This brief considers the policy implications of the college experiences of African American women at a predominantly White, research institution. The findings of this ethnographic study indicate that first-generation Black women grappled with academic and financial barriers to both their initial and continued transitions through college. Their struggles suggest a need to put resources toward need-based financial aid, early intervention programs providing both financial and academic assistance, and continued support/mentoring programs. The data presented here are part of a larger, critical ethnographic study of 30 Black women's college experiences and identity (Winkle-Wagner, in press; Winkle-Wagner, 2006). The author primarily focuses on the 25 first-generation women in the study. The primary research question for this brief was: What influences the early and continued college transitions of first-generation African American women?