Authorizes the board of trustees of the city university of New York to permit persons sixty years of age or over to take courses given without tuition, either for credit, or without examination, grading or credit therefor upon a space available basis, as determined by the president of each institution of the city university, provided that such attendance does not deny course attendance at the city university of New York by an individual who is otherwise qualified; eligible persons shall be limited to nine credit hours of courses for credit per semester without tuition.

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S2557-2013 Actions

• Jan 22, 2013: REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

S2557-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S2557

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing the city
university trustees to make courses available for certain persons sixty
years of age or over

PURPOSE:
This bill will permit the trustees of the City University to allow
senior citizens to take courses for credit, on a space-available
basis, without charge, at State-operated campuses.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Amends section 6206 of the Education Law to allow a senior to take
credit or non-credit courses to a maximum of nine credit hours per
semester, on a space available basis, at no charge. Currently,
seniors are permitted to audit courses without paying tuition. A
senior is defined as a person sixty years of age or older.

EXISTING LAW:

Section 6202 of the Education Law allows seniors to audit, but not
take, tuition-free courses.

JUSTIFICATION:
In 1974, New York State took a giant step forward by adopting Chapter
1002 of the Laws of 1974 permitting senior citizens to audit courses
at the State University 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 alertness, (and} continue active participation
in the affairs of their communities. In many instances, however,
financial and formal educational barriers have rendered such
education opportunities inaccessible."

Although the 1974 law began an important step forward, senior citizens
have so far been denied the opportunity to further their education on
a for-credit basis. This bill would extend to persons over age 60 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
elderly collegians fully into the mainstream of academic life. It is
now time to make our students over age 60 first-class
citizens of the University, entitled not only to the privileges of an
auditor, but also the opportunities of full participation in their
course work.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.2692 of 2011 - Referred to Higher Education 01/14/12
A.4047 of 2011 - Referred to Higher Education 1/14/12

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There is no direct fiscal impact, since all attendance would be on a
space-available basis.


EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.

S2557-2013 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    2557

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              January 22, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  GOLDEN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education

  AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing  the  city
    university  trustees  to  make  courses  available for certain persons
    sixty years of age or over

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section  1.  Paragraph  (b)  of  subdivision  7 of section 6206 of the
  education law, as added by chapter 344 of the laws of 1995,  is  amended
  to read as follows:

    (b)  Notwithstanding  the  provisions of any other general, special or
  local law, rule or regulation, the board of trustees may permit  persons
  sixty years of age or over to [audit] TAKE courses given therein without
  tuition,  EITHER  FOR  CREDIT  OR WITHOUT examination, grading or credit
  therefor upon a space available basis, as determined by the president of
  each such institution, provided that such [audit]  attendance  does  not
  deny course attendance at the city university of New York by an individ-
  ual  who is otherwise qualified under this section. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS
  PARAGRAPH, PERSONS SIXTY YEARS OF AGE OR OVER WHO ARE RESIDENTS  OF  THE
  STATE  SHALL  BE  ELIGIBLE  TO  TAKE  NOT MORE THAN NINE CREDIT HOURS OF
  COURSES FOR CREDIT PER SEMESTER WITHOUT TUITION.
    S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
  the date on which it shall have become a law.



   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD07412-01-3