Most community college students are required to take developmental math; however, many do not complete their required math sequence. Supporting students through this coursework is an ongoing challenge for institutions of higher learning, especially those with open access missions. Although community colleges offer various support services to address content-related concerns, students often lose motivation to persist in these courses. This study examines the role of belonging in student motivation for developmental math students enrolled at Midwestern Community College (MCC). The research questions examined the student's belonging experience and whether these experiences contributed to their motivation in the course. During the Fall of 2021, ten developmental math students at MCC participated in this qualitative study. I used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore the students' experience in Fall 2021. Data was collected through participant interviews, journal entries, artifacts, and research notes. The results suggest academic and social belonging fostered student motivation in developmental math courses. The resulting themes indicate (a) the course design, (b) interpersonal connections, (c) the student's ability to keep up with the course content , and (d) feeling accepted and supported within the group were meaningful constructs in the belonging experience. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]