Though many of the nation's aging baby boomers have entered retirement, they are by no means slowing down. An increasing number of ambitious retirees are choosing to return to the classroom, taking college courses, studying abroad and even living in specially designated dormitories.
Boston University's Metropolitan College Evergreen program allows people over 58 to sit in on undergraduate classes with students young enough to be their grandchildren, making BU one of many universities to offer education to diverse age groups.
According to a Nov. 11 New York Times article, more than 500 colleges and universities offer some type of elderly learning program, an industry that grew to $6 billion this year.
Students in the Evergreen program at BU said they tend to choose classes completely unrelated to their former careers.
Former technology specialists Fred and Lynn Basch, 66 and 63, respectively, have sat in on courses this semester on topics ranging from media persuasion to paleo-climatology. The couple recently observed a screening of a rendition of "The Magic Flute" in a class on Mozart.
"We only take courses that had little to do with our prior education," Fred Basch said.
The Baschs said they sponsor the program, allowing them to sit in on as many classes as they want.
Hundreds of older students are enrolled in the standard BU Evergreen program, which allows them to audit most classes for $50 per course, according to program spokesman Neil Coletta.
The Baschs said the courses have influenced their live beyond the scope of furthering their education. In order to take the classes, the couple stays in Boston year-round instead of moving south as many retirees do, and they plan their grandchildren's visits around religion professor Elie Weisel's lectures on the Book of Job.
Although they do not receive credit for courses, Evergreen students can sit in on undergraduate classes or attend special seminars offered specifically for seniors.
"In every case, the students and professors have been welcoming," Fred Basch said.
Some universities have devoted entire schools to retired students, while some, including the University of California at Los Angeles and Ohio State University, have even built dormitories to house retirees.
Though the trend has exploded in recent years, some colleges have been accommodating retirees for decades. When the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement opened its doors in 1977, it was one of three such programs in the country.
HILR Director Leoni Gordon said the program differs from BU's Evergreen program because its classes are separate from Harvard University itself. Also, its classes are exclusive to institute members, while BU programs are available to the public on a course-by-course basis.
Gordon said the institute's $650 annual fee is a good deal for retirees, who have access to more than 60 classes on everything from the Peloponnesian War to climate change.
"People are finally experiencing the freedom to learn about things they haven't had time to read about in their previous careers," she said. "They haven't had time to read Hegel. They haven't had the time to learn French history."
The social environment is a big draw for members, Gordon said.
"They can look to 30 more years of life," she said. "They want it to be rich, and they want to learn beside their friends."
Lifelong learners also have a chance to expand their education through organizations offering study abroad programs. The Boston-based nonprofit Elderhostel arranges study-abroad trips for people at least 55 years old to destinations ranging from India to the Grand Canyon. Though the trips have some elements of the typical tourist vacation, they are meant to be educational, Elderhostel spokesman Adam Hertubise said.
Elderhostel was founded in 1975 by a University of New Hampshire administrator and a friend who backpacked across Europe. The two were discussing ideas for a travel-study program when Hertubise said they stumbled upon a revolutionary idea.
"They had been talking about what they could do for young people, and then they had this 'eureka' moment and said we should be doing this for older people," he said.
The nonprofit organization now hosts trips to every state and more than 90 countries, serving more than 160,000 people each year, according to its website.
Although it is not associated with a university, Elderhostel pioneered learning for the elderly before most universities offered educational programs for them, Hertubise said.
Learning appeals to older people because it helps keep them active, he said, citing studies that found lifelong education helps retirees maintain mental and physical health into old age.
"An active mind and an active body go hand-in-hand," Hertubise said.
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