In 2010, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission changed its allotment of funding to an outcomes-based system (Tennessee Higher Education Commission, 2012, p.1). This meant that universities and colleges received money based on factors including associate degrees, certifications, and job placement rather than on enrollment, as institutions of higher education had formerly done. This new funding formula prompted change in higher education as institutions began to examine strategies to increase student retention and academic success. Many community colleges have been operating with an open access practice, which allowed students to register up to the day before the start of the semester. An urban community college in middle Tennessee wanted to know whether the date of student application and registration impacted student success as defined by the number of credits earned in a given semester. This community college wanted to continue its open access practice and to compare the successful completion rates of those students who applied and registered for classes during the week immediately prior to the start of classes with those who applied prior to that week; changes based on this comparison may maximize the probability of successful completion of its courses. In addition to examining application and registration dates, this study also examined student characteristics including financial assistance status, gender, age of students, developmental math, developmental reading, and developmental writing. For the quantitative questions, researchers performed correlational tests of linear, multiple, and stepwise regression with scatter plots, t-tests, and ANOVA. The study examined characteristics of students who applied and registered at different times. [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.]