Renewal Not Retirement

Curiosity doesn’t end at retirement. Through Hood College’s Renewal Not Retirement (RNR) program, adults age 60 and older can continue exploring new ideas, pursuing personal interests and engaging in meaningful learning alongside Hood students and faculty.

Whether you've always wanted to study language, history, psychology, literature, business or another area of interest, Renewal Not Retirement offers an affordable way to experience the college classroom and remain intellectually active.

Program Benefits

• Audit undergraduate or graduate courses for personal enrichment.
• Learn from expert faculty in a supportive academic environment.
• Explore new subjects or revisit longtime interests.
• Connect with the Hood College community.
• Affordable cost of just $100 per course.

Eligibility

The Renewal Not Retirement program is open to individuals who are 60 years of age or older. Participants may audit eligible undergraduate and graduate courses. Studio and laboratory courses including creative writing, painting and drawing, as well as practicums, internships and self-directed study courses, are not available through the program.

What does it mean to audit a course?

Auditing allows you to attend classes and participate in the learning experience without earning academic credit or receiving a grade. It’s a flexible option for those who want to learn simply for the joy of learning.

How to Register

• Visit Hood’s Non-Degree webpage.  
• Follow the instructions to review available courses in Hood's course schedule on Self Service.  
• Select an eligible undergraduate or graduate course that interests you.
• Complete the appropriate Non-Degree registration form:
  • Undergraduate courses
  • Graduate School courses
• If required (graduate courses and courses with prerequisites), email your unofficial college transcript to registrar@hood.edu.  
• You will receive email confirmation of your registration from the Registrar’s Office within a few days.
• After your registration is processed, you will receive your Hood College login information.