pay for student scholarships as well as staff, personnel, and student program expenses. Each of the 480 students who participate in the YES program can earn a $1,500 scholarship. The YES initiative is designed to support and encourage low-income, first-generation minority students.