Learning Opportunities for the Seasoned Among Us

I thought the title was a little gentler than simply saying learning opportunities for senior citizens. But that’s what it comes to. It is likely many of us know that various local community and full colleges, and other venues, offer free or discounted rate education/courses for senior citizens. I myself have had the pleasure of taking a couple of courses at RVCC (Raritan Valley Community College) at discounted tuition prices. Put aside for the moment I was not simply the oldest student in the class, but generally I was also older than the professors. But perhaps it be better to say I was more seasoned. Whatever.

The following is an attempt to provide our readers with sources for finding out where you can avail yourself of such learning opportunities. There are no specific recommendations here – these are listed (in a crude sense) in alpha order.

AARP - the website is aarp.org/pri/initiatives/lifelonglearners – provides information across numerous states, highlighting costs as reduced for senior citizens. The companion website, also part of AARP, is: seniorplanet.org – which focuses on free virtual classes.

Age-Friendly University Global Network – the title is a little awkward, but the website is: afugn.org, and it maintains a list of colleges – based in the US and around the world – that welcome older adult learners. 

Kiplinger – I believe this might be tied-into AARP, but at: kiplinger.com/kpf/college-retirees. This site provides information to a degree similar to that provided by AARP.

Modern Elder Academy – the website is: meawisdom.com. It provides information on workshops and online classes that it offers.

National Resource Center for OSHER Lifelong Learning Institutes – this provides information about university-based programs and information on institutes near you. The website is: sps.northwestern.edu/oshernrc/resources/lifelong-learning. It is noted this site maintains a directory of all the Lifelong Learning Institutes in the US, whether affiliated with OSHER or not. 

NEXEL Collaborative – this is a non-profit alliance which supports development of transition programs at colleges and universities for seniors. The website is: thenexel.com.

Allow me to throw in a cautionary word to the wise here – if you avail yourself of any of these opportunities and find yourself back again on a college campus, tread carefully with the fraternities or sororities that have dangerous hazing practices. Most of us are not as young as we used to be – which means we should know better and we can’t take the punishments as well as we used to.