This is the first interim report of the congressionally mandated National Study of Student Support Services (SSS), a federally funded grant program designed to help economically disadvantaged students achieve success at the postsecondary level. The program is intended to facilitate disadvantaged students' high school completion, entry into and completion of postsecondary education, and entry into graduate study. The report combines the results of two parts of the study. The first part (Chapters 2-6) provides an overview of the SSS program drawn from several national data sets and a survey of 200 SSS project directors. The second part (Chapters 7-9) presents the results of case studies of support services, policies, and programs in 50 institutions, of which 30 have SSS projects and 20 do not. Key findings are highlighted at the start of each chapter and they include: (1) the proportion of low income families has grown for each educational group except those in which at least one member has a college degree; (2) noncognitive factors important in college success among this population are a positive self-concept, realistic self-appraisal, ability to deal with racism, and preference for long-term goals; (3) SSS funding was $10 million in 1970 and $130 million in 1993; and (4) 25 percent of higher education institutions receive SSS funding. Appendices detail sampling methodology and provide additional details of study preliminary findings. (Contains 118 references.) (JB)