Online Degree & College Courses for Seniors: Diverse Range of Degree Programs without Application Fee, Flexible Class Schedules & More

You can read yourself through our guide about online degree and college courses for seniors below and find the one that suits you the best!

Online Degree & College Courses For Seniors in the US

Senior citizens have many needs that oftentimes require special circumstances. The ones we usually consider are housing and elder care, but one that many people may forget about is education. More specifically, online degrees and college courses for senior citizens in the US. This is because most people only think of college as being something for younger people. However, the number of senior citizens pursuing further education has increased drastically over the years.

This means that the need for more information has also increased. Many people may assume the only options for seniors are the same ones people in their late teens and twenties have. While they can certainly pursue regular universities and community colleges, there are programs out there that work almost exclusively with seniors. Again, this is because they sometimes have other needs that a 20-year-old may not have.

We took a look into higher education for seniors to see what programs are out there, the cost and if they can receive aid to pay for it. This is what we found.

Why do seniors go back to school?

There are several reasons why senior citizens go back to school for college degrees. The first is the fact that it allows them to continue learning. Of course, most people believe college is only to begin a career, which is fair, but it is not always the case. It is important for seniors to continue to enhance their minds. This helps with their memory and cognitive capabilities.

Some seniors choose to do so because they didn’t get to pursue an education before now. College seemed like a faraway goal for more people years and decades ago, which means they may now be realizing their dreams. Also, there are more ways to pay for it so college just seems less daunting than it used to be.

Some seniors are also pursuing second careers. In today’s world, more of them are retiring and then chasing other passions. They may need more education to do so, so going back to college is the perfect decision.

Paying for College as a Senior

One of the great things about going back to college as a senior citizen is that there are many options to help pay for the education. The AARP even recommends seniors taking every opportunity they can to help fund it. There are numerous scholarships and tax breaks. For example, there is the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit that’s worth $2,000 as well as the American Opportunity Tax Credit for $2,500.

Another thing some people use to help pay for college is the 529 savings account. This comes into play for people who have kids who have attended college and have unused funds. The senior would then simply change the beneficiary to themselves. You can also open a new account under your name to use for funding your education. This creates a tax deduction for the person using the 529 savings account.

It should also be noted that many educational instructions offer their own scholarships and discounts.

3 Areas Seniors Pursue Degrees in

There are many academic areas that seniors choose for furthering their education. One of the most popular is business. This is because business degrees are very general and encompass many career paths. It provides many opportunities for a senior citizen who seeks to begin a new career.

IT is another area that more and more seniors are pursuing. This is because as technology has become more widely used and assessable, more senior citizens feel comfortable using it as well as training for more advanced uses. IT is also a broad area and most businesses need some form of IT position. This makes the field great for senior citizens looking to either change careers or even simply receive more training. It should be noted that some of these seniors may already work in IT but are wanting to learn more about different applications.

Related to business is finance. Many seniors pursue this field because it is more specialized than a general business degree. There are many applications for it, though not as many as someone who goes for a degree in Business. Some seniors may work towards a finance degree because they want to improve their personal finances. As mentioned before, not every senior who pursues further education is doing it for employment.

Options for Seniors pursuing Degrees

There are many options out there for senior citizens who are pursuing degrees. The first step is to look into desired universities. This is because they will all offer some form of support for seniors. It may be financial or it may be departments that help transition seniors to college life, but there is help in general. Besides looking into various universities, there are other programs. There is Southern New Hampshire, which is a great option. Not only do they offer great programs, but their website also states that they have lowered tuition significantly. They do not offer a discount, but they are perfect for seniors. This is also perfect because there is no application fee.

Another option besides simply looking into nearby universities is Strayer University. It offers both online and in-person options and is considered one of the best universities for older adults. It has many options for degrees that are popular with older students. The application at Strayer is $50.

Education opens up a whole new world

Seniors should pursue education if they have time on their hands and have some sort of passion. This does not have to lead to a future career, but could simply be a way to develop themselves personally. Older people are living longer and have more drive and determination than ever before, and there is a great deal of support for them.