The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore second year college students' experiences with academic support programs and their personal academic coping strategies. The research questions were designed to collect data regarding the experiences with academic support programs of U.S. Midwest public college students who were continuously enrolled and their personal academic coping strategies. Theories of retention, involvement, and engagement served as the theoretical foundation for the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and saturation was reached after 10 students were interviewed. Data were analyzed through a 6-step thematic approach. Themes that emerged included general environment, care for well-being of the whole student, strengths and weaknesses of the program, finding a program that was affordable, dealing with barriers to attendance, and using peer support. Study findings confirmed that support programs can enhance student success and retention. Practical implications include enhancing resources to support students' well-being and regular attendance, emphasizing regular program evaluation, and developing and maintaining formal peer support programs. Suggestions for further research include study of informal peer support and longitudinal studies to examine the role of academic support in student success and retention over 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.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]