In spite of increasing amounts of attention given to mentoring in recent years, it appears that the disadvantaged child is not being mentored, and that his or her educational needs are not being addressed. Some possible reasons why so little mentoring of minority students occurs, or reasons why so little is heard about what does occur, are suggested. These reasons relate primarily to higher education, and include: (1) students who were mentored are unable financially to complete their educations; (2) family expectations may interfere with education; (3) mentored students may become lost in an educational bureaucratic shuffle; (4) life events may derail a student; (5) elementary and secondary education may not have adequately prepared a student; (6) potential mentors may not have wanted to invest the time; (7) mentored students may not have learned necessary skills for achieving success; (8) student involvement in drugs and alcohol may terminate growth and development; (9) a mentor may not have been an adequate role model; (10) some mentors may not relate well to the culturally different and disadvantaged; (11) some students do not fit the mentor's mold; (12) support systems may be lacking in colleges; (13) some mentors simply do not have enough time; and (14) the college or university may have other priorities for those who would be good mentors. There is a 10-item list of references. (SLD)