The purpose of this research was to identify the factors that students attending a Midwestern community college perceived contributed to their academic success or failure in an Associate Degree nursing program. A review of student academic records revealed that many students with weak academic records were successful while students with strong academic records failed. The researcher interviewed the students who had strong academic records at the time of admission yet failed academically to discover what factors these students perceived were important to their lack of success. The students who had weak academic records yet passed of their courses were also interviewed to discover what factors contributed to their success. An analysis of student responses determined that their success was a product of the students' engagement with the academic environment and their level of cultural capital. The students who had more cultural capital were also more engaged with the academic environment and were subsequently more successful. [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.]