Of the original number of Alaskan natives entering the University of Alaska from rural and urban areas, 50% drop out at the end of their freshman year, and less than 2% are likely to receive a degree at the end of 4 years. This high attrition rate is caused by poor elementary and secondary school preparation, and strong personal feelings of inadequacy that are intensified at a campus that is both integrated and oriented toward Western culture. An educational experiment, College Orientation Program for Alaskan Natives (COPAN), was initiated in 1964 by the University of Alaska in cooperation with USOE and with grant-in-aid support from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. It is a special 4-year, 6-week summer program focusing on language development and cultural awareness, and available on a voluntary basis to all native Alaskan high school seniors who meet the university's entrance criteria (high school GPA 2.0 or better). It offers selected courses on Western cultures, informal seminars and discussions, field trips, and living accommodations in Western homes. Counseling is provided to help students resolve transitional problems and develop confidence and competence. The academic survival rate for COPAN students in 1965-67 was 51%, compared to 38.7% for native non-COPAN students. Within this non-COPAN group, drop-out rates have decreased since 1965, indicating a possible increase in academic survival for the entire native Alaskan group. A University proposal for an expanded version of COPAN is included. (WM)