How Can Mature Students Get Their Credits?

Credit: Jopwell via Pexels 

You didn’t graduate with your high school diploma, and you’re worried that it’s holding you back. You need the diploma and the associated credits to get into college/university programs, apply for jobs and get other exciting opportunities. 

It’s not too late. You may not be in high school anymore, but there are several ways that you can get the credits you need. Take a look at some of your options as a mature student. 

What Is a Mature Student?

First things first, what is a mature student? A mature student is a student who is over 19 years of age and has not completed high school with a diploma. If you are older than the average student attending post-secondary school, but you have received a high school diploma, you are not a “mature” student. 

Mature students will have a harder time applying to college and university programs since they do not have their official high school diplomas. Some college and university programs will accept mature students into their programs if the student has the necessary prerequisites for the program and the student is deemed exceptional. 

How Can You Get Your OSSD as a Mature Student?

You’re not attending high school anymore, so how can you get your high school diploma? There are a few options that you can try.

Online School: 

You don’t have to sit in a classroom again. You can sign up for an accredited online school as a mature student and complete all of your courses from the comfort of your own home. An accredited online school will have all of the courses you need to complete your Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Since the school is accredited and inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Education, you will receive the official credits after passing your courses. After completing your essential credits, you can get your OSSD. 

An accredited online school can do more than help you get the credits you need to graduate. You can use it to take special prerequisites for the university/college programs of your choice. You can also sign up for “upgrade courses” — these are courses that you have already taken but want to redo to boost your grades. 

A major benefit of online schooling is that you can attend your courses without disrupting your busy adult schedule. You can sign onto your lessons when you have free time, like after you come home from work or after you put your kids to bed. You have up to 12 months to complete your course, so you can take all the time you need.  

The PLAR Program:

Another option that you could try is the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) program for mature students. This program is meant to help adults who want to receive credits for their high school diploma. It offers 26 out of 30 credits needed to graduate.

Where can you access the PLAR program? You can access it through your school board. It may offer in-class lessons, online lessons or a combination of the two. 

GED Tests:

Finally, you could take General Educational Development (GED) tests. If you pass all 5 GED tests, you will earn an Ontario High School Equivalency Certificate. It is often accepted by colleges, universities, apprenticeship programs and jobs as the equivalent of an OSSD. 

It’s never too late to get your credits. Use one of these methods to officially graduate.