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+--- Thread: Senior Citizens Can Go to College for Free or Cheap in All 50 States (/Thread-Senior-Citizens-Can-Go-to-College-for-Free-or-Cheap-in-All-50-States)
Senior Citizens Can Go to College for Free or Cheap in All 50 States - Life Long Learning - 11-05-2017
https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/life/college/free-college-courses-for-senior-citizens/
Senior Citizens Can Go to College for Free or Cheap in All 50 States
RE: Senior Citizens Can Go to College for Free or Cheap in All 50 States - clep3705 - 11-05-2017
This is a great find and thanks for posting it.
Now for the Texas reality check. This is like the free tuition for firefighters and police officers - it's up to the school to decide to give it. The specific Texas law also states the free tuition is subject to space availability. Sure, I'll try for it some day, probably wasting my time like I did on the firefighter tuition attempt.
I think it's more like this: Texas law says, hey, taxpayer funded school, you have to collect tuition. Then a new law comes along and says, hey, taxpayer funded school, we'll allow you to not collect tuition from certain people if you choose. If you choose not to collect tuition, you're going to eat it because we're not funding this. Schools aren't motivated to do this.
RE: Senior Citizens Can Go to College for Free or Cheap in All 50 States - Life Long Learning - 11-05-2017
I do think some States are real like Maine and most are not. Most do not led to a college degree. On a different forum, a senior citizen from Tenn is enrolled and working towards a BS for free.
RE: Senior Citizens Can Go to College for Free or Cheap in All 50 States - sanantone - 11-06-2017
(11-05-2017, 11:13 PM)clep3705 Wrote: This is a great find and thanks for posting it.
Now for the Texas reality check. This is like the free tuition for firefighters and police officers - it's up to the school to decide to give it. The specific Texas law also states the free tuition is subject to space availability. Sure, I'll try for it some day, probably wasting my time like I did on the firefighter tuition attempt.
I think it's more like this: Texas law says, hey, taxpayer funded school, you have to collect tuition. Then a new law comes along and says, hey, taxpayer funded school, we'll allow you to not collect tuition from certain people if you choose. If you choose not to collect tuition, you're going to eat it because we're not funding this. Schools aren't motivated to do this.
In Texas, schools decide which programs qualify, not whether or not to give the exemption. For police officers, the programs that qualify are easy to identify. A public school can't charge a peace officer tuition to take undergraduate, criminal justice courses. There is also a case where a firefighter successfully argued to complete an MPA tuition-free after the school initially said that the program wasn't related to his career. If you're not one for arguing your case, then you can always select one of the programs that are already on the list.
RE: Senior Citizens Can Go to College for Free or Cheap in All 50 States - clep3705 - 11-06-2017
I'm happy for the Texas public safety workers who are getting free tuition for certain specific programs. I'm also appreciative of your original helpful post. I think people need to know it's not necessarily easy or common - a student shouldn't expect to be able to force a school to provide it. I've argued the case for free EMS related tuition at two schools without success.
As far as tuition for senior citizens, a school can choose to do it or not.
"Sec. 54.365. The governing board of an institution of higher education may allow a senior citizen to enroll for credit in up to six hours of courses offered by the institution each semester or summer term without payment of tuition if space is available."
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ED/htm/ED.54.htm
RE: Senior Citizens Can Go to College for Free or Cheap in All 50 States - Berzerker - 11-14-2017
Clovis CC in NM charges Senior Citizens only $10/cr.
RE: Senior Citizens Can Go to College for Free or Cheap in All 50 States - clep3705 - 11-15-2017
I came up with $5/semester hour for tuition only, $15/semester hour when the technology and facility fee is added. See http://www.clovis.edu/payment/tuition-fall.aspx
It's not clear if the senior citizen discount applies only to New Mexico residents or it is open to everybody.
RE: Senior Citizens Can Go to College for Free or Cheap in All 50 States - Berzerker - 11-15-2017
Right, its actually $15/cr once you add the $10/cr tech fee. I was using that CC math I learned
Y'know 15+5=10