Students look for evidence of service quality when selecting a university to attend. Student dissatisfaction with the quality of service may reduce student motivation in online higher-education settings, and low levels of motivation may lead to inferior student performance and a persistently high dropout rate. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to determine the extent to which student motivation mediated the relationship between perceived service quality and student performance among online students of higher education. A random sample was selected, including 151 online students from three business schools in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. All participants were in their first or second year of college. The predictor variables were five dimensions of service quality (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy), as measured with the Service Quality instrument. The outcome variable was student performance, as measured with the self-reported student grade point average. Student motivation, as measured with the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, was used as a mediating variable. Age and employment status (employed vs. unemployed) were computed as control variables. According to the results of a multiple linear regression, age predicted student motivation, ß = 0.19, p = 0.02, indicating that an older age was associated with a higher level of motivation. A larger gap in service quality variables between expected and actual values was associated with a lower level of motivation, ß = -0.02, p = 0.04. However, service quality did not predict GPA, Cox and Snell R[superscript 2] = 0.13, Nagelkerke R[superscript 2] = 0.13. Because the preconditions for a full mediation analysis were not met, the role of student learning motivation as a mediator of the relationship between service quality and student performance could not be evaluated. The findings confirmed previous research in showing that improved service quality predicted a higher level of student motivation, which leads to greater levels of student satisfaction and higher retention rates. It is recommended that university leaders promote and implement competitive standards of service quality. Future research is needed to measure school service quality in relationship to other variables significant to the higher learning process. [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://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]