“Student dads are the ghosts:” Editorial

In a recent article for The Guardian, Lilah Burke examines the dismal graduation rates of student fathers at US postsecondary institutions. Noting a lack of research about the experience of student fathers, Burke writes that student fathers tend to face similar finance and childcare challenges to student mothers, and tend to have better access to jobs with high physical demand and lower education requirements like construction. Fathers may also face cultural and social barriers that make education a lower priority, such as the expectation that they should be the family provider. “If student parents are an invisible population, student dads are ghosts,” explains researcher Autumn Green. Burke highlights the success of programs like the US-based Fatherhood Academy, and the potential of supports like childcare on campus, parent-focused scholarships and grants, and improved research on the topic. The Guardian Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.