Addressing barriers faced by mature students: Opinion

In a recent article for The Conversation, Concordia University PhD candidate Heather Sorella discusses the barriers to postsecondary education faced by mature students. Sorella writes that mature women students face situational barriers such as gendered ageism; mature students with children may also face stigmatization or difficulty accessing childcare. The author discusses the impacts of institutional barriers, such as curricula that neglects women, BIPOC students, and students with disabilities; and business hours that overlap with student work hours. Sorella writes that dispositional barriers, such as the fear of failure created by institutions, can also alienate mature students. Sorella recommends addressing these barriers by tackling the stigma of being older in higher education, providing opportunities for mature students to engage with campus communities, and adapting program logistics to meet mature student needs. The Conversation Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.