Mar 23, 2017 2 min read

You’re never too old to learn is a trite but true expression that never gets old. It also is the thinking behind a valuable program being offered at California University of Pennsylvania.

Cal U.’s 60 Plus College Advantage Program offers Pennsylvanians 60 and older an affordable opportunity to pursue an education. Tuition is free. Would-be students must prove residency, have a high school diploma or GED, pay university fees and buy required textbooks and supplies.

This is a boon for baby boomers who have never attended college, haven’t completed a degree, want to pursue a master’s degree or simply want to learn. They also can participate in non-degree programs and audit classes. And, unlike their children and/or grandchildren, they don’t accumulate daunting student loan debt.

CAP also provides hope for residents in this age range who are having difficulty finding work because of ageism, lack of work background or a dearth of jobs in their field. There are 21 senior students enrolled for the spring semester at Cal U.; 56 have been enrolled over the past three years.

In a way, CAP exists at a curious time, when the State System of Higher Education is dealing with precipitous drops in enrollments and revenue declines. The 14 state-owned schools, collectively, have experienced a 12 percent decline over the past six years. Cal U.’s enrollment of 7,553 last fall was down 20 percent from a record-high 9,483 in 2001. Providing free enrollment to 21 people, some of whom can afford the tuition, can be viewed as counterproductive.

The number of 60-and-over students participating in CAP, however, is not large, and besides, they aren’t the only beneficiaries of the program. CAP enhances Cal U.’s image, which can lead to an enrollment bump of younger students. It also creates a more diverse, and probably stronger, student body. As Barbara Crofcheck, director of the university’s Office of Continuing Education, said: “Older students have so much to contribute.”