Free college tuition! Did you know that a senior attending college could earn a degree for free if she only takes six credit hours per semester and maintains a 2.0 GPA? Some institutes require a registration fee. Read on to see if your state has free tuition.
Alabama
Alabama seniors can attend any two-year institution within the state for free.
Adults 60 and older should contact the financial aid office of any community college for admission and eligibility details.
Alaska
The University of Alaska waives tuition for senior residents who are old enough to receive full Social Security benefits. Seniors should wait until the first day of school to register to ensure space is available; they must also complete a tuition waiver form.
Additional costs such as student activity, health center, and lab fees are not covered; the student must pay them directly.
Arizona
All 10 Maricopa Community College campuses allow seniors to take classes for credit at 50% of total tuition.
Students 65 and older must register between the first and second classes of the semester to ensure space is available.
Arkansas
Arkansas waives tuition for anyone age 60 and older who wants to work toward an undergraduate or graduate degree at state institutions.
Student rates may apply and seniors may only register for classes with space available.
California
California State University waives all tuition and dramatically reduces campus fees for residents 60 and older.
Connecticut
Residents 62 and older can attend state universities, including community colleges, for free.
At Central Connecticut State University, for example, university tuition and fees are waived for any resident over the age of 62 applying for full-time or part-time admission to a degree-granting program.
Seniors may also take noncredit courses on a space available basis and tuition will be waived.
Louisiana
Students 55 and older who attend Louisiana State Schools receive free tuition and a 50% discount on books and supplies at the campus student bookstore.
Maryland
Any student in the University of Maryland System who is retired and over the age of 60 can have tuition waived, even for degree-granting programs.
Michigan
Seniors age 60 and older receive free tuition at Northern Michigan University; At Wayne State University in Detroit, seniors age 60 and older receive a 75% discount on tuition, but must pay registration and related fees.
Ohio
Ohioans who are at least 60 years old can attend classes at any state university for free. Seniors do not receive credit and may only register on a space available basis.
South Carolina
Residents age 60 and over can attend classes at state schools with credit or non-credit, depending on space available, free of charge. The school must grant admission through its normal procedures.
Technology, lab, and other fees are the responsibility of the student.
Tennessee
Tennessee residents over the age of 65 can enroll in courses for credit at state schools and community colleges.
Schools may charge a service fee of up to $70 per semester that goes toward maintaining records for those students.
Texas
Texas law allows students age 65 and older the opportunity to take six credit hours of free undergraduate or graduate courses at public universities.
An older adult who attends the University of Texas at Austinfor example, they could earn a free degree if they only take six credit hours per semester and maintain a 2.0 GPA.
Students must present proof of age to the accounts receivable office for the exemption to be applied to their accounts.
Utah
Residents 62 and older can enroll tuition-free at a state institution; a registration fee is required.
Washington
Institutions in Washington are required to partially or fully waive tuition rates for residents age 60 and older who are enrolled for credits on a space available basis. Nominal fees may apply to student auditing courses.
Some schools limit senior citizens to a certain number of classes or credits; for example, Washington State University limits the exemption to six credits each fall and spring semester. Other schools may only offer tuition-free audit options.
West Virginia
West Virginia allows residents age 65 and older to attend undergraduate and graduate courses on a space-available basis; both credit and audit options are available. Schools may still require seniors to pay fees like parking.
While West Virginia University seniors applying for credit must use the regular admissions form, those wishing to be non-degree students pay just $5 to apply.
Wyoming
Upon admission to the University of Wyoming, seniors 65 and older can attend class for free on a space available basis.
Community colleges offer a tuition waiver form that seniors can submit; waivers do not cover student or other fees.