A preliminary study is presented that attempts to define the linguistic needs of minorities in higher education in the State of Massachusetts. In particular, the study focuses on comments and information provided by educators, students, and would-be students, who were interviewed in Spanish and English, in the cities of Lynn, Lawrence, and Lowell, Massachusetts. The study examines the issue of degree attainment in higher education by linguistic minority and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students and the need for statistical data to track this area. An example of assessment/retention rates for native-English-speaking students admitted to the Northeast Consortium of Colleges and Universities is given; the ensuing data are then used as a backdrop to ask and discuss questions concerning the rating system as applied to the linguistic minority pool of applicants. Three ESL program models designed for linguistic minority participation from three community colleges are described, and an argument stressing the need of ESL development studies and academic standards for a degree-granting ESL program is presented. Recommendations are provided. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education) (GLR)