Free tuition for elders: intentions and effects of the Massachusetts policy

This analysis explores the development of the elder tuition waiver in Massachusetts, a policy that established an age-based entitlement to higher education. The research concludes that the original purpose of the waiver was to encourage participation, but that there was no expectation that large numbers of older adults would take advantage of this benefit. Nor, apparently, did advocates of the waiver seek to assure that a diverse group of older adults would take advantage of higher education opportunities through the waiver. A review of the history of the waiver is linked with data on implementation and the results of an exploratory study of motivations of older college students. The discussion points to a need for fundamental examination of the practice of providing social benefits based on age rather than need or universal criteria.