Although community colleges currently account for over half of minority enrollment in America, there is controversy regarding whether the colleges actually provide minority students with access to higher education or merely track them into low-level studies. A number of barriers to success face minority community college students, such as inadequate college prep programs at inner-city high schools, inefficient or culturally-biased assessment methods, and cuts in federal financial assistance. Moreover, nearly 90% of these students are in developmental programs and many are either adult learners, foreign-born or -educated, field-dependent learners with an external locus of control, or lacking self-esteem. Changes occurring in many states to remove developmental programs from universities also reduce the likelihood of minority students achieving bachelor's degrees. To address these issues, colleges have begun to employ comprehensive and innovative methods to retain and matriculate minority students. New York's Borough of Manhattan Community College, for example, maintains a family day care network to train caregivers; operates a pre-freshman immersion program for reading, math, and writing; and works with businesses to obtain alternative sources of financial aid. Other efforts include the Minority Transfer Opportunities Program at Texas' Houston Community College and innovative articulation agreements developed by Ohio's Cuyahoga Community College. (Contains 27 references.) (BCY)