Excess Credit Hour Guideline

The state of Texas does not provide funds to state institutions of higher education for excess semester credit hours earned by resident Texas students (guideline 26.01.Z1.01 ). Since funding will not be provided by the state, and as permitted by state law, the Texas A&M University Health Science Center will charge tuition at the non-resident rate to all students who exceed the semester credit hour limit of their program.

For students who initially enrolled in the fall 2006 semester and any subsequent terms, excess credit hours are those hours attempted by a resident undergraduate student that exceed by more than 30 hours the number of hours required for completion of the student’s degree program. Effective with students initially enrolling in the fall 1999 semester and subsequent terms, excess credit hours are those hours attempted by a resident undergraduate student that exceed by more than 45 hours the number of hours required for completion of the degree plan in which the student is enrolled.

The semester credit hours counted toward the limitation include all hours attempted by the student except:

• Semester credit hours earned by the student before receiving a baccalaureate degree that has been previously awarded
• Semester credit hours earned by the student by examination or other procedure by which credit is earned without registering for a course for which tuition is charge
• Credit for remedial education courses, technical courses, workforce education courses funded according to contact hours or other courses that would not generate academic credit that could be applied toward a degree program at Texas A&M University
• Semester credit hours earned by the student at a private or out-of-state institution
• Hours not eligible for generating state funding. 

Students are exempt from the payment of the higher tuition rate if it results in an undue economic hardship as defined by eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant.