This qualitative phenomenological study examined the problems faced by student-athletes' at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) due to the lack of academic support programs. This study highlighted the methods athletic administrators have implemented to support student athletes' academic achievement at one HBCU. Historically Black Colleges, Universities, and other institutions with limited resources are disproportionately penalized and receive low APR scores. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) academic performance standards have failed to retain a disproportionate number of student-athletes from HBCUs. Student-athletes, athletic administrators and academic support staff had the chance to express their perspective on the situation. Data from textual recordings of document reviews and audio files of interviews were analyzed thematically identifying themes to support the research questions. Findings identified that a lack of financial resources precludes Historically Black Colleges and Universities from building the specialized units of operation required for student-athlete success. Athletic administrators at HBCUs struggle to provide academic support programs to student-athletes due to a lack of funds. Student-athletes are challenged due to the lack of academic support programs available to them. Financial obligations are the driving force behind the ongoing focus on increasing student success in higher education (Caruth, 2018). Historically Black Colleges and Universities athletic departments must rely on the resources from other academic units and departments, and student-athletes leverage collaborative academic outcomes as a college-centric approach to learning. It is critical to determine whether other Division II HBCUs athletic departments offer academic support programs for student-athletes and what steps are taken to endorse student-athlete performance. [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.]