This paper, presented at an international conference, tries to put the unique problems of providing access to postsecondary education in the context of the social, economic, and political climate of the United States. The paper notes that since 1979 students are assuming a growing share while taxpayers have reduced their relative contributions to the costs of financing higher education. Additionally, federal assistance has shifted from grants to loans. While the U.S. government funds only a portion of higher education, access to wealth in America is closely tied to access to college; the average income for a college graduate is $37,224, for a high school graduate it is $20,248. With funding priorities shifted away from assisting the neediest students, the current focus is on programs specifically targeting disadvantaged and first-generation college students. Such programs begin to assist students earlier in their lives and have been a successful access strategy, even as the political climate in the United States becomes hostile to affirmative action programs. However, they face challenges from taxpayers who question how benefits are distributed and whether they provide adequate access to technology, and who threaten to eliminate continued federal funding. (Contains 17 footnotes.) (MAB)