The Student Affirmative Action Program at California State University, Long Beach was designed to serve the needs of Latino students, an underrepresented population in higher education, and to help eliminate identified institutional barriers to their participation. Barriers include inadequate orientation and information, poor planning and academic scheduling, limited support services, and personal and cultural alienation. Program features include: the original summer residential program providing orientation, basic study skills, academic advising, and exposure to some of the interpersonal dynamics of the first year; intensive writing and math instruction; and fall course registration. Participating students are assigned a trained peer advisor for regular meetings, progress evaluation, and referrals for additional academic and nonacademic services. Student scheduling incorporates breaks so students may use academic support services, meet with faculty, or prepare for classes. Group tutorials are also used. Faculty are involved as mentors, advisors, assessors, consultants to peer advisors, instructors, and referral sources. A study of the program's success with three cohorts found their academic performance to be better than that of a control group's, and their retention rates surpassed even those of majority students. (MSE)