Georgia’s Senior Citizen Tuition Waiver Program: Current Status, Web Presence, and Web Content

Abstract

Senior citizens are becoming a larger and more significant part of the workforce as they desire to work longer. Companies have found these individuals bring valuable skills to the workplace; however, they frequently need to update those skills or pursue new degrees. Since 1976, Georgia has had a law granting senior citizens tuition waivers in the state's public higher education institutions, thus allowing them the ability to take courses to update their skills. This study assessed the current status of the tuition waiver program by reviewing web sites of the 26 institutions in the University System of Georgia to determine how well the program is publicized. It also reviewed enrollment data to determine whether senior citizens are taking advantage of the benefit. The results reveal that web sites vary widely in publicizing the program, very few sites are easy to navigate, and a very small proportion of senior citizens are utilizing the tuition waiver. It is recommended that institutions improve their sites to enhance awareness and enrollment. Also, chambers of commerce, workforce development agencies, and senior citizen support agencies are encouraged to market the program more widely, thus providing benefits to the individuals, employers, and the economy.