The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of community college students who had taken developmental courses and were later able to achieve academic success. The participants of this study were community college students who tested into and had taken two developmental courses during their program of study and subsequently achieved success. The target population was drawn from community colleges, defined as higher education institutions that primarily offer two-year degree programs, in Central Florida. The aim of this study was to identify themes which may impact policy decisions and ultimately enable larger numbers of at-risk developmental education students to reach their intended academic goals. The findings from this study surfaced from transcribed face-to-face interviews. Four common themes were identified with eight sub-themes. Common Theme One: Self-Awareness of Academic Struggle--this theme surfaced from participants' recognition of their need for academic remediation. The sub-theme was Willingness to Seek out Academic Assistance. Common Theme Two: Non-Institutional Impacts of Education--this theme surfaced from the participants' discussion of outside challenges that needed to be overcome for academic success. The sub-themes were Time Management, and Family. Common Theme Three: Developmental Experiences--this theme surfaced from the participants' experiences within developmental courses. The sub-themes were Developmental Courses, and Faculty Student Interactions. Common Theme Four: Student Support Services--this theme surfaced from services that participants identified as impactful. The sub-themes were Positive Relational Aspects, Negative Relational Impacts, and Writing/learning Centers. [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.]