The Experiences of Hispanic and African American Student-Fathers on College Campuses

Abstract

Hispanic and African American student-fathers are an invisible population in the student support literature on college campuses. In this qualitative study, we examined the lived experiences of 17 student-fathers attending Hispanic Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Six themes emerged from our data: family support, uncertainty in parenting practices, co-parenting relationships, responsibility as a father, negative stereotypes, and fatherhood as motivation. Our findings have implications for institutions of higher education.