Have you heard of house bill 60? Promoting age inclusivity for older adults through higher education.

Abstract

Older adults are living longer, healthier lives which is contributing to extensions in employment, career shifts, and interest in educational opportunities. In the U.S. many states offer programs that promote cost-friendly options to participate in higher education. In Utah, this program is called House Bill 60 (HB60), which allows people 62 and older to audit courses at public universities for a minimal cost. This opportunity has been available for many years, yet it is relatively unknown and not promoted by key parties. The purpose of this paper is to describe the experience of implementing a program to 1) develop and institute a targeted marketing campaign to raise awareness of the HB60 program to university and community partners, 2) develop and administer training to academic advisors to facilitate support for those enrolling in HB60, and 3) enhance enrollment through tuition waiver support. Community partnerships increased and departmental support for marketing, communications, and processing tuition waiver funds facilitated enrollment in HB60. Over four semesters, use of tuition waivers increased by 875%. Initiatives such as this have the potential of increasing knowledge about age-friendly practices and advocacy for age inclusivity.