Tuition Waiver for Older Students

PURPOSE

This memorandum is published in order to outline the policy and procedures concerned with the waiver of tuition for students 65 and older.

1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

The 1977 session of the General Assembly enacted the following law:

Section 1. As used in this act, 'tuition' shall mean the amount charged for registering for a credit hour of instruction and shall not be construed to mean any other fees or charges or costs of textbooks.

Section 2. State-supported institutions of higher education, community colleges, industrial education centers and technical institutes, shall permit legal residents of North Carolina who have attained the age of 65 to attend classes for credit or noncredit purposes without the required payment of tuition; provided, however, that such persons meet admission and other standards deemed appropriated by the educational institution, and provided further that such persons shall be accepted by the constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina only on a space available basis.

Section 3. The Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina and the State Board of Education shall each, with respect to the institutions governed by it, promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of the provisions of this act.

Section 4. Persons attending classes under the provisions of this act, without payment of tuition, shall be counted in the computation of enrollment for funding purposes.

Section 5. The officials of such institutions charged with administration of this act may require such proof as they deem necessary to insure that the person applying to the institution is eligible for the benefits provided by this act.

Section 6. Any applicant who willfully misrepresents his eligibility for the tuition benefits provided under this act, or any person who knowingly aids or abets such applicant in misrepresenting his eligibility for such benefits, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than fifty dollars ($50.00) or imprisoned for not more than 30 days, or both."

2. REGULATIONS OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS

1. 'Tuition' shall mean the amount charged for registering for a credit hour of instruction and shall not be construed to mean any other fees or charges or costs of textbooks.
   
   
2. 'Legal resident' shall mean a domiciliary of North Carolina without respect to duration of domicile. The determination of domicile shall be made in accordance with A Manual to Assist the Public Higher Education Institutions of North Carolina in the Matter of Student Residence Classifications for Tuition Purposes, as amended.
   
   
3. The tuition waiver privilege shall apply only to legal residents of North Carolina who are 65 years of age or older prior to the academic term for which tuition waiver is sought.
   
   
4. The tuition waiver privilege may apply to courses taken under any student status recognized under institutional policy (e.g., degree candidate, special student, auditor); provided that tuition waiver shall be available only for courses for which a 'tuition' charge is set and normally levied.
   
   
5. To receive tuition waiver under these regulations for a given course, a person shall first meet all institutional requirements with respect to institutional admission, course enrollment, and any other standards deemed appropriate by the enrolling institution; provided, that institutional requirements for course enrollment tuition-free under these regulations shall include the requirement that there be space available for enrollment tuition-free in the course for which tuition waiver is sought.
   
   
6. Persons attending classes under the tuition-waiver privilege of these regulations shall be counted in the computation of institutional enrollment for funding purposes.
   
   
7. The Chancellor of each constituent institution, or his/her delegate, shall have authority to make those determinations required under these regulations for application of the tuition-waiver privilege; and the Chancellor, or his/her delegate, may require such proof as he/she deems necessary to insure that a person applying to the respective institution for tuition waiver is eligible for the benefits provided under these regulations for the pertinent courses(s).
   
   
8. Before a person is accorded tuition waiver pursuant to these regulations, that person shall be informed by the constituent institution to which the student has applied of the criminal penalties authorized by Chapter 981, 1977 Session Laws, with respect to conviction for willful misrepresentation of eligibility for tuition benefits provided under the act.
   
   
9. The regulations of the Board of Governors of September 12, 1975, with respect to Chapter 606, 1975 Session Laws, are superseded by these regulations.
   
   
10. These regulations shall be effective retroactive to July 1, 1977.

3. ADMISSION

A prospective student who wishes to receive this tuition waiver must meet each of the following requirements:

1. a. Submit an application for admission with the required application fee (non-refundable and non-deductible) to:

   i. the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (for those seeking undergraduate level instruction), or

   ii. the Graduate School (for those holding baccalaureate degrees who are seeking instruction in courses numbered 100 or higher);

   iii. any regular degree candidate who is full time and meets normal admission requirements will be admitted to the appropriate school and coded with the normal classification. Any candidate who is not eligible for admission as a regular full-time student or who does not wish to be a full-time degree candidate, will be admitted to the Friday Center for Continuing Education.

   iv. the Office of Admissions of the Schools of Law, Medicine, and Dentistry for those wishing to take courses in these schools. It should be noted that space availability is very limited in these schools.

2. Submit a "Request for Waiver of Tuition & Fees for Senior Citizens" form. The student should complete this form and return it to the University Cashier's Office for each semester that he/she desires a waiver. The enrollment deposit, otherwise required, will be waived for students admitted in this category. This form may be obtained on the University Cashier's website.
   
   
3. Supply satisfactory evidence that he or she is a North Carolina legal resident (i.e., domiciled in this state). Residence status for these students will be determined in the same manner as for other students, except that the twelve-month durational residence requirement otherwise applicable does not apply.
   
   
4. Request tuition-free enrollment to attend regular University classes, rather than in special interest non-credit short courses or correspondence courses.

4. REGISTRATION AND RECORDS

The registration, recording, and accounting for students entitled to the tuition-waiver will be as follows:

1. All students will be admitted and classified in the same manner as other students.
   
   
2. Students entitled to the tuition-waiver will be enrolled in courses on a space available basis after other students have been registered and only if, at that time, space is available in the classes which tuition-waiver students desire to attend.
   
   
3. Grades, quality points, credit towards graduation, eligibility for continued residence, and other academic regulations will apply to these students.
   
   
4. These students will be counted in all head count, FTE count, or other statistics compiled for purposes of reporting enrollment.
   
   
5. Students enrolled under the tuition-waiver will not be entitled to the Student Health Services, Athletic, Student Union, or other services and activities normally covered by student fees unless they are eligible for and elect to pay the normal student fees.
   
   
6. An appropriate ID card will be issued by the UNC One Card Office to enable these students to use the University Library unless they elect to pay the normal student fees, in which case they will be issued the regular ID card.

5. CORRESPONDENCE AND SPECIAL INTEREST COURSES

Correspondence courses and special interest short courses not for degree credit are not available under the tuition-waiver privilege.

6. AUDITING

Procedures for auditing of courses are not altered by the tuition-waiver privilege. In general, permission of the instructor and the department chairman is required. Students not enrolled for other course work must pay the $20.00 audit fee to the University Cashier. No records are kept of courses audited (See RPM NO. 9).