As higher education enrollment patterns have changed, so too has the focus for institutional administrators. The community schools model is currently being piloted in New York State in an effort to increase the bleak retention and persistence rates of community college students. College students have been shown to be retained at higher rates when they are engaged in supportive services on campus. The Jefferson Community School program was designed to meet the non-academic needs of the community college student population of a rural campus in Northern New York. This program included food pantry, transportation, and childcare services at no cost to enrolled students. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between use of non-academic services and retention and persistence rates of community college students (n = 90). A quantitative, quasi-experimental research method approach was used to compare matched samples of students who participated in the Jefferson Community Schools program and students who did not participate in the Jefferson Community Schools program. Each sample consisted of 45 students who were matched on enrolled credit hours, age, gender and Pell status. An ANOVA statistical test was conducted to compare the matched sample groups. Results of this study showed that 30 out of 45 students in the Jefferson Community Schools program were retained and 41 out of 45 persisted. This was compared to retention of 30 out of 45 and persistence of 42 out of 45 of the matched non participatory sample. The results of this study suggest that providing non-academic resources to low-income students may serve to equalize the chances of being retained or persisting when compared to peers that have more resources of their own (p < 0.05). Future research in this area should include a larger sample size and should be analyzed over a longer period of time. [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://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]