Senior Citizens Can Take Class at CSUDH
for only $3.50

In a move to make higher education more obtainable to the area’s senior citizens and to help fill any empty classroom seats, California State University, Dominguez Hills is offering a seat in almost any class during this spring semester that has a vacant one for only $3.50. In addition, the application form and registration process has been kept simple.

The plan was approved Jan. 19 to offer classes during the spring semester, which has just started. If the response is favorable, according to CSUDH Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Allen Mori, then it could continue.

Although registration closed Jan. 20, late registration runs for another three weeks. Flyers are being circulated in the community explaining the program. With the flyer is an application form. The flyers also provide Web addresses to access more information on the program and to see electronic versions of the application.

“Any class on the campus that has a seat available is open to senior citizens under this program,” said Tracey Haney, office manager, Academic Programs. “The only restriction is if a class requires a prerequisite that the senior hasn’t fulfilled. Classes need prerequisites will be in the class schedules in the catalog.”

The catalogs are available online and the flyers provide the Web address, http://www.csudh.edu/spr06. To those who don’t have Internet access, or have any other questions, there is a telephone number on the flyers to call. Arrangements to provide printed catalogs can be made, Haney adds.

“Basically, what they would do is complete the top part of the application, then go online to look at the class schedule in the catalog to see if there is anything they’d like to take. It’s a basic application, pretty much asking only for name, address, Social Security number and contact information, then the course information.”

Once completed, the application should be sent in along with the $3.50 per course. The address to send it to is at the bottom of the application. Admissions and Records will check to see if there is still room in the course and, if there is, will contact the seniors to let them know they can get in and what they should do next.

“I should add that since we are now in the late registration phase, anyone accepted into a class will have to go to the class and get a Late Access Registration Number,” Haney explains. “When they get the number they’ll also be told where to take it so they can lock in the registration for the class, and that’s it.”

The courses, Haney says, will count for credit. There are limits, but the seniors can opt to take a course as pass/fail (or, credit/no credit). “They can do that with a certain number and types of general education courses, but not with courses that are specifically for a major,” Haney points out. “So, if they later decide to really fully apply to Dominguez Hills for a degree, they’ll want those courses to count as credit, which means they’ll have to take them for a grade.”

Haney said there is a fee-waiver program for senior citizens who want to earn a degree that has been in place for some time. A senior who fully applies to the university to work for a degree can take as many as two courses a semester for only $3.

The flyer lists Haney as the primary contact for more information: (310) 243-3308, or thaney@csudh.edu.

–Russell Hudson