College for the Over Sixty

The registration process for the College Over Sixty program is done entirely via email.

 

2027 Registration Dates

 

Below is the step-by-step procedure to register for the Spring 2027 semester.

The guidelines below must be followed to participate in the College for the Over Sixty program.   
 

Failure to meet the required deadlines will result in forfeiting your participation in the College of the Over Sixty program for the upcoming semester. There are NO EXCEPTIONS FOR Spring 27 SEMESTER.

  1.  By Monday, November 30, 2026 - Submit College for the Over 60 Application and attach a copy of your driver’s license/photo ID to Collegeover60@ysu.edu. Once the application is reviewed and your information has been verified, you will receive an email confirmation for your participation in the program for the Spring 2027 semester. Applications submitted after this date will be processed for the following semester. No late submissions will be accepted. 
  2. Friday December 4, 2026 - Our office will send out a spreadsheet with all available courses to choose from.   
  3. By Friday December 11, 2026 - Email the class(es) you are interested in taking for the upcoming semester, along with your second and third choice of classes in case your first choice(s) are not available. All classes should be submitted to Collegeover60@ysu.edu. You may take up to 12 credit hours. You must send the subject, course number, and CRN.
  4. By Friday December 18,2026 - You must return your signed Enrollment form via email to Collegeover60@ysu.edu.
  5. Tuesday December 29, 2026 - Our office will complete your registration. If your original class choices are not available or full, we will schedule you for your second or third choices if they are available. You will be notified either way.
  6. Thursday, December 31, 2026- Every Registered participant will receive a welcome letter with your Banner ID and your YSU email. This letter will also provide information on accessing your Penguin Portal, billing, and more. The first day of Spring 27 semester is January 4, 2027.

Please Note:

  • The last day to withdraw from the Spring 2027 semester with a 100% refund, is Friday January 15,2027. The $5.00 registration fee is non-refundable.

Over-60-Application-Form

Participant Conduct and Continued Eligibility

What is the College for the Over Sixty program?

Each state university or college shall permit any person who is sixty years of age or older and who has resided in the state for at least one year to attend its courses and classes without charging that person a tuition or matriculation fee, provided the attendance is on a noncredit basis, is in courses where classroom space is available, and is approved by the instructors of the courses involved. The university or college may require payment of special fees, including any laboratory fees, if the fees are required of all students taking a course. Each university or college shall issue rules for determining the availability of classroom space and may issue such other rules as it considers necessary to implement this section, including rules exempting from the requirements of this section courses or classes for which special course or training prerequisites apply, in which physical demands upon students are inappropriate for imposition upon persons sixty years of age or older, or in which the number of participating regular students is insufficient to cover the university's or college's course-related expenses. A university or college also may extend to persons attending its courses and classes under this section any other student rights or privileges it considers appropriate (see Ohio Revised Code 3345.27 for more information).

How does the program work?

  • Participants taking classes under this program do not earn college credits. Participants may register for up to 12 credit hours per semester; fall and spring semesters are 15 weeks long while summer semester varies.
  • While tuition for regular college credit classes is covered under the program, participants will be charged a $5 registration fee and any tech/lab/material fees associated with the course(s). Payment is due at the time of registration. The tech/lab/material fees can range from $35-187 per course. Parking on campus during the Fall and Spring semesters is an additional fee of $160, or $18 a week, or $5 per day.  During the Summer semester the fee is $103, or $18 a week, or $5 per day.  You will need to purchase your parking pass at Parking Services, which is located in Smith Hall, 275 Fifth Avenue, Youngstown, OH.  
  • Please go to the schedule of classes to look up what classes are being offered for the upcoming semester and write down the course number (e.g. ENGL 1550) and course CRN (5 digit code) that you would like to register for. Please remember that participants can only chose courses that have more than 3 available seats.
  • After registration for current students has occurred, classes are open on a space available basis to individuals 60 years old and older who have been Ohio residents for at least one year.
  • Participants will be able to enroll in a regular college credit class on a non-credit basis; meaning, participants will audit the class and not be required to take exams or receive grades. If you would like to assess your progress, you may take exams with instructor approval.
  • This program only applies to undergraduate college credit classes (1500-2600 level) and acceptance into each course is at the instructor's discretion. Music and voice lessons requiring individual instruction are not available for participants; specific courses may require instructor approval prior to registration. NO graduate level courses can be taken.

Is there a Credit Enrollment Option?

In 1999, House Bill 147 passed permitting senior citizens to receive tuition-free college credit, providing that the senior citizen's family income is less than two hundred (200%) percent of the Federal Poverty Level Guideline. If the senior citizen meets the criteria for eligibility listed below and there is space available in the course(s), the participant can register for the credit enrollment option by completing an income verification form and submitting a signed copy of their current federal tax return or IRS letter confirming non-filing status to document financial need. New students are required to complete an admission application and are subject to acceptance for undergraduate and graduate programs. Income Verification form and all supporting documents must be submitted at your initial registration and then once a year prior to the fall semester by the published deadline. All forms are supplied through the Office of the Registrar.

Eligibility Criteria: To enroll under the Credit Enrollment Option requires that a participant must be sixty (60) years of age or older; must have been a resident of the State of Ohio for the preceding twelve (12) months; meet current admission requirements; and the participant's family income must be less than two hundred (200%) percent of the Federal Poverty Level Guideline, as revised annually.

  • Participants taking classes under this program DO earn college credits. Participants may register for up to 12 -16 credit hours per semester as an undergraduate or up to 9 credit hours as a graduate student. Please note: fall and spring semesters are 15 weeks long while summer semester varies.
  • The House Bill 147 eliminates the instructional and general fees from a participant’s bill. Fees are payable by check, credit card or cash. The tech/lab/material fees can range from $35-$187 per course. Parking on campus during the Fall and Spring semester is an additional fee of $160, for the fall it is $103, $18 a week, or you can pay $5 a day.