Minnesota residents who are at least 62 years old may qualify for tuition-free courses at RCTC. Even though the courses may be tuition-free, there are other administrative costs and related fees that will be assessed according to MN Statute as described below.
Guidelines:
- The individual should provide evidence of MN residency and age (a photocopy of a driver’s license, for example).
- Seniors may enroll “when space is available after all tuition-paying students have been accommodated”. The Office of the Chancellor defines “space availability” as the second day of class.
- The individual should declare auditor status for the course at the time of registration. If they are auditing the course the approximate cost is $19.10 per credit.
- If the individual is not auditing the course, a $20.00 administrative fee will be assessed for each credit. The approximate cost is $39.20 per credit.
Senior Citizen’s wishing to enroll must apply for admission to the college and comply with all other admission and registration requirements.
Full details of the statute:
- Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 135A.52, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
- Subdivision 1. [FEES AND TUITION.] Except for an administration fee established by the governing board at a level to recover costs, to be collected only when a course is taken for credit, a senior citizen who is a legal resident of Minnesota is entitled without payment of tuition or activity fees to attend courses offered for credit, audit any courses offered for credit, or enroll in any noncredit courses in any state supported institution of higher education in Minnesota when space is available after all tuition-paying students have been accommodated. A senior citizen enrolled under this section must pay any materials, personal property, or service charges for the course. In addition, a senior citizen who is enrolled in a course for credit must pay an administrative fee in an amount established by the governing board of the institution to recover the course costs. There shall be no administrative fee charges to a senior citizen auditing a course.
For the purposes of this section and section 135A.51, the term “noncredit courses” shall not include those courses designed and offered specifically and exclusively for senior citizens.
The provisions of this section and section 135A.51 do not apply to noncredit courses designed and offered by the University of Minnesota, and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities specifically and exclusively for senior citizens. Senior citizens enrolled under the provisions of this section and section 135A.51 shall not be included by such institutions in their computation of full-time equivalent students when requesting staff or appropriations.
- Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 135A.52, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
- Subd. 2. [TERM; INCOME OF SENIOR CITIZENS.]
- (a) Except under paragraph (b), there shall be no limit to the number of terms, quarters or semesters a senior citizen may attend courses, nor income limitation imposed in determining eligibility.
- (b) A senior citizen enrolled in a closed enrollment contract training or professional continuing education program is not eligible for benefits under subdivision 1.
- Subd. 2. [TERM; INCOME OF SENIOR CITIZENS.]
ARTICLE 2
RELATED HIGHER EDUCATION PROVISIONS
- Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 135A.51, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
- Subd. 2. Senior citizen. “Senior citizen” means a person who has reached 62 years of age before the beginning of any term, semester or quarter, in which a course of study is pursued, or a person receiving a railroad retirement annuity who has reached 60 years of age before the beginning of the term.
EFFECTIVE DATE.
This section is effective the day after final enactment for terms beginning after August 15, 2011.
- Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 136A.121, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
- Subd. 6. Cost of attendance.
- (a) The recognized cost of attendance consists of:
- (1) an allowance specified in law for living and miscellaneous expenses, and
- (2) an allowance for tuition and fees equal to the lesser of the average tuition and fees charged by the institution, or a tuition and fee maximum if one is
established in law. If no tuition and fee maximum is established in law, the allowance for tuition and fees is equal to the lesser of:- (1) the average tuition and fees charged by the institution, and
- (2) for two-year programs, an amount equal to the highest tuition and fees charged at a public two-year institution, or for four-year programs, an amount equal to the highest tuition and fees charged at a public university.
- (b) For a student registering for less than full time, the office shall prorate the cost of attendance to the actual number of credits for which the student is enrolled.
- (c) The recognized cost of attendance for a student who is confined to a Minnesota correctional institution shall consist of the tuition and fee component in paragraph (a), with no allowance for living and miscellaneous expenses.
- (d) For the purpose of this subdivision, “fees” include only those fees that are mandatory and charged to full-time resident students attending the institution. Fees do not include charges for tools, equipment, computers, or other similar materials where the student retains ownership. Fees include charges for these materials if the institution retains ownership. Fees do not include optional or punitive fees.
- (a) The recognized cost of attendance consists of:
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective retroactively from July 1, 2011.