What makes one adult student persistent? What makes another student bound for failure? In this article, we will explore the literature available since 2000 on the subject of adult student persistence. This study is in several sections. One deals with the factors that students bring with them into college, i.e., the background or internal factors. The second deals with the factors that affect them while in college, the external factors. Financial aid comprises the third section. The fourth section deals with interventions that support persistence that colleges can implement. Our final section deals with the critical role of encouragement and support.