This study explored the academic and physical barriers that homeless children in Utah encountered on a daily basis in a structured educational setting. The project was conducted in a shelter and resource center in Salt Lake City. Data were collected from 1 male and 14 female adults and 15 children, representing 15 families. A perceived barriers survey and a semistructured interview guide were used. In addition to the quantitative findings from these surveys, qualitative data from the interviews were used to describe the living experiences of these families. Results confirm that the sample population experienced nearly all the academic and physical barriers related to assimilation into structured educational settings that other homeless families in the United States experience. These include transportation problems, embarrassment at current living situations, and the lack of quiet time and rest. The common health problem of immunizations was not a problem in this shelter, since residents were required to be current with immunizations. In addition, these children escaped the common problem of difficulty completing homework because the center had educational resources and tutorial programs. Findings show that teachers, administrators, and support staff need to be more aware of these barriers to help homeless children succeed in school. Increasing community involvement could improve shelter conditions and facilitate children's schooling. Four appendixes contain the interview guides, the responses of each subject, illustrative figures, and the interview preface used in the study. (Contains 8 figures, 3 tables, and 27 references.) (SLD)