VIII - 2.30 - Senior Citizen Tuition Waiver

POLICY ON WAIVER OF TUITION AND GRANTING OF OTHER PRIVILEGES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND

It is the policy of the University of Maryland System to extend special privileges, where practicable, to senior citizens who are residents of the State of Maryland. The term "senior citizen" includes any individual who is sixty years of age or older, who is retired and whose chief income is derived from retirement benefits, and who is not employed full time. Privileges to be extended to such individuals shall include, subject to certain conditions, waiver of tuition for undergraduate and graduate courses, use of the libraries, and such other privileges as individual institutions shall determine.

I. Waiver of Tuition

A. Each institution shall determine the availability of this benefit for self-support programs.

B. The exercise of this privilege shall be on a space available basis, and the institution shall be responsible for determining space availability. A senior citizen shall not be entitled to a waiver of tuition for more than three courses in a single academic semester or term.

C. For purposes of this program, "tuition" is defined as the basic instructional charge for courses and does not include fees, such as those for application, registration, or other mandatory fees. Policies on waiver of fees other than tuition for senior citizens shall be determined by the institution.

D. A senior citizen may enroll in a degree granting program under these policies only  as he or she is admissible to that program.

E. The full-time equivalent enrollment of senior citizens for whom tuition is waived shall not exceed two percent of the institution's full-time equivalent undergraduate enrollment.

F. Each institution shall adopt procedures to administer the tuition waiver program under these policies. [Note: For BSU procedures, contact Human Resources.]

G. Each institution shall report to the Chancellor, at the end of each semester or session, for submission to the Board of Regents, the number of senior citizens who have exercised the privilege of tuition waiver.

II. Golden Identification Card Program

A. Eligible senior citizens may apply for a Golden Identification Card from any institution in the University System, which shall be honored throughout the System. This card shall serve to identify the individual as eligible for any privileges (for example, use of the libraries) that an institution determines to be available to senior citizens. Holders of the Golden Identification Card may be entitled to admission to student events, as determined by the institution.

B. Except for emergencies, the health care facilities at institutions where they exist shall not be available to holders of the Golden Identification Card unless they are enrolled as regular full-time students and have paid the health fee.

C.  Each institution shall adopt and publicize procedures for, and privileges available under, the Golden Identification Card program. [Note: For applicable procedures at BSU, contact the Office of Human Resources.]

Effective Date: 1991