State Policies: Excess Credit Hours and Tuition Rebate

1. State Policies:Excess Credit Hours and Tuition Rebate Office of the Registrar Matthew Johnson and Krystal Schnettler

2. Excess Credit Hours Excess semester credit hours attempted by a resident student are not funded by the State of Texas. State law defines excess semester credit hours as those hours which accrue after the student “exceeds by at least 30 hours the number of semester credit hours required for the completion of the degree program in which the student is enrolled.” This includes courses attempted at other Texas public institutions. As permitted by State law, Texas A&M will recover the lost State revenue by charging higher tuition to students exceeding the semester credit hour limit. The difference between paying tuition at the resident rate and the higher non-funded student rate could amount to several thousand dollars each semester after a student exceeds the State imposed hours limit.

3. Who is affected? Students enrolling the first time in college being in fall 1999, are subject to ECH Students enrolling the first time in college between fall 1999 and summer 2006 have a 45 credit hour limit above their degree requirement Students enrolling the first time in college after summer 2006 have a 30 hour limit above their degree requirement

4. When are students affected? Students will go into excess after they complete the semester in which their total attempted hours places them over their credit hour limit Notifications from the State are sent during the Fall, Spring, and Summer for the upcoming semesters.

5. What are ATTEMPTED hours? • Attempted hours include ALL hours except the following: • Hours earned by the student before receiving a baccalaureate degree that has been previously awarded. • Hours earned through credit by exam or other procedure by which the credit is earned without registering for a course. • Credit for remedial education courses, technical courses, workforce education courses or other courses that would not generate academic credit that could be applied to a degree at TAMU. • Hours earned by the student before graduating from high school and used to satisfy high school graduation requirements. • Hours not eligible for formula funding. • Credits earned at private or out-of-state institutions. • Q-drops* • FYGEs • Withdrawn hours* • Non-transferrable coursework • S/U courses • Repeated courses *If dropped after the census date

6. Excess Credit Hours Required Hours Excess Credit Hour +30 Hours 120 <150 >150 120 • Notification from the THECB • Approaching (within 30 hours) • Exceeded (exceeded based on most recent semester) • Continues to Exceed

7. The Process • Notification from THECB • Update student residency status to adjust tuition • Email student notifying of current standing/status • Students can email excesscredithours@tamu.edu from their Official TAMU email address to request a review of their hours • University Student Fiscal Appeal process

8. Additions to degrees • Minors • Students who have declared a minor, are allotted an extra 18 credit hours to their credit hour limit. ***If a student adds a minor in an attempt to avoid ECH and then drops the minor prior to graduation, they will be reassessed the penalty. • Degrees that require minors such as University Studiesand Communication are not allotted extra hours for required minors

9. Additions to degrees • Double Majors • Students wishing to pursue a double major are allotted an additional 18 hours. • Double Degrees • For students that earn two degrees simultaneously, they are allowed 30 extra hours in addition to the already guaranteed 30 additional hours. So, if an ENGL degree requires 120 hours, and the student is pursuing a HRDV degree simultaneously, they would have the state's guaranteed 30 hours added to the 120 hour minimum, and then another 30 hours for the double degree, which would make their excess credit hour cap 180 hours.

10. Tuition Rebate

11. What is the Tuition Rebate? The $1,000.00 tuition rebate is a state mandated incentive for undergraduate students who attempt no more than three hours in excess of the minimum number of hours required to complete the degree in the catalog under which they will graduate. Students must apply PRIOR to commencement during their last term. Several conditions apply and students must meet all specified criteria.

12. Requirements • All must be met in order to qualify • Must have enrolled for the first time in an institution of higher education in the fall of 1997 or later. • Must be requested for work related to a first baccalaureate degree from a Texas public institution. • Must have been a Texas resident and entitled to pay resident tuition at all times. • If enrolled for the first time in fall 2005 or later, the student must graduate within 4 calendar years for a 4-year degree or within 5 calendar years for a 5- year degree if the degree is determined by the THECB to require more than 4 years to complete. • The student must have attempted no more than 3 hours in excess of the minimum number of hours required to complete the degree under the catalog in which they graduated.

13. What are ATTEMPTED hours? Credit earned by exam in excess of 9 hours Courses dropped after the census date (i.e. Q-drops, Ws, NGs) For credit developmental courses First year grade exclusions Repeated courses Optional internship and cooperative education courses All transfer credits from any public institution within Texas except collegiate coursework attempted prior to the student’s high school graduation date.

14. What should advisors know? • Students MUST apply for the rebate during their last semester and no later than 5pm the first day of commencement. • THECB does not allocate extra hours for a student to pursue a minor, double major, double degree, certificate, etc. • After degrees are conferred, the Registrar’s Office processes the applications and notifies SBS of eligible students. Students are notified of approval or denial approximately 6-8 weeks after graduation. • Once students are approved, SBS releases the funds. However, state law dictates certain loans be repaid with TR funds: • *Loans owed to the University • *Loans guaranteed by the State of Texas • Ineligible students can appeal the decision by submitting an appeal through the University Student Fiscal Appeals Panel (http://sbs.tamu.edu/accounts-billing/student-information/appeal-process/)

15. Questions?