An important aspect of college admissions policies regarding applicants from low income families is the proportion admitted who score less than 400 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Among local colleges and universities ten percent of those admitted will have scored below 400, but 20 percent of Boston area high school seniors will have scored that low. Of the low income children who took the test in 1969, 30.1 percent scored below 400, while only 15.1 percent of high income children scored lower than 400. Further, of the 4000 area high school seniors denied entrance to college, 900 will have scored above 400 on the SAT but lack the necessary financial resources, while 3100 will have scored below 400. The financial aspect of this problem must be dealt with along with measures to overcome the aptitude barrier to higher education for lower income children. The state should set as its immediate goal the elimination of the 10 percent gap between student aspirations and student plans. Expansion of state facilities alone will not alleviate this situation. (JM)