At the bachelor's level, there exist a number of former students who have successfully completed a considerable portion of their degree and have earned a significant number of credits. They have put a significant investment toward the earning of their degree and many have come within one semester of degree completion. As former students, they have made a substantial investment in their education in both time and money, as have the institution and state. These students are referred to as near-completers. This study applies Schlossberg's Adult Transition Theory framework phases of moving in -- moving through -- moving out to examine the experiences of near-completers as they make the decision to return and complete their degrees. Adult Transition Theory is applied here to examine persistence with an appreciative inquiry approach. Narrative inquiry methodology was utilized to examine the stories of students returning to complete their degrees, resulting in the identification of themes to illuminate individual and organizational factors that that influenced former near-completers' return and contributed to their successful degree completion. It is through the lens of adult transition theory that staff and administrators can be made aware of what's working with adult students and focus their resources to create the appropriate assistance programs for this specific population. Analysis of the stories of near-completers highlighted the importance of anchoring completion narratives in stories of the initial departure from the higher education institution. In addition, the narratives illuminated the complexity of the transition experience, and provided more nuanced understanding of the ways in which adult transition theory could be expanded from the current integrative model, last updated in 1995. [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.]