The influence of the services ascribed to the Student Affairs department in the first-year student retention is a continuing discussion in higher education. Some research suggests Student Affairs department planned activities and services could improve student integration and engagement in the college culture, enhancing student retention. However, Student Affairs department participation and resources continue to be imprecise and significantly less transparent than the academic resources in designing the institutional retention plans. The problem addressed by this study was that non-traditional students do not integrate into the university environment at a for-profit university in Puerto Rico. The purpose of this explanatory qualitative case study was to explore the perspective of first-year non-traditional students about how Student Affairs department resources and services motivated them to persist in college studies. This study's conceptual framework included Tinto's longitudinal institutional departure model, Tinto's integration model, and the Bean & Metzner Non-traditional Student Attrition Model. Data was collected from a sample of first-year non-traditional students through a questionnaire and a focus group interview. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) a support system was necessary to enhance the persistence of the student, (2) students identified the faculty as their leading support resource, (3) financial aid and counseling's offices were the Student Affairs resources most requested by first-year students. The study's results led to recommendations for practice, including the need to develop strategic Student Affairs department plans to acculturate students to student support services. The main recommendation for future research was to explore the topic in different geographic regions and in other types of institutions. [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.]