The purpose of the phenomenological inquiry was to uncover the lived experiences of at-risk adult students in historically black colleges and universities. The intent was to provide an in-depth understanding of what these at-risk students face as they enter and matriculate at college, either for the first time or as returning students. The ten participants were selected in accordance with the criteria outlined by the researcher and approved by the School of Education and the Institutional Review Board. All of the participants met the requirements to participate in the study, meaning they were twenty-five years old or older and carrying other adult responsibilities while matriculating, a fact that contributed to their risk of failure. Six identifiable themes emerged that reflected the participant's experiences. These themes were: a) self motivation, persistence, and determination in the face of academic failure, (b) spirituality, (c) professional advancement, (d) social relational, (e) institutional frustrations, and (f) financial challenges. At-risk adult students are still a fast growing demographic in higher education. What this research revealed is that in the face of all of their responsibilities and challenges, at-risk adult students show determination and exercise perseverance because they have clear goals and highly value their educational experience as a second chance. Both vision and faith were shown to be critical to their success. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]