Although significant research exists on the causes of student attrition, minimal research has examined how combinations of student variables and institutional practices interact to predict student persistence. The purpose of this research was to identify the extent to which course registration time, low-income status, and transfer-oriented goals interact to predict the persistence of first-time, full-time freshmen in the community college. This study used a quasi-experimental design and was grounded in Cabrera, Nora, and Castaneda's integrated model of student retention. The population of this study (N = 2,159) represented first-time, full-time students who entered one southern U.S. community and technical college system in the fall 2008 semester. Predictive log-linear analysis was used to determine predictors of persistence into the spring 2009 term (n=1,705). No interactions among the independent variables predicted persistence. The likelihood ratio chi-square indicated that the independent variables of income level or transfer-oriented majors did not have a significant, direct relationship to student persistence. However, course registration time did have a direct, significant relationship to student persistence. The posthoc analysis of standardized residuals revealed that students who registered late for their courses were less likely to persist through their first year of college. Since persistence is a valued outcome for all educational institutions, this research indicates that community college leaders should examine the effects of late registration on persistence and consider changes to mitigate its impact. [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.]