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

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) reauthorizes the ESEA. The purpose of reauthorized ESEA is to close the achievement gap, so that no child is left behind, by providing all children the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education that will enable them to meet state academic achievement standards.