--- title: These Fathers are Unseen and Unsupported description: Learn about the differences between men and women entering and graduating from college and the lack of support for dads who are in college or want to be. image: https://www.fatherhood.org/hubfs/Images/Blog/NFI_Blog_unseen-unsupported-fathers.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/these-fathers-are-unseen-and-unsupported#main) - [![NFI mark](https://www.fatherhood.org/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI%20mark.svg)FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://www.fatherhood.org/) - [STORE.FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://store.fatherhood.org/) [![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=149&height=82&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=65&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=66&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=89&height=49&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ](https://www.fatherhood.org) - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) Open main navigation Close main navigation - Show submenu for Get Informed Get Informed - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - [Father Stats & Infographics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) - Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Find Your Stage of Father Inclusion](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-inclusion) - [How Father Friendly Is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Fatherhood Data & Statistics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - [How Father Friendly is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Other Free Resources](https://www.fatherhood.org/nfi-free-resources) - [Talk With us to Get Started](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) National Fatherhood Initiative Blog / [Latest Articles](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood) [father involvement in education](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/topic/father-involvement-in-education) # These Fathers are Unseen and Unsupported 2 min read ![Christopher A. Brown](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/chris_circle_icon.png?width=100&height=100&name=chris_circle_icon.png) [** Christopher A. Brown ** ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/author/christopher-a-brown) Chris serves as the President of National Fatherhood Initiative® (NFI), where he is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of NFI's strategic plan and business model, as well as its operations and fundraising efforts. ![NFI_Blog_unseen-unsupported-fathers](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/Blog/NFI_Blog_unseen-unsupported-fathers.jpg?width=453&name=NFI_Blog_unseen-unsupported-fathers.jpg) Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock recently, you’re aware of the sea change between men and women entering and graduating college. Consider [these facts](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/11/08/whats-behind-the-growing-gap-between-men-and-women-in-college-completion/) from the Pew Research Center: - Young women are more likely to be enrolled in college than young men. - Young women 25 and older are more likely to have a four-year college degree. - The gender gap in college completion is even wider among adults age 25 to 34. Nearly [6 in 10](https://hechingerreport.org/an-unnoticed-result-of-the-decline-of-men-in-college-its-harder-for-women-to-get-in/) enrolled in college are women. The cost of college explains why so many Americans don’t enroll in or graduate. About 40% say that’s why. That factor and others lead to a majority of all Americans, 6 in 10, who don’t have a four-year college degree. Still, there are a sizable number of Americans who cite other reasons for not attending college, and that’s where we see an interesting dichotomy between men and women that centers on choice. Nearly 30% of Americans say they just didn’t want to attend college with 34% of men versus 25% of women saying so. The result? We live in a nation of undereducated men with a [host of implications](https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/what-about-boys-addressing-educational-underachievement-boys-and-men-during-and-beyond) for them and our country.  The good news, for men at least, is a growing sense that college might not be all it’s cracked up to be. New analyses have [started to question](https://fortune.com/2022/04/05/college-degree-tuition-costs-certificates-apprenticeship/) the value of a college degree leading, for example, to a future in the middle class. The payoff of not going to college could be even greater if this country ever gets its act together and establishes a [strong apprenticeship infrastructure](https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/education/554486-registered-apprenticeships-the-foundation-america-needs/) as a pathway to economic success for Americans who don’t want to attend or can’t afford college. (But I digress. That’s one of my soapboxes.) **Dads Dropping Out of College** When I think about fatherhood, as I often do, I wonder how men are faring in college who are already dads. After all, parenting in college brings [unique challenges](https://www.usnews.com/education/articles/support-for-parents-attending-college-what-to-know) to graduating. Unfortunately, the picture isn’t pretty. We see [huge dropout rates](https://hechingerreport.org/largely-unseen-and-unsupported-huge-numbers-of-student-fathers-are-quitting-college/) among dads enrolled in college, which contributes to fewer men getting college degrees. While mothers make up about 70% of the nearly 4 million parents in college, there are more than 1 million fathers enrolled. There’s a large difference in dropout rates with 61% of dads dropping out compared to 48% of moms. Fortunately, many campuses have programs that help parents stay in college and graduate. But even when campuses have such efforts, dads are often unseen and unsupported. That’s not a surprise given that our human service culture in America focuses on serving moms and kids, which creates a [lack of incentive](https://www.fatherhood.org/who-we-are) to support and serve dads. At least one college has created a program that intentionally and proactively supports and serves dads, the City University of New York’s [CUNY Fatherhood Academy](https://www.cuny.edu/academics/academic-programs/model-programs/cuny-fatherhood-academy/). This program works with dads before they enroll in college to ensure they succeed. For dads who didn’t graduate high school, it helps them earn a GED. It provides college and career readiness training, parenting workshops, job preparation, and more. **The Hidden Opportunity for Fatherhood Programs** Herein lies a hidden opportunity. Given the dearth of programs that support student dads, what if well-established fatherhood programs that have colleges and universities in or near their communities were to reach out to student dads and offer at least some support and services? After all, many fatherhood programs provide the same services as the CUNY Fatherhood Academy. Adding their local college or university as a referral partner could lead student dads to the support and services they desperately need to stay enrolled and graduate. Hmm? Are you aware of the huge dropout rates among dads enrolled in college? Does your fatherhood program reach out to dads on campus to offer support and services? [![he Benefits of Fatherhood Programs in Community-Based Organizations](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/135704/bbfbc796-8f3f-495b-a089-976b4f177f1f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/135704/bbfbc796-8f3f-495b-a089-976b4f177f1f) Date Published: 06/09/2022 Last Updated: 11/22/2024 ## Learn How to Build a Fatherhood Program That Works Download this free guide for a proven 7-step roadmap—from making the case and securing funding for your program, to launching and measuring real results! [Get The Guide Now!](https://www.fatherhood.org/starting-a-fatherhood-program) ![7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program.png?width=700&height=700&name=7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program.png) [ Previous ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/how-to-avoid-burnout-in-your-work-with-dads) [ Next ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/how-to-inject-24-7-dad-into-your-organizations-dna) ## Related Articles ### [Diving Deeper Into This Unseen and Unsupported Group of Dads In June of 2022, I introduced you to the 1 million dads in college, a group of dads in need that are unseen and unsupported by the colleges they attend and by human service ... Read More](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/diving-deeper-into-this-unseen-and-unsupported-group-of-dads) ### [Even More Ways to Help Dads Read to Their Children Last week, my colleague and friend Erik Vecere wrote in this blog about the benefits of dads reading to their children. He shared four ways you can help dads engage in this vital ... Read More](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/even-more-ways-to-help-dads-read-to-their-children) ### [Four Ways You Can Help Dads Read to Their Children My dad was an avid reader – sci-fi, thrillers, historical fiction, and publications that went deep into his interests and hobbies. As I got older, I read the books he finished, ... 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