Various studies have shown that the school system in South Africa is continually producing learners who are inadequately prepared for higher education studies, particularly schools in disadvantaged environments. The University of Venda (UNIVEN) is situated in an educationally disadvantaged environment. Most of the students who enroll at this university come from areas characterized by educational backlogs and low socio-economic status, among others. A study skills training programme was introduced in the Foundation Programme at the University of Venda to enhance the academic performance of first year students who are considered to be at risk. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the study skills training programme using a quantitative approach. The results indicate that the academic performance of students in the Foundation Programme was lower as compared to that of mainstream students who were not exposed to the study skills training programme. The implications of these findings for student academic development programmes are considered. (Contains 1 figure and 9 tables.)