Senior Citizen Tuition Waiver (Senior Citizens Higher Education Act)
Virginia public colleges and universities; overseen by State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV)
Virginians 60 and older can take credit courses tuition- and fee-free at Virginia public colleges if their prior-year taxable income was $23,850 or less, or audit/take noncredit courses free at any income.
- How much
- Waiver of tuition and fees (course-material fees such as lab fees are not waived)
- Who qualifies
- Age 60 or older before the term; Virginia domicile for at least one year; meet the college's admission requirements. Credit courses require prior-year Virginia taxable individual income of $23,850 or less; auditing and noncredit courses have no income limit.
- For adults going back to school, undergrads, grad students
- Partly need-based: your FAFSA can affect whether you get it or how much.
- When to apply
- Apply any time No statewide deadline; register through the college each term (space-available).
- How to apply
- Contact the admissions office of the Virginia public college you want to attend and follow its senior-citizen waiver process
- The college verifies your age, domicile and (for credit) income
- What you'll need
- state application
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (schev.edu), page 2 and page 3
The details
Under the Senior Citizens Higher Education Act, a Virginia resident aged 60 or older (domiciled in Virginia at least one year) can, on a space-available basis after tuition-paying students are seated: (1) enroll full- or part-time in courses for academic credit if their Virginia taxable individual income for the preceding year was no more than $23,850; (2) audit up to three credit courses per term at any income; and (3) take up to three noncredit courses per term at any income. Tuition and fees are waived except fees for course materials such as lab fees. Must meet the college's admission requirements; colleges may make exceptions to the space-available rule for seniors who have completed 75% of a degree. Works at undergraduate and graduate levels.
More money from Virginia
- Virginia Space Grant Undergraduate STEM Research ScholarshipUp to $8,500 per year
- Virginia Space Grant Graduate STEM Research Fellowship$6,000 per year
- Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG)Up to $5,250 per year for undergraduates (2026-27 maximum); $5,000 for eligible graduate health-professions students; higher at Hampton and Virginia Union
- Two-Year College Transfer Grant (CTG)Up to $1,000 per year base; plus up to $1,000 STEM-N bonus; plus $1,000 incentive at NSU, ODU, Radford, UVA Wise, VCU and VSU
- Granville P. Meade Scholarship$2,000 per year for four years (most recent cycle)
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.