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Jennifer Boone waited for the right time to return to school. For her, that meant becoming a first-year student when she was 24 years old.

“I always loved school and learning. I had always intended to go to university but I had no support from family and I couldn't see how it would be financially possible, so out of fear of the unknown, I delayed,” Boone said.

Although Boone did well in the working world, she knew it was now or never as far as going back to class. Between the Ontario Student Assistance Program and the Ontario Disability Support Program, Boone made her way to Ryerson to study sociology. While she loves attending Ryerson and values the amazing services it offers, as a mature student, she’s experienced some growing pains in re-joining higher education.

Going back to school is a major transition for many mature students. Students are classified as mature if they are 21 years of age or older and have been away from formal education for at least two years.

This particular population has been growing steadily as more and more adults seek out higher education to enhance their career options, upgrade their skills or pursue their personal goals. 

To help adults meet program admission requirements if they lack prerequisites, The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education offers many academic bridging courses to upgrade in specific areas.

After successfully making it into first year, Boone faced some challenges once she began classes. Having spent some time in the working world, Boone sometimes finds it hard to relate to her classmates who are often fresh out of high school. In addition, finances have been a challenge. Boone carries $10,000 in debt related to medical issues and has no financial support from family. Living simply, regularly using the food bank and rarely spending money on transportation helps her stay ahead a little bit.

“I feel like mature students are quietly discouraged from pursuing education by policies that exclude them from being eligible for the majority of scholarships and grants offered,” Boone said. “When you factor in that mature students are often much more likely to have dependents and be financially independent of parents, they need the funding even more so than their younger peers.”

Boone isn’t married and doesn’t have children but there are many mature students who have to maintain a balancing act between family and academic commitments. Regardless of the student’s diverse background, Ryerson offers a wide range of services to help facilitate personal, academic and professional growth. Specific scholarships and awards for mature students are not available but depending on criteria, they are eligible for other awards. Visit www.ryerson.ca/currentstudents/awards/index.html to learn more.

The Mature Students Association for instance, can help older students connect, network and gain access to resources both on- and off-campus. It organizes events such as stress reduction workshops, speaker series and end-of-term celebrations. As well, the Centre for Student Development and Counselling offers tips to help mature students succeed. Everything from role juggling and relating to other students to academic considerations and budgeting and finance are highlighted on www.ryerson.ca/counselling/tipsheets/mature.html.