PSU has been welcoming older adults to audit classes on a tuition-free basis since the 1970s, decades before this privilege became a state mandate with the passage of Oregon House Bill 2011. This bill requires state institutions of higher education to waive tuition for any course audited by Oregon residents 65 years of age or older, if space is available and the instructor approves. SALC’s operations are funded 100% through charitable donations, largely from grateful senior auditors.
The Senior Adult Learning Center (SALC) administers the program at PSU. Whether auditors are interested in history, jazz, literature, geography, world languages, or any other subjects, there is something for everyone among the thousands of classes offered at PSU. In any given year, about 1,200 Senior Auditors are enrolled in the program, and about 600 attend classes.