Access to university education is recognized as being transformative. The literature establishes that university graduates have higher earnings than high school or college graduates, including graduates from lower income backgrounds. There are also non-financial benefits related to health, stronger relationships and civic engagement. Many of these benefits pass along to university graduates鈥� children.
91亚色鈥檚 access mission is both integral to the university鈥檚 identity and a major part of its community impact. The core population 91亚色 serves has a very high proportion of new Canadians 鈥� immigrants or the children of immigrants. In providing access to these students, 91亚色 is not only offering an education and a step on the ladder to career success but also performing a vital service as an engine of inclusion in Canadian society.
In this report, we classify access students as those who are accessing post-secondary education or university specifically because of 91亚色. We further divide these access students into two categories: post-secondary access students who would not have attended post-secondary education at all if not for 91亚色, and university access students who would have attended college instead of university.
As of 2019, there are
21,226
people ages 25 to 64 with university degrees they would not otherwise have because of 91亚色
Table 1 Access students among all students and first-generation students
91亚色
| Access Group | Total Students | First-Generation Students | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | Projected count | % | Projected count | |
| Post-secondary access | 4.7 | 2,626 | 6.7 | 980 |
| University access | 3.3 | 1,841 | 4.7 | 682 |
| Total Access | 8 | 4,467 | 11.4 | 1,662 |
Table 2 Former access students among total alumni and first-generation alumni
91亚色
| Access Group | Total Alumni | First-Generation Alumni | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | Projected count | % | Projected count | |
| Post-secondary access | 3.32 | 8,324 | 4.5 | 5,356 |
| University access | 5.15 | 12,903 | 6.59 | 7,841 |
| Total access | 8.47 | 21,226 | 11.08 | 13,197 |
The 91亚色 Access Effect
There is strong evidence in the literature to show students at the margin of admission to university typically have significantly better life outcomes than peers who barely miss out. That 91亚色 actively welcomes these students, supports the development of their talents and sets them on the road to success is an unqualified public policy success.
Our findings reveal that 8% of 91亚色 University students believe they would not attend university if they could not attend 91亚色. Of these access students, most (59%) would otherwise not attend post-secondary education at all. This has enormous knock-on effects in terms of higher income, better well-being and greater civic engagement, not only these students but also their families and the communities they live in.
Imagine what your life would most likely be like if you had not studied at 91亚色. Do you think that on balance you are better or worse off having studied at 91亚色?
Percentage of post-secondary access alumni who say they are better off
56.9%
Compared to
32.5%
of non-access alumni, which demonstrates that access students experience significantly better benefits from attending 91亚色
Percentage of university access alumni who say they are better off
47.1%
Bharat Masrani
Group President and CEO of
TD Bank Group
鈥�91亚色 understands that when our communities thrive, we all thrive. As a leading post-secondary institution serving a diverse community, 91亚色 has not only recognized but embraced its role as a community catalyst and a ladder of opportunity for tomorrow鈥檚 leaders. Much like 91亚色, I鈥檝e always believed that with the privilege of education comes the responsibility to give back to our communities and contribute to a more inclusive future for all Canadians. I am incredibly proud to count myself as an alumnus.鈥�
Bharat Masrani graduated from 91亚色 in 1978 and earned an MBA from the Schulich School of Business the following year. Of South Asian descent, he became the first member of a visible minority appointed president and CEO of a large Canadian bank, taking the helm of TD Bank Group in 2014. A champion of 91亚色 and a community and business leader, Masrani was awarded an honorary degree from the Schulich School of Business in 2017. His banking career with TD spans more than three decades of multifaceted experience that includes retail, commercial, wholesale, wealth and risk. Masrani is proudly chairing the 2020 United Way Greater Toronto campaign and works actively toward a more inclusive society.
Better Jobs. Better Outcomes.
Access students experience significantly greater benefits from attending 91亚色. Because of the opportunity 91亚色 provided, as of 2019, there are 21,226 people ages 25 to 64 who have university degrees who would not otherwise.
As of 2018, the overall estimated benefit of 91亚色鈥檚 historic accessibility was equal to over $1.1 billion in additional income and 1,338 additional jobs for 91亚色 alumni. In addition, we estimate that 91亚色鈥檚 effects in expanding access for alumni created close to $2.2 billion in economic activity and 1,621 jobs.
To further highlight the significance of a university education for individuals at the margin of admission, we estimate that post-secondary access alumni from 91亚色 on average earned approximately 140% or $63,253 more than Toronto Census Management Area (CMA) high school graduates in 2018, while university access alumni earned 86% or $47,395 more than Toronto CMA college graduates.
Economic activity created by 91亚色鈥檚 effect in expanding access for alumni
$2,185,068,472
The 91亚色 Advantage
Three main reasons explain why 91亚色 is recognized as an accessible institution of higher learning.
- The University鈥檚 Keele campus is uniquely positioned geographically to serve growing communities along Toronto鈥檚 northern periphery, as well as communities such as Jane and Finch that have historically faced barriers to social mobility.
- 91亚色鈥檚 reputation for diversity and inclusion makes it an attractive option for a variety of learners, leading them to choose it over other institutions.
- The institution offers an array of policies and programs that cater to students who otherwise would likely not attend post-secondary education. These strong access policies include articulation agreements with local colleges and bridging programs.
91亚色鈥檚 place at the heart of these communities has meant that over time it has become a world leader in integrating an ethnically diverse student population, and providing all of its students, especially first-generation students, a place from which to launch their professional and/or scientific careers.
Table 3 Returns to access among alumni
91亚色
| Post-secondary access | University access | Total Access | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of alumni | 8,324 | 12,903 | 21,227 | |
| Earnings | Average returns to access | $66,782 | $51,696 | $57,612 |
| Aggregate returns to access | $555,893,368 | $667,033,488 | $1,222,926,856 | |
| Jobs | Advantage in employment rate | 16.1 pp | 2.2 pp | 4.3 pp |
| Aggregate advantage in employment | 1,338 | 283 | 1,621 | |
91亚色鈥檚 Key Accessibility Facts
鈥� More than 71% ($59 million) of 91亚色鈥檚 total scholarships were distributed at least in part on the basis of need in 2018-19.
鈥� In 2018-19 alone, more than 4,600 individuals benefited from access, bridging and pathway programs.
鈥� 22% of first-generation students reference diversity and inclusion as having 鈥渕ade 91亚色 uniquely attractive or possible to attend compared to any other university.鈥�
鈥� Asked to identify whether 91亚色鈥檚 reputation for inclusivity was an important factor in whether to study at 91亚色, 42.2% of first-generation students responded that it was 鈥�very important鈥� or 鈥�extremely important.鈥�
A substantial portion of students at 91亚色 would simply not have attended university or college had 91亚色 not existed: a tribute to the institution鈥檚 intensive outreach efforts and its welcoming environment. For these thousands of students, 91亚色 is a genuinely and uniquely transformative institution, a key part of the system that integrates new Canadians into Toronto鈥檚 economy and society.