Students entering through affirmative action policy encounter numerous and serious difficulties to stay in university and complete their courses. The access of these new students emphasized the policies of permanence and, from then on, the theme has been attracting a growing interest of researchers who seek to know and understand the aspects that are involved in the permanence of the students in the university. The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro had its first experience with affirmative action policy for admission to its undergraduate courses in 2011, almost ten years after it became a reality in other public institutions. Especially from the Law of Quotas, sanctioned in 2012, there was a massive influx of students with a new profile, which had a greater impact on the high prestige courses, where most of the students come from the upper social classes. In this way, the present study seeks to analyze the university trajectories of students entering through affirmative action, in prestigious courses, based on their perceptions about daily university life. In order to meet the objectives of the research, we interviewed the total of thirteen students, who have maintained an improbable trajectory, since they have been surviving in a space where their presence is little expected. The empirical results demonstrate that the permanence of these students, although permeated by financial difficulties, is not restricted to them. The situations that are presented also relate to the symbolic aspect, which involves their integration into the university environment and belonging to space and to the group. The question of permanence, therefore, extends beyond the provision of material resources, demanding from the university new postures and practices.