Title I, Part C - Education of Migratory Students

The Migrant Education Program (MEP) is authorized by Part C of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). The MEP provides formula grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) to establish and improve education programs for migratory children. These grants assist States in improving educational opportunities for migratory children to help them succeed in the regular school program, meet the same State academic content and student academic achievement standards that all children are expected to meet, and graduate from high school.

The general purpose of the MEP is to ensure that migratory children fully benefit from the same free public education provided to other children. To achieve this purpose, the MEP helps SEAs and local operating agencies address the special educational needs of migratory children to better enable migratory children to succeed academically. More specifically, the purposes of the MEP are to:

• Support high-quality and comprehensive educational programs for migratory children in order to reduce the educational disruption and other problems that result from repeated moves;

• Ensure that migratory children who move among the States are not penalized in any manner by disparities among the States in curriculum, graduation requirements, and State academic content and student academic achievement standards;

• Ensure that migratory children are provided with appropriate educational services (including supportive services) that address their special needs in a coordinated and efficient manner;

• Ensure that migratory children receive full and appropriate opportunities to meet the same challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards that all children are expected to meet;

• Design programs to help migratory children overcome educational disruption, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, various health-related problems, and other factors that inhibit their ability to do well in school, and to prepare them to make a successful transition to postsecondary education or employment; and

• Ensure that migratory children benefit from State and local systemic reforms. 

Source: Section 1301 of the ESEA 

Guidance

The USDE Non-Regulatory Guidance document is designed to help SEAs and local operating agencies use MEP funds to develop and implement supplemental educational and support services to assist migratory children. This guidance does not impose requirements beyond those in the ESEA and other Federal statutes and regulations that apply to the MEP.

• USDE Non-Regulatory Guidance: Title I, Part C Education of Migratory Children (PDF) (October 2010) 

Resources

Kansas Title I, Part C Education Program Service Delivery Plan (PDF) (June 2026)

KSDE Migrant Fact Sheet (PDF) (March 2025)

At-a-glance overview of Title I, Part C: Education of Migratory Children program.

Kansas MEP Evaluation 2023-2024 (PDF) (May 2025)

This report presents the results of the evaluation of the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Title I, Part C Program (Education of Migratory Children) that includes a review of 2023-24 programs and services (first year of implementation of the 2023 Kansas Title IC Service Delivery Plan [SDP]) and provides information on the extent to which goals were met as defined by migratory student progress toward Kansas State performance measures, the national Title IC performance measures, and the Kansas Title IC measurable program outcomes (MPOs). In addition, implementation of program services was evaluated through surveys, interviews, and a rubric-based self-assessment tool that examined the level of implementation of the strategies as outlined in the Kansas Title IC SDP.

Free Lunch Letter (PDF) (June 2025) 

This memo reminds all Migrant Program Directors and Data Clerks that migrant children are “categorically eligible” to receive free school meals once the district Migrant Education Program (MEP) provides documentation of migrant children to the Child Nutrition Program (CNPs). (Any student with migrant eligibility as of July 1 is eligible for free lunches for the entire upcoming school year.)

Allowable Expenditures for Federal Migrant Education Program Funds (PDF) (June 2013) 

Outlines allowable uses of Migrant Education Program (MEP) Funds.

User Application for Access to MSIX (Fillable PDF)

Priority for Services Form (Fillable PDF)

Technical Assistance

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