Since the University of California (UC) Board of Regents banned the consideration of race, ethnicity and gender in admissions, college outreach programs have been the primary vehicle of achieving diversity among the UC student body. Outreach programs constitute an array of tools and services that help improve the college preparedness and eligibility of students from various backgrounds. However, recent state budget deficits have led the Legislature to significantly reduce funding for many programs and services. The elimination of outreach programs poses a significant challenge to the future economic prospects of economically disadvantaged and under-served minority populations who tend to have low earnings, low levels of education, and a difficult time finding jobs. Reductions to outreach funds, writes the author, are likely to: (1) Jeopardize UC's commitment to diversity; (2) Disproportionately cut services to those student populations who are in the greatest need; (3) Dismantle numerous partnerships and networks between higher education and communities that have taken years to build; (4) Eliminate programs and practices that have been proven to be effective in increasing college eligibility; and (5) Reduce fiscal benefits that college attendance is likely to provide the state. In light of research that supports outreach program effectiveness at increasing the rate of educationally disadvantaged and under-represented minority college eligible students, and the positive expected returns in terms of purchasing power of program participants, the author advocates funding programs based on the following principles: (1) Sufficient funding should be provided to at least maintain the infrastructure of effective programs so that in future years additional revenues will not be spent rebuilding the programs from scratch; (2) Funding should continue for those programs that have already been proven to be effective; and (3) Individual program objectives should be considered when evaluating outreach program efficiency. (Contains 10 footnotes, 29 endnotes, 3 figures and 6 tables)