Six Course Drop Provisions
Students who enroll as entering freshmen or first-time in college students in undergraduate courses offered through a public institution of higher education for the first time during the Fall 2007 semester or any subsequent semester are subject to the course drop limit of six course drops including any course a transfer student has dropped at another public institution.
Institutions Affected
Texas public community colleges, technical institutes/colleges, health science institutions offering undergraduate course work, and universities must comply with the legislation of TEC 51.907.
Students Affected
Students who enroll as entering freshmen or first-time in college students in undergraduate courses offered through a public institution of higher education for the first time during the Fall 2007 semester or any subsequent semester are subject to the course drop limit restrictions. Transfer students who first enrolled at a Texas public institution during the Fall 2007 semester or subsequent semester are considered first time in college and are affected by the six course drop limit.
Students who elect to use the provisions of Academic Fresh Start who have coursework prior to the Fall 2007 semester are grandfathered and are not subject to TEC 51.907. Students who have completed a baccalaureate degree at any recognized public or private institution are not considered affected students whether or not taking additional undergraduate courses.
Course Drop Definition
A course drop, which will be recorded on the transcript, is defined as an affected credit course not completed by a student who:
- is enrolled in the course at the census date*, and
- will receive a non-punitive grade of W
*The census date varies according to the length of the course. The most common course lengths are listed below:
Minimester - 3 weeks
Summer Terms - 6 or 11 weeks
Fall & Spring Semesters - 8 or 16 weeks
Other Factors Regarding Course Drop Limit
Transfer students who are affected by this legislation shall be required to submit all transfer institution transcripts for processing of the transfer course drops which apply to the limit before the 10th class day of their first semester of enrollment.
Withdrawal Definition
A student is considered to have withdrawn from the institution when the student drops all courses during the semester.
Excluded Courses From Limit
Drops from the following types of courses are excluded from the course drop limit:
- Courses taken by students while enrolled in high school—whether for dual credit, early admission, or for college credit.
- Courses dropped at private or out-of-state institutions
- Continuing education or non-credit courses
- Developmental courses that do not generate academic credit that could be applied to a degree at the College if the course work is within the 27-hour limit (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Chapter 13.107—Institutions shall not submit for formula funding any hours for remedial and developmental courses for which the student has exceeded 27 hours of remedial and developmental courses in a public community college, public technical college or public state college.)
- In fall 2007 and subsequent semesters, withdrawals approved under Academic Fresh Start will not be counted toward the six-limit drop limitation
- Non-funded courses
- Courses which meet the definition of complete withdrawal
- Courses dropped prior to the census date
Exception and documentation requirements:
- Severe illness or other debilitating condition: Statement from doctor
- Care of a sick, injured or needy person: Statement from doctor regarding illness of the person being cared for. Statement from the sick, injured, or needy person regarding the student’s role as the care-giver or in case of a child, statement from the student
- Death of family member or another person who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship: Death certificate or obituary from newspaper, or copy of funeral program.
- Active duty service with the Texas National guard or other armed forces by the student, a family member, or a person who has a sufficiently close relationship: Military orders
- Change in work schedule that is beyond the control of the student: Letter from employer
- Other good cause as determined by the institution
For the purposes of this section, please see the following definitions.
- Family Members - spouse, child, grandchild, father, mother, brother, sister, grandmother, grandfathers, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, first cousin, stepparent, step-child, or step-sibling
- Sufficiently Close Relationship - this relationship can include a relative with the third degree of consanguinity plus close friends including but not limited to roommates, housemates, classmates, or others identified by the student for approval of the institution on a case-by-case basis.
Once the student has submitted the required documentation, the Office of Student Records will review the documentation and determine if the request is granted. The Office of Student Records will notify the student of its decision. If the request is granted, the Office of Student Records will update the student’s record.