Dad Dragged for Paying Stepson's Tuition Instead of Biological Daughter's

Thousands of internet commenters called out one father who gladly paid for his stepson's college tuition, but not his biological daughter's.

In a viral Reddit post published on r/AmITheA**hole, Redditor u/tw9172667 (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) described his relationship—or lack thereof—with his daughter and detailed the heated aftermath of his decision to finance one college education instead of two.

Titled, "[Am I the a**hole] for paying my step son's college tuition but not my biological daughter?" the since-deleted post received more than 8,000 upvotes and 3,400 comments.

"I...had a kid with my ex girlfriend when we were both 18," OP began. "But I have never really had a close relationship with her."

Noting that he has long harbored suspicions about his now 21-year-old daughter's paternity, the original poster said he was pressured into giving the girl his last name and paying for a portion of her childcare as a toddler.

The original poster also said that his daughter's mother hates him and that seven years after their child was born, he married another woman, who brought along a son of her own.

"I've raised [him] almost his whole life as his own father wasn't in the picture," OP wrote of his stepson. "I consider him my own son and he also [considers] me his dad.

"He's going to college this year so I paid completely for his education," OP continued. "[My daughter's] mom got very angry when she found out because I haven't done the same [for her].

"She's going to college this year too as her mom didn't [have] enough money to pay her tuition and she had to work to pay for it," OP continued. "She had put some of my own family against me and now they're calling me an a**hole because of my favouritism towards my son."

Last year, nearly 62 percent of recent high school graduates between the ages of 16 and 24 were enrolled in colleges and universities, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Of those students pursuing higher education, SoFi reports that 83 percent receive some form of financial assistance from their parents. But for some families, making the smallest contribution can be difficult, leaving much of the financial burden on students themselves.

With the 2022 fall semester just around the corner, the current average cost of college is $35,331 per year.

For students attending in-state public institutions, that figure drops to $25,487. For students attending private universities, it jumps to a whopping $53,217, according to the Education Data Initiative.

Whether college or university, public or private, in-state or out-of-state, however, students paying their own way through school are rarely able to accommodate full course loads and full-time jobs simultaneously.

As a result, many students are forced to stretch their secondary education over a longer period of time or drop out altogether, making parental assistance with astronomical tuition bills even more valuable.

To conclude his viral Reddit post, the original poster said it was obvious he paid for his stepson's tuition because of their father-son relationship, but wondered if he'd ultimately made a mistake by not contributing to his biological daughter's college education.

Throughout the post's comment section, Redditors assured the original poster he should have contributed and called out the 39-year-old for seemingly turning his back on his 21-year-old daughter.

Responding to OP's claim that his daughter's mother hates him "for whatever reason," Redditor u/PurfuitOfHappineff was straight to the point.

"Oh it's clear there are a many good reasons," they wrote in the post's top comment, which has received nearly 24,000 upvotes. "[You're the a**hole]."

"He denies paternity, admits to never paying child support, and acts like he was wronged by being called out for deadbeat behavior," Redditor u/Heavy_Sand5228 added, receiving nearly 11,000 upvotes. "But of course, he can't bring himself to figure out why [his daughter's] mother may hate him."

Redditor u/Algebralovr, whose comment has received more than 10,000 upvotes, echoed that sentiment.

"You CHOSE to pay a minimum amount of child support and make excuses about your daughter," they wrote. "I can see why [her] mother doesn't care for you. You decided to play dad to a child not your own."

"You deny your daughter and wonder why your ex hates you," Redditor u/PixiFrizzle chimed in, receiving more than 2,600 upvotes. "If you really doubted she was your daughter you would have a paternity test."

As of publishing time, the original poster has left Reddit.