Senior Citizens
If you are 60 years old or older, and a resident of South Carolina, you can enroll in classes at the College of Charleston. Each semester, approximately 100 senior citizens enroll in classes at the College. These students may be working toward a degree, auditing classes or taking courses for personal enrichment. Most senior citizens take undergraduate courses. If you are interested in graduate courses, please see the graduate school section.
For the fall and spring semesters, the registration process is easy.
Step 1: Complete our non-degree application and the senior citizen tuition addendum.
Submit your application, the tuition addendum, and a copy of your South Carolina driver's license for age verification. NOTE: You do not need to send the $10 application fee. This is included in your registration fee. We will mail information regarding your registration.
Step 2: Come to registration.
Registration (on a space-available basis) takes place between 9:00 a.m. and noon the day after classes begin each fall and spring semester. Call 843.953.5620 for the specific dates. Registration is held in the Admissions Office, Craig Building, 65 George Street or CofC North.
At registration you will meet with an advisor, register for the classes of your choice, and pay your $25 registration fee. You do not have to pay tuition, but you will be responsible for the costs of books and any additional course fees whenever applicable.
For our summer terms, please visit our summer sessions website for detailed information on the application and registration process. You can register in the summer sessions office on the day after the drop/add period for each term.
CHOOSING COURSES
Check the course schedule.
- Under “course listings” select “course section search.”
- Select the term for which you want to review courses from the select-term drop-down box and click the submit button.
- Select the subject for which you want to see courses and click the submit button.
- Then select the course for which you want to see schedules.
Course descriptions are available in the undergraduate catalog.
Registration will be on a space-available basis.
COURSE PREREQUISITES
Some courses require the successful completion of a prerequisite course that will give you the background information you’ll need in order to succeed in the class you want to take. If you do not have the specific prerequisite, it is best that you meet with the professor prior to or at the beginning of the semester to determine whether you can take the class without it.
AUDITING COURSES
Each course has varying requirements for students who wish to audit (take a course for no credit). You should meet with the professor prior to or at the beginning of the semester to determine if both you and the professor have the same expectations regarding participation in class work and assignments. You may not audit computer science, studio art, music performance or creative writing courses.
DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED
The only documentation needed for registration is a valid South Carolina driver's license or picture ID. This will suffice for documentation of residency and age criteria.
COSTS
You will pay a $25 registration fee at registration. You do not pay tuition. You may need to purchase books, and may also have to pay additional course fees.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Please allow three weeks prior to the beginning of the semester to enroll in graduate courses under this program. At the graduate level, the $45 application fee DOES NOT include the $25 registration fee. Successful graduate candidates, whether non-degree or degree-seeking, who enroll under the senior citizen tuition status, must pay the $25 registration fee each semester in addition to the application fee.
