New Auditors
Tuition-Free Auditing Program for Oregon Seniors
Aged 65 and Over
Oregon residents aged 65 and older may audit most of PSU's regular classes on a space-available basis and pay no tuition. A few classes require materials fees that are paid directly to PSU. There are no education level requirements. Auditors are welcome to take classes year-round, during Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer terms. Registration usually starts about one week before the beginning of the term (please check this website for updates).
SALC auditors can also receive a variety of other benefits, including free use of the PSU Library, computer access, a PSU internet account and email address. Please note that SALC auditors are not eligible for financial aid, student jobs, student housing, and/or student health benefits.
PSU's Institute on Aging also sponsors the Retired Associates of PSU (RAPSU), a membership organization open to anyone who is 50 years of age or older. RAPSU members meet twice a month for programs of intellectual stimulation and fellowship.
How to Register
Please come to the SALC office for a brief advising session. Our office is located in Room 470H of the Urban Center Building located at 506 SW Mill Street in downtown Portland between SW 5th and SW 6th Avenues and SW Mill and SW Montgomery Streets. Our hours are listed on our homepage. At the initial advising session we will determine your eligibility and ask you to fill out a non-degree entry form. There is a one-time $25 processing fee. Please bring a check or money order payable to PSU.
Once we have met you and you've completed the non-degree entry form, there is no need for you to come back to the office to register. You may then register by mail, or by dropping your registration form in the mailbox in front of our office. All returning auditors will receive our quarterly SALC newsletter about a month before the beginning of a new term. The newsletter serves as a reminder that it is time to register, lists office hours, and includes a registration form. The schedule of classes can be found online here, or you can come by the SALC office to look our printed copy. The university does not print paper schedules, and we cannot provide them to take home.
Please take a few minutes to review this chart for more specific details about our registration procedures.
How Auditing Works
After your non-degree entry form is processed, you will receive a student ID number, which is required for registration each term. Registration consists of several steps:
1. Review the schedule of classes. Schedules are available about a month prior to the beginning of each term and can be accessed online at www.sa.pdx.edu/soc. For seniors who do not have internet access, a printout of the website is available for reference at the SALC office. The university does not print paper schedules, and we cannot provide them to take home.
2. Select classes and complete the white registration request form. You are limited to 8 credits per term. Please complete all information on the form including your address and student ID number; we will not be able to process incomplete forms.
3. Go to the first meeting of the class. At the end of class, talk to the instructor to obtain a signature. Introduce yourself as a SALC auditor and ask whether space is available for you. If so, the instructor will sign your form. Please note that paying students always have priority to SALC auditors. If the enrollment situation is unclear (i.e., more students can be expected to sign up), an instructor may ask you to return at a later time in the term. Please do not contact instructors before the first class meeting, as they cannot determine whether space will be available for you until classes begin.
4. If you are signing up for more than one class, obtain signatures from all instructors.
5. Bring the white registration request form to SALC once all instructors have signed it. You may mail the form or drop it off at the SALC office. Our office is located on the 4th floor of the Urban Center building (506 SW Mill Street), and our mailing address is SALC/IOA, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR 97207.
We will process the registration request form and issue you a registration confirmation (yellow), which serves as your proof of enrollment. You can have your registration confirmation mailed to your home address, or pick it up from the bulletin board outside the SALC office. Please check one of the boxes on the front of the registration request form to indicate your delivery preference. If you make no selection, the registration confirmation will be posted on the bulletin board.
6. If you have selected classes that carry a fee, PSU will send you a bill. Fees are listed in the schedule of classes and you will also be charged for online classes ($30 per credit for partially, $60 per credit for fully online courses; online classes are marked with a computer symbol in the schedule of classes). You are responsible for paying your fees by the due date listed on the bill. Late payment will result in interest and account maintenance fees charged to your account monthly after the due date. If all outstanding fees are not paid by the end of the term, a $100 late fee will be added to your bill and a hold will be placed on your account preventing registration for future terms. If you drop a class, please make sure to notify us by the end of the third week of the term; if you do not notify us of dropped classes, you will be billed for applicable class fees.
For more detailed information, please check our Frequently Asked Questions.
