Nationally, retaining students in adult basic education (ABE) is an ongoing challenge for numerous programs. The problem is the low retention rates among adult basic education learners in a non-profit ABE program in a large metropolitan city in Georgia. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how persistence affects student retention rates in a non-profit adult basic education program in a large metropolitan city in Georgia. Learners in adult basic education who do not complete a program typically do not obtain the certifications or high school equivalency credentials required to compete in the job market. There is little to no literature that has identified the success criteria for retaining adult learners in an adult basic education program. Therefore, the gap in the literature that was explored is how adult learners leveraged the ability to persist through an adult basic education program. Servant leadership and persistence theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. The data analysis yielded answers to the research question addressing the perceptions of adult learners on the effect that persistence has on the retention rates of a non-profit adult basic education program. Participants comprised the purposively selected student population of adult learners at a non-profit adult basic education site program. The outcomes from the data collected from 15 participants revealed adult learners with a strong drive to succeed, the ability to self-manage, are goal-setters, and have a strong support system will persist through an adult basic education program. [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.]