Student-parents often perform well academically but are more likely to drop out given the factors that support and motivate student-parents to graduate from a community college are not well understood. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore lived experiences of student-parents to reveal factors that support and motivate them to graduate from a community college and determine what approaches institutions can take to retain student-parents. Eight student-parents with dependent children attending a community college in the Midwest region of the United States participated. Tinto's theory of student departure and Knowles' andragogy served as the theoretical framework. Semi-structured interviews were completed with participants who opted in into the study. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in seven themes. Student-parents are supported and motivated and able to persist when they can maintain a work/life/school balance, affordability of their education, and the presence of institutional resources and staff. Participants identified faculty and staff as being a key component to their persistence and identified salient resources such TRiO, childcare, and financial aid that were necessary to have. Participants were encouraged to persist to advance their career trajectory, become a better provider, and serve as an example to their children. Recommendations for practice include continuous monitoring of the flexible scheduling needs of student-parents and establishing a holistic resource center for student-parents with online and in-person support groups. Suggestions for future research include replicating the current study across multiple community colleges and capturing the voice of male student-parents as well as gathering quantitative data nationwide to provide a broader perspective of the needs of student-parents. [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.]