Senior Citizens Tuition Assistance

Purpose:

To describe the policies and procedures related to the provision of tuition assistance for senior citizens pursuant to the Senior Citizens Higher Education Act of 1974 (Code of Virginia, Title 23, Chapter 6, Article 7, 23.1-640), Registration and enrollment in courses, as amended.

Definitions:

Senior Citizen: any person who, before the beginning of any semester in which the person wishes to register, has reached sixty (60) years of age and has been legally domiciled in Virginia for one (1) year.

Policy:

1. Senior citizens who meet the admission requirements of the institution and any course pre-requisites may be permitted to enroll in courses and pay no tuition or fees, except for course materials and laboratory fees, provided they meet the following guidelines:

   1. To be eligible for free tuition and fees (auxiliary, technology, and student activity) for credit courses, part-time or full-time, a person must:

      1. be sixty (60) years of age or older;

      2. be a legal resident of Virginia;

      3. have a taxable income not to exceed $23,850 for Virginia income tax purposes for the year preceding the year in which enrollment is sought; an

      4. be admitted to the college as a student.

   2. To be eligible for free tuition for audit of credit courses and non-credit courses (not to exceed three [3] non-credit courses per semester), a person must:

      1. be sixty (60) years of age or older;

      2. be a legal resident of Virginia; and

      3. be admitted to the college as a student. For information regarding the audit process at the college, students should refer to the college catalog.

2. Requests from senior citizens to register for tuition-free classes shall be considered beginning the first day of class for each course for which they wish to register. Individual exceptions may be made when the senior citizen has completed seventy-five percent (75%) of the requirements for a degree or certificate program.

3. All classes, credit and non-credit, must achieve a minimum enrollment of tuition-paying students who shall be accommodated before senior citizens participating in this program are enrolled.

4. Refunds shall not be granted for individuals who register prior to the specified time frame. Once registered according to the terms of this policy, senior citizens shall not be administratively withdrawn in order to accommodate paying students.

5. Due to their self-supporting nature, courses designed specifically for senior citizens are exempt from this policy.

6. Senior citizens are also required to enroll in any required course co-requisites.

Procedures:

Procedure for Reynolds Policy 1-33, Senior Citizens Tuition Assistance

Other Information:

Code of Virginia, Chapter 6, Article 7; 3.1-640, Senior citizens; registration and enrollment in courses

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) – Guidelines / Regulations

JSRCC Form 11-0002, Add Drop

JSRCC Form 11-0021, Student Tuition Assistance Agreement:  Senior Citizens Guidelines for Eligibility