Permits persons 65 years of age to enroll in a limited number of state university and city university courses for credit without tuition

• Democratic1

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why the sponsor says this is needed

In 1974, New York State adopted Chapter 1002 of the Laws of 1974 permit- ting persons over the age of sixty to audit courses at the State Univer- sity without tuition, examination or credit, on a space available basis. On approving that legislation, the Governor noted that, "Education can be a major factor in helping older people maintain their mental alert- ness, (and) continue active participation in the affairs of their commu- nities. In many instances, however, financial and formal educational barriers have rendered such education opportunity inaccessible." Although the 1974 law began an important step forward, senior citizens have so far been denied the opportunity under this program to further their education on a for-credit basis. This bill would extend to persons age sixty-five and over the ability to attend courses at no charge at the State University, on a space-available basis, while receiving credit for their course work. This is a logical continuation of our efforts to integrate our older collegians fully into the mainstream of academic life. Not only will older students benefit from fully participating in the courses offered at both the State University of New York and the City University of New York, they will bring a broad range of lifetime expe- riences to the classroom, thereby enriching the education of students.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.