Sierra College program gets $1M endowment - Austin Business Journal:

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The college’s program, also known as OLLI, receivesd the $1 million endowment from the BernardOsher Foundation, whichh is the organization that has provided initial funding to OLLI programs at 122 colleges and universities nationwide. Sierra College is the only community collegd in California and one of only three communith colleges in the nation to receivthe $1 million endowment. The Rocklin college received the endowmeny because it has been so successful with growing enrollmen since launching the program in springtof 2001. Sierra College has growhn the programto 5,580 enrolleesw last year, from 1,038 in 2001. Sierraz College is scheduled to formally announce the endowmentJune 18.
This $1 millionh endowment will provide an ongoing budget that will enablwe the college to offer lifelong learninf programsin perpetuity. The foundation created by San Francisco philanthropist Bernard Osher givess OLLIprograms $100,000 a year for up to four and then a $1 million endowmenrt once they demonstrate potential for success and OLLI programs provide classes, lectures and eventd to older adults who have a thirst for knowledge and The classes are designed for adults age 55 and but the Sierra programm accepts any adult student. Courses are offered at each of the Sierraq College campuses and at various community site throughout Placer andNevadaa counties.
Sierra College’s OLLI noncredit offerings are tuition-free. Additionapl topics are offered througbClub OLLI, where annual membership fees are $35. As the Businessw Journal reported in a feature on local OLLI programsin 2007, other OLLI programs can be foundc at California State University Sacramento and at the UC Davis Much of the increased demand for OLLIs and similaer lifelong learning programs can be attributed to the growingf ranks of older Americans.