Unique 'bridging program' at TMU offers mature students a chance to return to the classroom

Iyland Monrose said she didn't picture herself going back to university at 29, especially as a single mother who had been away from the classroom for years. 

But with the cost of living rising around her, that changed.

"I started to want better in my life," Monrose told CBC Toronto. "We're living in a society right now where it's very hard for people to get by." 

Her search led her to Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and a program called Spanning the Gaps, which she recently graduated from after a full year of courses. Now she's entering TMU's politics and governance program, with the ultimate goal of getting into law school.

The TMU program is what's known as a bridging program. It aims to help students 21 and older who face barriers get the credits they need to get into higher education, with the core belief being that help can "break cycles of intergenerational poverty and social exclusion," according to its website. It's currently funded by donations, making it free for students, and provides support for them in other areas, including housing and mental health services.

Gary Hepburn, dean of TMU's G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education, said as of last year 203 of the bridging program's graduates enrolled at undergraduate programs at TMU. Of those,167 of them subsequently graduated.

"To put them on a good footing so they can be successful is something that we're very, very proud of," said Hepburn.

Now TMU, smack in the middle of Canada's biggest city, wants expand the 15-year-old program nationwide through online courses, hoping to reach Indigenous communities and other underserved communities.

Other Ontario school also offer bridging programs, including the University of Toronto, York University and Brock University.

Melanie McMullen, a 48-year-old recent graduate, is now hoping to get a bachelor's degree, and perhaps even a master's, in social work. She worked in trades and hospitality jobs before entering Spanning the Gaps.

Like Monrose, she felt she had more to offer.

McMullen is a band member of Pinaymootang First Nation in Manitoba who grew up as a Crown ward in Winnipeg. She hopes to serve as a role model for her nieces and nephews, and that her life experiences will help her connect with her future clients.

"I can help other people that are like me," she said.

TMU said it has added a separate stream focused on providing Indigenous students like McMullen with a "culturally relevant environment" that draws on Indigenous knowledge.