Latino college students studying for a Homeland Security degree in Pennsylvania colleges and universities do not graduate at the same rate as their non-Latino peers, despite the availability of academic support programs which seek to help them achieve greater success. The support programs available include providing low-income and other students with tuition, academic tutoring, and other advisory programs. Most of the Latino students who participated in this study use financial aid, yet there are many barriers blocking them from using the other programs effectively. The purpose of this collective case study was to explore those barriers and how they were experienced by active students enrolled in a Homeland Security program in Pennsylvania colleges and universities. Through a semi-structured interview protocol of 15 participants including 9 women and 6 men, from various colleges and universities, data were collected regarding usage of and any barriers they experienced toward utilization of those programs. The data were analyzed and different themes were found to be represented in the interviews, including the need for financial aid, a lack of awareness regarding available programs, website navigation and accessibility, language concerns, finding value in the program, peer pressures, distrust of school and other officials, and personal barriers. Regarding the role these programs play in the likely success or failure of Latino students, the most common themes were the need for and future burdens of financial aid, support programs as a requirement, and frustrations with tutoring. Participants described frustration based in language and ease of accessibility, as well as expenses. The frustration may well be related to the lack of social and cultural capital available in their families, thereby limiting resourcefulness. There is a need to make better usage of academic support programs attractive in the eyes of these Latino students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]