“Making Excellence Accessible”
Applications are now open for the TYP, which is an in-person, 8-month, full-time programme that is an equitable space and educational pathway for adults who do not have the formal qualifications for university admission due to personal or societal barriers.
This includes individuals who may or may not have graduated from high school and experienced difficulties that affected furthering their education due to circumstances beyond their control.
Societal barriers can include systemic barriers, discriminatory practices, mental health challenges, living in communities with little to no access to higher education or not having proper career guidance and mentorship, among others.
TYP actively encourages students from all backgrounds and walks of life to apply to its programme, including members of the Indigenous, Black/African-Canadian, and LGBTQIA+ communities, sole-support parents and persons with disabilities.
“The Transitional Year Programme is quite unique – we provide each student with an academic advisor, access to counseling and funding options, a space to work, socialize and be with other students in their programme,” as TYP highlighted in its programme’s description.
During last year’s Transitional Year Programme gala, TYP’s Director Dr. Lance T. McCready reinforced how the programme is one of the largest and most successful access programmes in the entire country.
Over the last 50 years, the programme has accepted over 2,000 students and over 600 alumni have pursued undergraduate degrees. Many of TYP students have also gone on to earn their Master’s degrees and PHDs.
The long-standing programme has notable roots, going back to Sept. 1970 at Innis College when it all first began. The programme’s foundation originated in Toronto’s Black community and lodged 25 students at the time in its first year.
The programme is a product of two community summer programmes launched in 1969 and 1970, which were initially designed to prepare a few students for York University. The first programme operated at the Home Service Association, while the second was at Innis College, which inevitably became the homebase for TYP from 1970-76.
Since 1977, the programme has been in full force and has continued to shape the lives of marginalized individuals from across the country.
“One of the most remarkable aspects of TYP is the deep sense of community and co-ownership that is felt through the programme by staff, students, faculty, and alumni…TYP is at an important stage of its development by redefining what access to education looks like for mature students,”
Director of Access Strategy & Partnerships Office Helen Tewolde said in a statement.
HOW TO APPLY FOR THE TRANSITIONAL YEAR PROGRAMME
The TYP provides mature students with full, eight-month access to all of the university’s resources across UofT’s student hubs on each campus. Just like any other part-time or full-time university student, mature students can access resources such as academic advisors, learning strategists, counseling, student life programmes and more.
The approximate tuition cost for the year is $6,700 for the full-time programme. The program offers multiple financial aid such as OSAP, scholarships and TYP grants to assist with the fees.
For those interested in the programme, there are several minimum application requirements to meet:
- Be 18 years of age by September 30th of the year of admission
- Be a Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident (landed immigrant) or Protected Person (refugee).
- If you have graduated high school, you must not have the necessary grades to get into a degree programme on your own
- If you did not graduate high school, you must have left school early for reasons connected to social or economic difficulties, illnesses, or some other personal challenge beyond your control.
- It is recommended but not mandatory to have at least two high school courses at Grade 11 or higher level in academic subjects (in the current Ontario system they would be 3U or M or 4U or M subjects), or an equivalent from another school system, and/or suitable life and/or work experience. Note: TYP must be the only feasible way for the applicants to have access to a university education
In addition to the eligibility criteria above, each applicant is required to submit the following documents with their application:
- Two references
- Transcripts
- Personal statement
- Proof of status in Canada
- Writing sample (short reflective piece on various topics provided in a limited time) that is supervised
Once these requirements are completed, you can fill out the application form here. When applying, leave yourself 30 to 60 minutes to complete the application. If accepted, the university will notify you by email with a welcome letter, an admissions offer or a registration letter.
Upon successfully fulfilling the programme’s requirements, you’ll have earned 2.5 university credits and be granted admission into the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts and Science (Life Science, Social Science & Humanities) where you can explore programs of study.
