UPPS 03.01.17 - Undergraduate Excessive Hours Fee

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University is committed to adhering to excessive hours legislation.

1. SCOPE

   1. This policy establishes the responsibility and procedures for assessing a higher tuition rate for undergraduates attempting excessive hours at a Texas public institution of higher education.

   2. This policy ensures that policy and procedures conform to the Texas Education Code and Texas Administrative Code. Texas Education Code §54.014 provides that institutions may charge a higher rate of tuition to undergraduates with excessive hours. Texas Education Code §61.0595 limits formula funding for excessive hours. Texas Education Code §51. 340 limits the number of developmental education semester credit hours for which formula funding may be received. Texas Education Code §51.931 exempts from excessive hours regulations any courses that were attempted ten or more years before the start of a degree plan under Academic Fresh Start. Texas Administrative Code Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 13, Subchapter F, Rules 13.100-13.109 provides the rules that clarify the enabling legislation and defines responsibilities of institutions to ensure that students are adequately informed regarding the excessive hours policy.

2. DEFINITIONS

   1. Degree Plan – academic program of courses and their related hours culminating in a degree or certificate, including minors, double majors, and completion of any other special program in which the undergraduate is also enrolled for Texas resident college credit, such as a program with a study abroad component.

   2. Developmental Courses – courses designed to correct academic deficiencies and bring undergraduates’ skills to an appropriate level for entry into college. The term includes English as a Second Language (ESL) courses in which an undergraduate is placed as a result of failing the reading or writing portion of a test required by Texas Administrative Code §4.56 of this title (relating to assessment instruments).

   3. Excessive Hours – effective with undergraduates initially enrolling at a Texas public institution of higher education in the fall 1999 semester through summer 2006, hours attempted by a resident undergraduate that exceed by more than 45 hours the number of hours required for completion of the degree plan in which the undergraduate is enrolled. Effective with undergraduates initially enrolling at a Texas public institution of higher education in the fall 2006 semester and subsequent terms, hours attempted by a resident undergraduate that exceed by more than 30 hours of the number of hours required for completion of the degree plan in which the undergraduate is enrolled. Effective fall 2009, hours earned by an undergraduate before graduating from high school and used to satisfy high school graduation requirements are not included in the calculation of excessive hours. For purposes of excessive hours, resident undergraduates include nonresident undergraduates who are permitted to pay resident tuition.

   4. Formula Funding – the method used to allocate appropriated sources of funds among institutions of higher education.

   5. Hours – semester credit hours.

   6. Non-Course-Based Developmental Education Interventions (also known as Non-Semester-Length Interventions or Interventions) – interventions that use learning approaches designed to address an undergraduate’s identified weaknesses and effectively and efficiently prepare the undergraduate for college-level work. These interventions must be overseen by an instructor of record, must not fit traditional course frameworks, and cannot include advising or learning support activities already connected to a traditional course. Interventions may include, but are not limited to, tutoring, supplemental instruction, or labs.

   7. Student – for the purposes of this policy, a student who has not been awarded a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent.

   8. Workforce Education Courses – courses offered by two-year institutions for the primary purpose of preparing undergraduates to enter the workforce rather than academic transfer. The term includes both technical courses and continuing education courses.

3. POLICY

   1. Texas Education Code §54.014 provides that institutions of higher education may charge a resident undergraduate who incurred excessive hours, a tuition rate higher than the resident undergraduate tuition rate, but not to exceed the rate for nonresident undergraduates. Texas State University undergraduates attempting hours in excess of their degree plan requirements will be charged the nonresident tuition rate for excessive hours. Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 13, Subchapter F, also provides guidance for the implementation of this policy.

      1. Undergraduates initially enrolled at a Texas public institution of higher education during or after the fall 2006 semester will be charged at the nonresident rate if, prior to the start of the semester or session, the student has previously attempted 30 or more hours over the minimum number of semester credit hours required for completion of the degree plan in which the student is enrolled.

      2. Undergraduates initially enrolled at a Texas public institution of higher education during the fall 1999 through summer 2006 semesters will be charged at the nonresident rate if, prior to the start of the semester or session, the student has previously attempted 45 or more hours over the minimum number of semester credit hours required for completion of the degree plan in which the student is enrolled.

      3. For the purposes of determining the number of hours required for a degree plan, Texas State shall utilize the degree plan designated by the student as of the official census day of the term.

      4. If a student at a four-year institution is not enrolled in a degree plan, institutions shall consider the student to be enrolled in a degree plan requiring a minimum of 120 hours.

      5. If an undergraduate is enrolled on a temporary basis in a university or health-related institution and is also enrolled in a private or independent institution of higher education or an out-of-state institution of higher education, Texas State shall consider the undergraduate to be enrolled in a degree plan requiring a minimum of 120 hours.

      6. Texas State shall not consider any hours for which a student has enrolled as part of a master’s or professional degree plan without first completing a bachelor’s degree in the calculation of the number of hours required for a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent until the undergraduate has completed a minimum of 120 hours required for the bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

   2. Attempted hours include those semester credit hours attempted at Texas State or any Texas public institution of higher education. The following types of semester credit hours will count toward the excessive hour limit if they are normally eligible for formula funding:

      1. previous major hours;

      2. dual degree hours (excessive calculation assumes 30 hours);

      3. minor hours (for optional minors, excessive calculation may assume 18 hours). For minors above 18 hours, the academic advisor notifies Student Business Services (SBS) to override the excessive hours’ calculation);

      4. certificate hours;

      5. teaching certification hours;

      6. distance and off-campus hours;

      7. bankruptcy hours;

      8. repeated hours; and

      9. hours dropped after the official census date.

   3. The following types of hours are exempt and are not subject to the limitation on formula funding set out in Texas Administrative Code §13.104 of this title (relating to limitation on formula funding for excessive hours):

      1. semester credit hours earned by the student before receiving a bachelor’s degree that has been previously awarded;

      2. semester credit hours earned through examination or similar method without registering for a course;

      3. credit from developmental courses or interventions, workforce education courses, or other courses that would not generate academic credit that could be applied to a degree at Texas State if the course work is within the 27-hour limit at two-year colleges and the 18-hour limit at general academic institutions;

      4. semester credit hours earned by the undergraduate at a private institution or an out-of-state institution;

      5. semester credit hours not eligible for formula funding;

      6. semester credit hours attempted by the student before graduating from high school;

      7. hours earned by the undergraduate ten or more years before beginning a new degree plan under Academic Fresh Start as described in Texas Education Code §51.931 and Texas Education Code §61.0595(c); and

      8. the first additional 15 semester credit hours not otherwise exempt toward a degree plan by a student who:

         1. has reenrolled at an institution of higher education following a break in enrollment from the institution or another institution of higher education covering the 24-month period preceding the first-class day of the initial semester or other academic term of the undergraduate’s reenrollment; and

         2. successfully completed at least 50 semester credit hours of course work at an institution of higher education, that are not exempt in Section 03.03, a. through g., before that break in enrollment.

4. ECONOMIC HARDSHIP EXEMPTION POLICY AND PROCEDURE

   1. Texas State has determined that students identified as Pell-eligible under the federal Pell Grant program will be exempted from the excessive hours tuition rate if their Pell eligibility for the aid year in which the exemption has been requested is documented in the student information system at Texas State.

      1. Pell eligibility must be established each aid year and, once established, will provide exemption for all semesters of the corresponding academic year (fall, spring, and summer).

      2. Undergraduates who become Pell-eligible during the semester in which they are charged the nonresident tuition rate for excessive hours may request an exemption by contacting the SBS office no later than the last day of the aid year in which the exemption is being requested.

   2. Undergraduates who file a change to their degree plan, which would adjust their excessive hour status, must do so by the census date of the semester in which they are charged the excessive hours tuition rate.

   3. Undergraduates who are in their final semester prior to graduation may request to have their excessive hours fee waived through SBS or their academic advisor. Upon academic advisor verification that the student is in their final semester, SBS will waive the fee. This exemption applies for only that semester. If the student does not graduate in the awarded semester, no additional waivers will be allowed unless the student is Pell-eligible.

5. RESPONSIBILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS UNIVERSITY POLICY AND PROCEDURES STATEMENT

   1. SBS responsibilities include the following:

      1. confirm the tuition rate for undergraduates attempting excessive hours is accurate and complies with policy;

      2. confirm undergraduates who meet the economic hardship criteria, as stated in Section 03.03, are exempt from policy; and

      3. monitor legislative changes to comply with the fees assessed for excessive hours and revise as necessary.

   2. Academic Advising Center responsibilities include the following:

      1. provide general information regarding excessive hours and assist students with appropriate academic planning advice to avoid excessive hours;

      2. inform students of their progress toward the limitations on formula funding and disclose Texas State’s tuition policy to those who have accumulated 90 or more hours toward the limit;

      3. respond to student inquiries on the excessive hours calculation;

      4. inform students of the economic hardship exemption process; and

      5. notify SBS to override the excessive hours calculation when the student’s minor exceeds 18 hours.

   3. Curriculum Services responsibilities include the following:

      1. publish the excessive hour policy information in the undergraduate catalog. Texas State shall publish information in the catalog about the limitations on hours set out in this policy and the tuition rate that will be charged to affected undergraduates;

      2. monitor legislative changes for updates needed in the catalog; and

      3. maintain the excessive hour table that tracks degree hour requirements for all undergraduate degree and certificate programs.

   4. Institutional Research responsibilities include the following:

      1. report the required excessive hour information to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB); and

      2. monitor THECB reporting requirements to ensure compliance with excessive hour reporting requirements. Review TCC/Banner reporting modules to verify compliance, and request modifications as necessary.

   5. Registrar responsibilities include the following:

      1. publish the excessive hour policy information in all registration documents. The publication will include the number of hours or type of courses that a Texas resident is entitled to complete to be charged the Texas resident tuition rate and the excessive hours tuition rate that will be charged to affected undergraduates;

      2. inform each undergraduate of their progress toward the limitations on formula funding and disclose Texas State’s tuition policy to those who have accumulated 120 or more hours toward the limit; and

      3. inform each undergraduate of their status toward the limitations on formula funding and disclose Texas State’s tuition policy to those who have reached the maximum accumulated hours toward their limit and will be assessed the excessive hours tuition rate the following semester.

   6. Admissions responsibilities include the following:

      1. request, receive, and evaluate transcripts for previous college coursework.

   7. Student responsibilities include the following:

      1. notify advisor of dual enrollment credit;

      2. provide all official outside transcript information to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions in order to have hours assessed correctly;

      3. seek academic advising to discuss academic progress; and

      4. know the number of credit hours required for their degree and evaluate decisions such as changing majors, taking courses not applicable to their degree plan, repeating courses, or dropping courses after census date.

6. REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS

   1. Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:

      Position	Date
      Treasurer	May 1 E4Y
      Director, Student Business Services	May 1 E4Y
      Assistant Vice President for Curriculum and Academic Programs	May 1 E4Y
      Assistant Vice President of Institutional Research	May 1 E4Y
      Assistant Vice President for Financial Aid and Scholarships	May 1 E4Y
      Dean, University College	May 1 E4Y
      University Registrar	May 1 E4Y

7. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

   This UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

   Treasurer; senior reviewer of this UPPS

   Vice President for Finance and Support Services

   President