Back to school but this time for fun

Did you know that as a senior citizen you can attend classes at all 24 schools of the City University of New York tuition free? And "senior" in this case refers to anyone 60 and over. You too can enjoy a class with one of the many famous people who teach at the CUNY schools.

(Source: archive.constantcontact.com)
That's right-- courses at City College, Queens and Brooklyn Colleges, the College of Staten Island, Hostos, Kingsborough and La Guardia Community Colleges and and every other senior and community college in the system. The CUNY Senior Citizen Program for residents of New York State makes the resources of this great university available to you.

(Source: wikipedia.com)
There are a couple of caveats-- the courses are audit only. This means no tests, no papers and no grades- ( and therefore no excuses) - you can do it for the sheer love of learning. And of course there has to be room in the class for you. Not every course is eligible either but that still leaves you with more learning opportunities than you could possibly use. The fees come to $80 per semester but you need to check each individual college for availability. You register as a non-degree student for undergraduate courses, keeping in mind that some of the schools, especially the senior colleges, require a high school diploma. You are usually limited to six credits or two courses.

(Source: nydailynews.com)

Ever wanted to find out about police procedures? Try John Jay College of Criminal Justice with its courses in forensic science. Interested in business? Try Baruch. Or how about a class in music at Queens College's Aaron Copland School of Music?

Don't neglect the community colleges. Queensborough Community College, for example, has the Kupferberg Holocaust Center and the QCC Arts Center, while the Bronx Community College's My Turn program offers extras like the pool, gym, library, tennis courts and a private beach!  And BMCC at the bottom of Manhattan has wonderful courses like how to write your autobiography and special classes in learning computers, oil painting, and yoga. Again, space has to be available.

(Source: theatlantic.com)
To find out what the college near you has, first go the www.cuny.edu website and look for your nearest school. Then type Senior Citizen Program into the search box and start looking for your favorites. But be quick about it--Hunter has already closed out applications for the fall 2013 semester but you can apply for spring of 2014.

(Source: nytimes.com)
#retiredinnewyork
#backtoschool
#freetuitionatcunyforseniors