A department of computer information systems at a community college in the southeastern United States was struggling to retain students, a large number of whom often dropped out within the first and second semester of enrollment. Identifying potential solutions to the retention problem is important to department leaders, faculty, and students because of the financial impact of attrition on the school and the community. The purpose of this study was to identify the intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors of persistence among a small group of developmental education students within the department who successfully persisted to graduation. Ryan and Deci's framework for self-determination was the theoretical model that anchored the research. Two broad research questions focused on understanding intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors and understanding the school's services used by the students who persisted. Qualitative case study methodology was used to conduct the study; each participant served as a case. In-depth interviews were conducted with four successful students and academic transcripts were reviewed. Data were analyzed through organization into themes and patterns consistent with the conceptual framework. Key findings revealed that self-efficacy, self-determination, and certain academic and nonacademic services contributed to the students' persistence. A major conclusion is that students' intrinsic motivations influenced their academic success. Implications for positive social change include creation of peer mentoring programs and faculty training to increase student motivation and retention. [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.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]