Retirement can be a great chance to acquire new skills, brush up on old ones or learn a fascinating subject. Good news: Many colleges make that an affordable reality.
Many states' public college and university systems offer free tuition to adults age 60 or older who “audit” courses, which means attending lectures without the hassle of homework or exams. Participants in such programs typically receive no college credit and must pay for any textbooks or other course materials they wish to own.
Each state's program and requirements are slightly different. Alabama's Senior Adult Scholarship Program, for example, offers free tuition to residents age 60 or older who attend a public two-year college. Tennessee's tuition-waiver program for seniors offers free tuition to any of the state's public colleges or universities.
Beyond state-based tuition waiver or scholarship programs, some colleges provide low-cost continuing education programs for retirees or offer free online courses for anyone. Coursera.org, for example, hosts nearly 400 free online courses on a variety of subjects from more than 60 universities worldwide.
