Under the Senior Citizens Higher Education Act, senior citizens who have been domiciled in Virginia for one year are eligible to take up to 3 classes at no charge under certain circumstances.
Credit Courses: Virginia residents who meet the following criteria may be eligible to take courses offered for academic credit, without paying tuition:
- Be 60 years of age or older
- Be admitted to the college as an in-state student and domiciled in Virginia one year
- Have a taxable income not exceeding $23,850 for state income tax purposes for the year preceding the year in which enrollment is sought.
- Provide required documentation:
- Valid photo ID displaying birthdate OR photo ID and birth certificate
- If required to file taxes, copy of the previous year’s Virginia Tax Return OR U.S. Federal Income Tax Return
- If not required to file taxes, copy of most recent Social Security statement.
- Additional information as requested by Enrollment Management staff
- Completed Senior Citizens Tuition Waiver Form
Audit: Virginia residents who meet the following criteria may AUDIT credit classes free of charge regardless of income:
- Be 60 years of age or older
- Be admitted to the college as an in-state student and domiciled in Virginia one year
- Required documentation:
- o Valid photo ID displaying birthdate OR photo ID and birth certificate
- o Additional information as requested by Enrollment Management staff
- o Completed Senior Citizens Tuition Waiver Form
Non-credit Workforce Development Classes: Senior citizens are eligible to take non-credit courses through Workforce Development regardless of income. Register for these courses by contacting or visiting our Workforce Development office. Do not complete the tuition waiver form.
Enrollment Guidelines, Timeframes, and Limitations
Registration Process
- Senior citizens must complete and submit a Senior Citizens Tuition Waiver Form before the beginning of each session, as well as provide required documentation verifying age and income.
- Registration begins no earlier than the day before the start of a class.
- Exception: senior citizens pursuing a degree who have completed seventy-five (75%) percent of the requirements for a degree may register at the same time as tuition-paying students.
- Those seeking to audit a course will need to gain permission from the appropriate Academic Division.
- If courses are not all held during the same session, separate tuition waiver forms must be submitted for each session. More than one class may be included on the waiver if the sessions are the same.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisites, as outlined in the College Catalog, must be met for all courses. Prerequisites may be waived by the Academic Division.
- Senior citizens may be required to submit unofficial transcripts or be assessed for preparedness using other measures.
- For courses in programs with restricted admission, the senior citizen must apply and be admitted to the program.
Course Enrollment
- Tuition-paying and degree/certificate seeking students are accommodated in courses before senior citizens may enroll.
- Senior citizens may not attend a class until their enrollment is confirmed.
- No limit is placed on the number of terms, quarters or semesters in which a senior citizen who is enrolled under this policy may register for course(s), but the individual is limited to a maximum of 3 courses per term.
- To guarantee space in a class, senior citizens can also register and pay as a tuition-paying student. However, those who apply for the tuition waiver after registering and paying for a class are not eligible for a refund.
Fees & Books
- Students are responsible for fees associated with course materials, such as books, laboratory, or IncludED fees.
- Fees must be paid by 5 p.m. the next business day after registration to avoid being dropped from the class.
- Purchase necessary course materials through the College Bookstore.
Grading and Degree Progress
- Audited classes will receive a grade of ‘X’ and will not award credit towards program completion.
- Senior citizens are eligible to work towards program completion but must follow the guidelines on this page.