The current study examined hindering factors of 2-year community college students' vertical transfer to 4-year colleges. Rational choice theory guided the study and provided the scope of the problem, which is community college students' apprehension about vertically transferring to 4-year colleges. A quantitative Likert-scale survey, which comprised demographic questions and measures of variable scales, was the data-gathering instrument. The measures of study variables were the College Persistence Questionnaire, Student Financial Wellness Survey, Academic Motivation Scale, and self-authored questions. The first three research questions sought to explore whether apprehension to vertically transfer (RQ1), financial stress (RQ2), and commitment to a 4-year college degree (RQ3) differed by participants' gender, race/ethnicity, and parental education. The fourth, fifth, and sixth research questions sought to examine the direct influence of fear/amotivation, debt/loan aversion, and extrinsic motivation on (RQ4) participants' apprehension to transfer to a 4-year college (RQ5), financial stress, and (RQ6) commitment to complete a 4-year college degree. The findings show that the outcomes by race/ethnicity were statistically significant, suggesting that, on average, apprehension to transfer vertically, financial stress, and commitment to a 4-year college degree differed by race/ethnicity. The findings also suggest that, on average, apprehension to vertically transfer, financial stress, and commitment to a 4-year college degree did not differ by participant gender. Similar differences were shown in the study outcomes by parental education. On average, parental education differed regarding concerns about vertical transfer, financial stress, and commitment to a 4-year college degree. Implications for practice include fostering improved conveyance of information, particularly to parents of Hispanic students, to better promote college education as a key determinant in less financial stress and its positive effect on income. Implications for policy include policymakers creating policy that secures and maintains each student's tuition rate upon entry for the duration of their degree, as opposed to it being raised every year. Another option is for higher education institutions to adopt a free tuition model, which several states have in place. Finally, research implications include conducting a qualitative study regarding students' failure to vertically transfer before or after completing a credential at a 2-year college. [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.]