This study involved the development and preliminary assessment of an intervention derived from contemporary social-cognitive theory to train academically underprepared college students in academic volitional control strategies, as implied by theory and research on volition and research on academic self-regulation. In this pre-post comparison design, 41 experimental subjects (community college students) participated in an investigator-designed intervention comprised of four, 70-minute group sessions, while 38 comparison subjects received regular remedial reading course content. Self-report measures of motivation, volition, and academic achievement were administered, and a posttreatment semi-structured interview was conducted. The experimental group demonstrated a significant improvement in academic self-monitoring. Compared to the control group, the experimental group gained more on all measures. Students gained awareness of the importance on an appropriate study environment and strategies for handling distractions from others. The implications of volitional strategy training for enhancing academic efforts are discussed. Nine tables present study findings. Appendixes contain three scales used in the cognitive-behavioral testing (the Academic Self-Monitoring Scale, the Academic Action Control Scale, and the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale), as well as an outline for introducing the Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention. (Author/SLD)