As much of the literature on the Middle East suggests, patriarchy is embedded in Arab society, abetted by civil society and the state; women must operate under its auspices. While this reality may disempower women and limit their agency in particular situations, patriarchy may also, ironically, be supportive and empowering, especially within the realm of education. This paper explores how the active presence of a family patriarch facilitated and/or supported the attainment of higher education degrees for the Jordanian women in this study. This paper's findings, extracted from a collective case study that explored the completion rates of higher education by women in Jordan, explores how an active paternal presence actually enabled the women's completion of higher education. Eighteen women that, at the time of the study, were at the threshold of completing higher education and ten women, that at one point were enrolled but did not complete higher education, participated in this study. These women represented thirteen different universities (seven public and six private) throughout Jordan. Interviews were conducted with each participant and discussed family’s educational attainment and their familial, social, cultural, and educational experiences. In addition to interviews, observations of the women were conducted on the university campus. Official university and ministry education records were collected to examine enrollment, graduation, and retention rates. Varied qualitative methods allowed for a holistic exploration of the patterns in the persistence of women in higher education. The results indicate that the women’s families are instrumental to their enrollment, attendance, and persistence in higher education. The centrality of the family played a major role in the decision-making and motivation of the women that participated in the study. Interestingly, the results also show that the same factors that inhibit some women from completing higher education enabled others. Such factors include the process associated with the General Secondary School Certificate Examination (or tawjihi), which is required for acceptance to higher education, and the women’s initial intention for attending higher education. The differentiating factor was access to social capital, stemming from their family’s positioning in society.