This study aimed to understand educational perceptions of persistence of female Latino students, ages 25-40, of assimilated parents. The need to explain the phenomenon is warranted further to uncover persistence barriers specifically for female Latino students. Although there is research related to Latinos in education, there is a gap between second-generation Latino students in the northeastern region of the United States. A generic qualitative inquiry was selected for this study. Qualitative research methods focus on how participants view their experiences. The target population was second-generation female Latino students who have or are currently working toward completing a degree in higher education. The sample consisted of 10 women, ages 25-40, who persisted while attending an institution of higher education. Semistructured interviews were used for data collection, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Themes were also found within the data set. Those themes were (a) family culture played a role in their persistence, (b) feeling out of place within the campus climate affected persistence, (c) participants believed they would set the example for younger Latino students interested in attending college. Findings revealed that the educational systems have to improve the implementation of strategies that will increase the retention rates of Latino female students. Secondary educators and institutions must do their part by preparing Latino students for the college process. It appears that there is a gap in rates between the Latinos who finish high school and attend college. There is no guidance on how students leave secondary education into an unfamiliar realm of education. At that point, there must be plans in place to retain the Latino population at universities. [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.]