This quantitative research study explores student-athletes' involvement in educationally purposeful activities offered at higher education institutions competing in a Midwest athletic conference within the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). While there is some research regarding involvement in educationally purposeful activities for student-athletes at large universities (Carodine et al., 2001; Ko et al., 2008), research on academic activities at smaller institutions is sparse. This research study focuses on the relationship between student-athletes' involvement in educationally purposeful activities, their motivation, and their grade point averages (GPAs) at small institutions with less than 2,000 undergraduate students. The relationship between involvement, motivation, and student-athletes' GPAs is analyzed based on student-athletes' demographics of gender, sport played, year in school, and declared major. The study reveals significant positive relationships between involvement in educationally purposeful activities, motivation, and GPAs, indicating that the more student-athletes are involved in academic activities on their campuses and the higher their level of motivation, the higher their GPAs. The results signify the importance of student-athletes' connection with individuals on their campuses, the value of communication, the advantages of studying individually and with peers, the importance of managing time, and the positive effects of motivation. The knowledge of student-athletes' involvement can help set a foundation for promoting and dedicating resources towards the most impactful educationally purposeful activities. This information can provide schools with suggestions for supporting their student-athletes. [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.]