If you're 60 or older, you can likely enroll in public university courses for free.
What would you learn if you could learn anything? According to a recent study by AARP, more than half of Americans over age 45 are actively engaged in learning something new. The top reasons for identifying as lifelong learners are to stay mentally sharp and in control of personal well-being. A study published in a journal of the Gerontological Society of America earlier this year bears out the truth of these motivations. The authors found that people over 65 who engaged in “late-in-life learning,” represented in the study by attending training courses about monthly over a period of six years, demonstrated better cognitive function over that time.
Other reasons to crack open the books in retirement include learning new skills for a retirement gig, or finally finishing a degree. Some people choose to go back to college after 60 to meet new people of different generations and expand their social circle. Others are loving the proliferation of online learning options so that they don’t have to leave the house and can learn on their own schedule. Best of all, most seniors need not pay to attend public universities.
Public Colleges and Universities Want Seniors in the Classroom
With all these benefits for older adults, most state university systems have policies that allow for people over 60 or 65 who are retired to attend classes at low cost, often for free. In many cases, the university asks that retirees wait until enrolled students have registered for classes, and then sign up for courses that still have space available.
In some states like Illinois, California, and others, tuition remission for seniors is enshrined in statute, along with certain eligibility requirements like income limits. Usually, older students must complete an application process, although it isn’t as in-depth as the application that high school seniors need to complete.
Here are a few examples of state university systems that open their doors to seniors, for free.
- In Louisiana, anyone over 55 is eligible for free tuition at state colleges and universities, and can also expect to have registration fees waived and to pay 50% for textbooks. (But be aware of other fees like the Building Use Fee and Energy Fee.)
- In Minnesota, seniors over 62 are guaranteed free tuition at any Minnesota state college or university.
- Kentucky state law allows for free tuition at state schools for people over 65.
If finishing a degree for credit is part of your plan, be sure to check the policies around credit-bearing courses. Some states and universities allow for auditing by default and may charge a fee to award credit.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes: A Focus on Older Adults
Some seniors enjoy the intergenerational experience of taking a class with students of traditional college age, and younger students, in turn, tend to say they enjoy sharing class time with seniors. Other retirees feel more at home with students of a similar age, and for these folks, joining an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute could be ideal. Founded by the Bernard Osher Foundation, OLLIs operate on over 125 university campuses across the United States. At the University of South Florida, for example, the mission of the membership-based OLLI-USF is to “provide intellectual stimulation, social interaction, service opportunities, and outreach to the university and the greater community.” Summer course offerings this year include “Easy AI: Using ChatGPT for Everyday Tasks,” “Genealogy Made Easy,” “Looking at Florida History from Folklore,” “Ukraine vs. Russia: Deep Historical Roots and the Reality of Today,” and “Writing Your Life.”
In addition to courses, OLLIs offer shared interest groups, or SIGs. Some examples from USF include a Florida Gardening SIG, German Conversation SIG, and a Self-Hypnotherapy Support Group SIG. Designed by and for their students, OLLIs are as diverse as their members.
Colleges Come to the Senior Center
In a newer trend, some colleges are reaching out to senior centers and hosting college courses where older adults already hang out. Last year in New Jersey, for example, Fairleigh Dickinson College brought several undergraduate courses including American history, world history, musical studies, film study and evolutionary science to the FellowshipLIFE senior center. With the rapidly-growing population of older Americans, this trend is likely to expand as universities seek to go where the people are, and work to meet the academic interests and needs of the older generations.
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