The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and reasons why adult undergraduate nursing students, attending an online university in the United States, persisted beyond their first year. Persistence was described as a student's conscious choice to remain in their program in order to reach their educational goals (Mooring, 2016). The problem addressed in this study is why some adult undergraduate nursing students, that have attended a distance education nursing program in the United States, do not persist where others have. The theories in this study addressed what behaviors students utilized that supported their persistence in online education. These theories included transformational learning, online collaboration, and connectivism. It was the intention of this study to obtain a small sample size that would offer ample opportunity to explore views from those who persisted after their first year. Using thematic analysis, the results represented common characteristics of persistent behaviors. These results have demonstrated that adult online learners persist in their studies, past their first year, because they are motivated to do so. The most valued information derived from this study was the importance students placed on personal motivating factors that led to persistence. The most prominent reason students found that challenged their persistence was time management. The data analysis illustrated that early departures from school may impact students, society, the workforce, and the educational system. Future studies may further explore a deeper understanding of why online nursing students are committed to action. Universities may devise a process to identify students at risk for failure or early withdrawal thus closing performance gaps in online learning. [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.]