As community colleges extend the educational franchise to increasing numbers of non-traditional students, educators face the dilemma of reconciling demands for academic quality with equal educational opportunity. Among these non-traditional students are Hispanic-Americans, one of the fastest growing populations in the country, who experience an inordinate high school dropout rate (64%) and who are underrepresented in higher education. To assure them equal educational opportunity, community colleges must seek methods of not only attracting and retaining Hispanic students, but also of providing an education that promotes the success of the Hispanic student and upholds the academic standards of the institution. Of various approaches that have been tried to achieve this goal, bilingual/bicultural programs have met the greatest success. The California community colleges, for example, offer 43 programs or courses in bilingual/bicultural areas, and students can work toward 31 bilingual/bicultural degrees. When combined with bilingual support services, these programs have resulted in a higher success rate for Hispanic students than programs using traditional, English-language instruction, proving that bilingual/bicultural education is a powerful tool in closing the gap between quality and equality. (The paper provides a suggested reading list of items dealing with open access and Hispanic students.) (JP)