The effectiveness of institutional, state, and federal efforts to expand educational participation in California is examined in this third of a three-report series on equal opportunity in California postsecondary education. The purposes of this report are to: (1) review the progress made during the past five years, (2) identify the barriers to further progress, (3) inventory existing student affirmative action programs, and (4) provide recommendations for a coordinated statewide effort to increase the educational participation of low-income, ethnic minority, and women students. Chapters present statistical information and conclusions on such areas as: the participation of ethnic minorities and women in postsecondary education; barriers to expanded participation in postsecondary education; existing campus-based programs; "Special Action/Exception" admissions policies; student financial assistance programs; meeting the needs of students with dependent children; and recommendations for a coordinated statewide effort in student affirmative action. Several conclusions were reached, such as: the underrepresentation of Chicano students is particularly severe since they constitute the largest and the fastest-growing ethnic minority group in California; more coordination is needed between federal, state, and institutionally funded student affirmative action programs; and there is a general lack of formal cooperative efforts among postsecondary institutions in outreach programs designed to assist ethnic minority and low-income students in gaining access to postsecondary education. (LC)