This study critically analyzes the forms of access to and retention of Black quilombola students in Brazilian higher education. We know that, with the implementation of affirmative action policies in universities, a new demographic has gained significant access to higher education, allowing poor students and those from marginalized groups to become the first in their families and communities to earn a university degree through quota systems. However, the number of students from quilombola territories who manage to enter and complete undergraduate programs remains low. To deepen these reflections, an exploratory and qualitative study was conducted at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), using methodological strategies such as literature review, document analysis, quantitative surveys applied to quilombola students at UFRPE, and a narrative interview with a key participant. From a theoretical standpoint, the study draws on research related to education and educational policy, as well as ethnoracial reflections through an intersectional lens. The findings indicate that affirmative action policies at the undergraduate level tend to disrupt the perpetuation of inequality in access to federal universities. However, data also reveal that, despite significant structural changes, the issue of student retention for the quilombola population remains an urgent challenge for higher education institutions.