Going back to college after 50, or retirement?

I went back at age 56 but the cost became prohibitive. I enjoyed the coursework (I was working on a doctorate), but I didn't want to borrow money to continue so I stopped.

No regrets really.

My local Uni does humanities seminars which are inexpensive, and I have used those to further educate myself.

Thank you R1. I worry about the cost becoming prohibitive as well.

can't you go to a community college if you need the first 2 years and maybe the cheapest state college, perhaps online? There are some state colleges that run even cheaper online courses. I met a polish man the other day who is doing an entirely online degree through SUNY Albany. But the price wasn't peanuts. You could also look into online programs run by European universities that still only charge nominal fees.

If you're in your 50s you could work for a college that will give you low price tuition or free. But sometimes you have to pay the tax on the uncharged tuition amount.

R3 I'm maxed out of the amount of units I can transfer to a university since I have already done my community college and have an AA. I was going to a CSU for a semester, accepted as a transfer student, but couldn't continue years ago, the commute and time in the evenings away after a 9-10 hr day was just too much. I could probably continue or reapply but the CSU rate is a little less than $5,000 per academic year. I figure it would be around $20,000 for me at this point to finish, not including the cost of materials so I'm not sure it would be worth it. Retirement for me is about 8-10 years away. Maybe the better plan is to get a boring degree my work would pay partly for, just to get it and say I had it. Not sure I'm into that idea though. Thank you for your comment.

Audit classes for free when you retire. You can’t get a degree but can learn new things.

If you are in Texas and over 60 you can get up to 6 or 9 (can't remember) free credit hours at any State school with an available spot If you are not in Texas you might check your State to see if a similar program exists. And yes, this is about the only thing Texas has gotten right lately.

OP, what does “ for my own benefit” mean to you? If it means getting an actual degree and perhaps making more money with it in the next ten years, then I’d say it’s probably not worth it, particularly if you’re getting it from an online, for-profit college.

If, on the other hand, it means learning new things and pursuing new passions without an eye toward a diploma, then there are lots of low cost options you can choose from.

If you live near one, most colleges and universities will allow non-degree seeking students to audit classes in person for a minimal fee. You don’t generally get to take the tests and don’t get a grade but you learn the same material and interact with the students just the same.

If you’ve only got time or travel is a problem, websites like Coursera and Khan Academy offer free or low-cost online courses from top universities, some are even credit granting courses. Several excellent universities like MIT and Stanford have their own specific programs that offer free online instruction.

If you’re just looking for lectures, the Annenberg Project has lots of resources and The Great Courses/The Teaching Company offer more material than you could covered in a lifetime for a minimal fee.

Stay away from online, for-profit colleges. Much of the instruction is below sub-par and it’s overpriced for what you get. I have a friend who does hiring for a large company and while he doesn’t care if the applicant got their degree online or in person, if they got it from somewhere like Strayer University or University of Phoenix he immediately stops reading their CV and it goes in the trash because he believes that if they aren’t capable of finding and choosing a better option they aren’t up to working at his firm.

My grandmother went back to school in her early 50s and got a doctorate. She became a psychologist and opened up her own practice. She was quite successful at it. Prior to that, she’d been a schoolteacher and a housewife. In her mid-60s, she went on to become a software developer (in partnership with her husband) and launched a successful typing program based upon the knowledge she gained having spent years with children in the classroom. So, anything is possible and life certainly doesn’t have to slow down at 50 (unless you want it to).

R7 thank you for the information! I am more interested in either getting a degree in a major that is not work related, or auditing or taking classes in topics I find interesting. I wish I had talked to you about 9-10 years ago when I did some online course work at Walden University (for profit). Complete waste of time, the professors were really dull and all we did is write in group projects. I don't know that I would even count these classes on an application if I were to reapply.

R8 that is wonderful, your grandmother sounds like a cool, smart person.

OP, it’s wonderful that you want to continue your education! Kudos to you!

OP - Wouldn't you need a GED first?

I think I just read books. For me, that beats going back to school. But yeah, wanting to learn continually is admirable.

I would research exactly how much it would cost to reach your college "goal."

IMO, I would spend the money on something else.

Check out the free courses at Khan University, Harvard, Coursera, etc. Just google free college courses.

I would not take on a penny of debt for a degree when there's no career benefit from it. Many in-person classes are boring. If you take them online, you can go at your own pacei

Khaaaaaaaan!

OP, the only reason you're thinking about going back to school is to try and get some hot college d*ck😄

I did. Graduated at about 64. I got most of the last credits through the University of Washington’s “distance learning” program, which may not exist anymore. I suck at math, so all the credits I needed were in sciences and I barely got through ‘em but it was worth it.

Cool r17.

I've thought of going back for my MA. Any MA at this point. Now that I'm retired I have the time and money.

R18, in what field would you like to get an MA? What are your interests?