x
  
  
Posted: 8/17/15

TAMIU Offers Seniors ‘Learning for Life’

 

TAMIU Logo
 

 

            A University campus is a shared forum for learning for people of all ages, for all life.  Age is no limit to learning a new language, delving into art history or exploring new technology or cherished life goals.

            That’s the guiding philosophy behind Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) “Learning for Life” program that provides Senior Citizens age 65 or older with opportunities to take classes at TAMIU at virtually no cost.

            “We never stop learning,” observed TAMIU president Dr. Ray Keck, “and so a University campus should warmly embrace and create an environment that makes learning accessible and fully engaging as we grow older.”

            To that end, TAMIU provides two options for qualified students 65 or older that enable full access to the University’s course schedule of on-campus and online offerings.

            The first, made possible by State Statute, is the Senior Citizen Exemption, which enables TAMIU to waive tuition and fees for up to six hours a semester. No fees will be assessed with the exception of courses with labs, which require lab fees.  Those courses without labs are cost-free. Normal admission and registration procedures must be followed and course prerequisites met.

            To obtain the Exemption, Senior Citizens must present a Texas driver's license or other valid ID showing date of birth to the Registrar’s Office by census date of each term. For this Fall 2015 semester, census date is Thursday, Sept. 3, but classes start Wednesday, Aug. 19.  Course credit is awarded based on student performance and grade.

            The second option is the TAMIU Course Audit. Senior Citizens enroll for courses they wish to audit, meaning they are not required to take exams and do not receive credit in the course. Tuition and fees are waived for up to six hours a semester, with lab fees applying only to those courses with labs.

                  The nation’s leading senior advocacy group, AARP, strongly supports lifetime learning and the participation of seniors in programs that focus on this.

AARP Texas Director Bob Jackson said education initiatives for older Texans are vitally important and consistent with AARP’s efforts to help the 50-plus population to disrupt aging.

                  “Lifelong learning programs can help people reimagine their lives and to turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities,” said Jackson, “Education can give people the opportunity to embrace aging as something to look forward to; not something to fear; to see it as a period of growth, not decline; to recognize the opportunities, not just the challenges; and perhaps most importantly, to see themselves and others as contributors to society, not burdens.”

            For additional information on TAMIU’s “Learning for Life” for Senior Citizens, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

            The Fall semester at TAMIU begins Aug. 19.  Late registration ends Aug. 25.

            Visit tamiu.edu for more information, call the Registrar’s Office at 956.326.2250 or email: registrar@tamiu.edu.  Come by offices in the Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Wednesdays and Thursdays 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.