California's welfare reform program, Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN), assigned the state's community colleges a major role in promoting financial self-sufficiency among welfare recipients by equipping them with marketable vocational skills. A study was conducted to determine the nature and amount of involvement of the community colleges in planning and implementing GAIN, and to assess program capacity, the quality and capacity of the colleges' management information systems, and their desire for technical assistance in implementing GAIN. The study found that: (1) over 80% of the colleges expect to have implemented GAIN by the end of 1988-89; (2) over 50% plan to provide vocational education and English as a Second Language instruction, 40% will provide short-term job training, and over 30% will provide support services such as personal and employment counseling, vocational assessment, and child care; (3) the academic performance of GAIN students in 1986-87 was better than average for community college students in terms of units attempted and completed and grade point average; (4) GAIN students tended to be unmarried with children, economically disadvantaged, and to have little employment experience; and (5) GAIN had the support of community college administrators and program participants. Based on study findings, recommendations were developed for improving GAIN service delivery, reporting, and funding, and for providing technical assistance. The greater part of the document consists of three major reports produced by the GAIN study: (1) Special Census Survey on GAIN Services; (2) Community College Maintenance-of-Effort Data for GAIN Implementation; and (3) Community College Students and GAIN: Analysis of Student Files and Survey Data. (EJV)