This research proposal aims to study factors that affect retention rates among non-traditional adult learners of African descent in higher education. The researcher will use a concurrent mixed methods approach to explore personal, social, and academic factors through quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. The study hypothesizes that student engagement programs increase retention and graduation rates. It will survey 300 students at a historically black college on their experiences with support services and reasons for opting out of college. The goal is to identify interventions that increase retention of non-traditional adult male learners of African descent.