1. The child is not older than 21 years of age; and

   • the child is entitled to a free public education (through grade 12) under state law,
     or

   • the child is not yet at a grade level at which the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education provides a free public education; 

and

2. The child made a qualifying move in the preceding 36 months and stayed a minimum of 72 hours as a migratory agricultural worker or a migratory fisher, or did so with, or to join a parent/guardian or spouse who is a migratory agricultural worker or a migratory fisher; 

and

3. With regard to the qualifying move identified in the paragraph above, the child moved due to economic necessity from one residence to another residence, and moved across the complex area boundaries.

4. Children who fit the above definition are eligible for MEP services. However, only children between the ages of three and 22 (i.e., have not had a 22nd birthday) are counted for state funding purposes.

Priority For Service students are those identified migrant children who meet the following criteria and, as a result, should receive MEP services first. 

PFS students are:

• Have made a qualifying move within the previous one-year period; and

• Are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the challenging state academic standards, and/or 

• Have dropped out of school, and/or

• Preschool-aged child (3-5 not in kindergarten) not served by any other program, and/or

• Active EL student,, and/or

• IDEA student and/or

• 504 plan

Important: Under Title I, Part C of ESSA, priority for all MEP-funded instructional and support services must be given to Priority for Services (PFS) students before serving other migratory children.

Schools are encouraged to have parents complete the Migrant Education Program (MEP) Survey Form to determine their children's eligibility. Once the survey is submitted, it is forwarded to the State MEP Office, where staff will contact the parent to conduct a follow-up interview. 

Hawaii Parent Work Survey

The Hawaiʻi Migrant Education Program (MEP) provides funding to schools to support the unique needs of migratory students and help them meet state academic standards despite educational disruptions. Schools with at least one identified migrant student are eligible to request funding through their complex area.

Funded schools use MEP resources to deliver both instructional and support services aligned with the Migrant Education Program’s Service Delivery Plan (SDP) and Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA). These services address four key goal areas: English Language Arts and mathematics, school readiness, high school graduation and diploma completion, and non-instructional support services.