Poverty impacts the holistic wellness and care of single mothers, and single-mother families are at higher risk of poverty than other household types. College is a vehicle for academic growth and development, fostering opportunities for spiritual formation. This phenomenological qualitative study investigated the impact of Christian spiritual formation on the academic achievement of six African American single-mother students enrolled in undergraduate programs at a historically Black college and university. The study used a psychosocial framework with motivational and spiritual constructs to examine the lived human development experiences of the participants. Elements of the hermeneutic circle navigate the data collection, analysis, and interpretation process. The researcher formulated the acronym BRAIN (balance, relate, assess, identify, and navigate) to generalize the lived spiritual experiences of the participants on academic achievement. The study allows readers to hear the voices of Black single-mother students concerning a spiritual environment that impacts academic achievement. The study informs higher education institutions about educational and institutional policies to implement and the need for programs designed to support the spiritual growth and academic achievement of women and single parents in the institution and the community. Future qualitative researchers could examine the faculty's perspectives on understanding the complexities of single-parent students attending the university while parenting children in various stages of development. [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.]