Registrar

Senior Citizen Policy

The Senior Citizen Policy allows retired Pennsylvania residents to attend West Chester University tuition free on a space-available basis. To qualify, the student must be retired, at least 60 years old, and have been a Pennsylvania resident for at least a year.  Students may enroll as either Degree or Non-Degree students and take either graduate or undergraduate courses as an audit or take courses for credit. The Senior Citizen Policy does not include internships, independent study, individualized instruction, student teaching, thesis, seminar, or any similar course requiring extra faculty compensation for the additional enrollment.

The tuition fee waiver does not include the costs for course materials or fees associate with Inclusive Access, if the instructor has opted to use Inclusive Access for course materials or textbooks. For more information regarding Inclusive Access, please review the WCU Campus Bookstore website.

Senior citizen students, including those in degree-seeking programs, may not register for courses prior to the beginning of classes if they wish to use the senior citizen tuition-free program. They must attend the first meeting of the class(es) for which they wish to register and obtain the instructor’s signature on their enrollment form, indicating that there is space available in the class. They then need to agree to the Financial Terms and Conditions in myWCU and return their completed enrollment form along with their signed Senior Citizen Fee Waiver to the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar’s Office then schedules the student and submits the fee waiver to the Bursar’s Office. For step-by-step instructions, review the Application Process below.

Admission Requirements

In order to qualify as a Non-Degree Senior Citizen and be eligible for the tuition waiver:

• Students must be at least 60 years old.
• Students must have been Pennsylvania residents for at least a year.
• A copy of a Pennsylvania state ID or driver's license.

Required Supporting Documentation

Along with the Non-Degree Application, the student must submit the following:

• A copy of their Pennsylvania state ID or driver’s license.
• Proof that necessary prerequisite coursework and/or minimum performance competencies have been met.
• To enroll into graduate level courses:
• Student must provide verification of an undergraduate degree in the form of an unofficial transcript, copy of their diploma, or a degree verification from their undergraduate institution.

Application Process for Senior Citizens

1. Complete the online non-degree application.
   • Supporting documentation may be emailed, mailed, or dropped off to the Registrar’s office.
2. Wait until you receive two (2) email notifications to the email address provided on the application.
   • The first email will verify that your application was submitted successfully.
   • The second email will be sent within 24 hours of application submission and will include important information, including a WCU ID number.
3. Set up your self-service account (myWCU) and WCU email address using the WCU ID number from the email.  
   • All students are required to use their WCU email address when communicating with university staff and faculty, therefore it is your responsibility to activate your account as quickly as possible.
4. Agree to the Financial Terms and Conditions Agreement every semester. Update for Spring 2022: the FTC agreement will be attached to the Senior Citizen Enrollment Form and Fee Waiver, please see linked PDF under #5.
   
   • This agreement outlines all financial responsibilities and obligations associated with attending WCU. All active students are required to complete this Agreement prior to registration each semester.
5. Complete the Non-Degree Senior Citizen Enrollment Form and Fee Waiver.
   • Instructor signature can be obtained at the first class meeting, which will signify that there is space available in the course. Permission via email from the instructor will also be accepted as signature. 
   • Enrollment Forms will not be accepted prior to the start of the semester.
   • Senior citizen students will not be registered for courses prior to the beginning of the class and are held to the add/drop deadlines for the course. 
   • Any book fees, including but not limited to, the inclusive access fee, is NOT covered by the waiver and the student is responsible for making payment.
   • Check above under "Admission Requirement" to see if you qualify for the tuition fee waiver.
6. Once the form is submitted, the Registrar's Office will complete the registration and submit the fee waiver to the Bursar's Office. Please note: requests to enroll in courses that are full will delay registration processing.
   

REQUIRED FORM

Non-Degree Senior Citizen Course Enrollment form and Fee Waiver

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