Excessive Hours
Under Texas Education Code for the Excessive Hours, Sec. 54.014., Tuition for Repeated or Excessive Undergraduate hours, if you are a Texas resident undergraduate student who enrolled for the first time in a Texas public institution of higher education in Fall 1999 or later, you may be charged an Excessive Hours Fee after you reach an established number of program hours beyond your degree plan.
Following is a table that gives a brief overview:
| Semester You First Enrolled in a Texas Public Institution of Higher Education | Your Excessive Hours Limit (hours allowed in excess of your minimum degree hours) |
|---|---|
|
Prior to Fall 1999 |
No limit |
|
Fall 1999 through Summer 2006 |
45 hours |
|
Fall 2006 and thereafter |
30 hours |
How Excessive Hours Are Calculated
All degree plans require that you complete a number of credit hours relevant to your discipline. This number of credit hours—which will differ according to your degree requirements—is then added to the appropriate number of allowed excessive hours as shown in the table above. The resultant total is the upper limit of semester credit hours (i.e., “excessive hours limit”) for your degree program.
You are allowed excessive hours only once regardless of how many majors or degrees you undertake simultaneously or in sequence. If you are in a dual major or dual degree program, please make sure you meet regularly with your academic advisor so that you do not go beyond your allowed excessive hours limit.
Please contact your academic advisor if you have questions about the status of your excessive hours limit.