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Office Of The Registrar

Academic Procedures

Excessive Hours

Excess credit hours are hours for which the State of Texas will no longer subsidize tuition costs. According to the law, an institution of higher education may charge a resident undergraduate student a higher tuition rate for each semester credit hour (SCH) in excess of the limit to recover funds no longer subsidized by the state.

Refer to the TAMUK 2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog, scroll down to where it says "Excess Undergraduate Credit Hours (45 Hour Rule vs 30 Hour Rule)", for additional information.

 

Here are some examples of credit hours that do not count toward the MECH limit:

  • credit hours earned after a baccalaureate degree
  • credit hours earned through examination (AP or CLEP)
  • credit from remedial and developmental courses
  • credit hours taken at a private institution or an out-of-state institution
  • credit earned prior to high school graduation

For more information, refer to:

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) in Austin calculates the total number of credit hours attempted, whether passed or failed, from all schools attended for each student currently enrolled in Texas institutions of higher education.
 

Students affected by the Excess Credit Hour limit include:

Resident undergraduate students initially enrolled in the Fall 1999 semester and subsequent terms who have attempted hours that exceed more than 45 hours of the maximum number of hours required for completion of the degree plan in which the student is enrolled are affected.  

Resident undergraduate students initially enrolled in the Fall 2006 semester and subsequent terms who have attempted hours that exceed more than 30 hours of the maximum number of hours required for completion of the degree program in which the student is enrolled are affected.   

Any Texas resident and non-resident student assessed Texas resident fees who enroll for more than the state limit for excess hours must pay the extra tuition. This requirement affects students initially enrolling in Texas public institutions of higher education in Fall 1999 or later. For more information, complete rules for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board “TUITION FOR REPEATED OR EXCESSIVE UNDERGRADUATE HOURS” may be accessed at:  http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ED/htm/ED.54.htm#54.014

For all affected students, TAMUK charges $100.00 per credit hour for each hour in excess of the excess credit hour limit. For instance, if you plan to take six semester credit hours after exceeding your credit hour limit, you will be charged $600.00. Please refer to the TAMUK 2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog, page 68-69, for additional information.

TAMUK receives semester reports from them to identify students either approaching or exceeding excess credit hour limits. Once the Office of the Registrar receives this report from the THECB each semester, affected students are notified via their TAMUK student email in as timely a manner as possible.

Two different notifications are emailed to students reported by the THECB.  They are:

APPROACHING  Excess Credit Hours Limit – This notification is to simply inform the student that, according to the most current THECB records, their credit hour status is within the excess credit hour limit (1-30 SCH for students enrolled Fall of 2006 or later; 1-45 SCH for students enrolled prior to Fall of 2006). 

EXCEEDING Excess Credit Hours Limit – This notification is emailed to students who are already exceeding the State mandated limit for SCH based on their degree plan requirements (31 or more SCH for students enrolled Fall of 2006 or later; 46 or more SCH for students enrolled prior to Fall of 2006). 

NOTE: The exact number of credit hours calculated to be within the “approaching” or “exceeding” categories must be requested of the THECB by the student, requiring a FERPA release form (see instructions cited below in question, "If I have exceeded my credit hour limit, what can I do?").

Yes, you may continue to enroll for additional coursework. However, you will be subject to the $100 per credit hour fee charged for credit hours in excess of the state-mandated semester credit hour limit.

No. By law, all Texas institutions of higher learning are able to require additional tuition for excess credit hours, as the law limits how many credit hours the state will subsidize for an individual student.  The law affects all Texas public colleges and universities.

TAMUK made the decision to implement this policy beginning Spring 2013. Therefore, all students who have been identified as having exceeded the excess credit hour limit will be charged the additional tuition. The Texas Education Code Sec. 54.014 specifies that undergraduate students classified as Texas residents and non-resident students paying in-state tuition rates, who initially enrolled in Fall 1999 and subsequent semesters with excessive hours, may be charged, upon enrollment, an additional tuition rate per semester credit hour for all hours enrolled.

TAMUK 2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog, page 68-69, Excess Undergraduate Credit Hours (45 Hour Rule vs. 30 Hour Rule) explains why you are being charged for excess credit hours.
 

No, you will not be prorated for past hours you have taken in excess prior to Spring 2013.

Yes, excess credit hour limits affect all students.  Students having their tuition and fees paid by certain waivers (such as waiver for foster care, blind or deaf student, child of disabled fire/peace officer, peace officer, Hazelwood, and other waivers) are subject to excess credit hour tuition. If the student has had tuition and fees waived, please provide that information to the Registrar’s office for consideration of your circumstances.  
 

No, the limit is determined by the number of hours in the major. Students who have a double major may submit an appeal that is based on the total of both major hours needed. The student needs to determine and indicate on the appeal form the number of hours the second major adds to the degree plan. Students may consult with their academic advisor for assistance with this determination.

An undergraduate student who is not enrolled in a degree program is considered to be enrolled in a degree program requiring a minimum of 120 semester credit hours.

Yes. They are held to the limit for the degree plan in which they are enrolled; no exceptions are made for students who change majors.

No, financial aid does not cover excessive hour fee(s). However, financial aid may be available.

Meet with your academic advisor to carefully review your academic goals and current degree plan to determine if all future coursework planned is necessary toward your degree. Financial aid may also be available for students who are required to pay additional tuition due to excess credit hours. 

If you feel there is an error in the number of semester credit hours reported, you may complete the FERPA Authorization Release Form – Excessive Credit Hours for submission to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, available in hard copy from the Javelina Enrollment Services Center, MSUB, or online at Office of the Registrar located under “Forms”, and return to the Javelina Enrollment Services Center. 

To find out how many hours you have, you may sign a FERPA waiver for Texas A&M University-Kingsville to contact the THECB (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board) for an exact total of all hours attempted in your undergraduate career to date. This is the state agency that keeps track of all hours from all Texas schools you have attended. If the student refuses to sign a waiver, we will add up your transferred hours and institutional hours, which may not account for all hours attempted and, thus, may not be correct. Only the THECB determines if a student is in an excess credit hour status.

To find out how many hours you have left to graduate, you can contact your academic advisor.

If a student believes an error has been made in calculating undergraduate credit hours, they must visit the Javelina Enrollment Service Center, MSUB Room 132, and complete a FERPA release of records form to send to the THECB for obtaining a record of their total credit hours. Once the form has been completed, the student will need to return it to the Enrollment Service Center.

As well, the student has the option to submit an appeal form to Texas A&M University-Kingsville. This form is also available at the Javelina Enrollment Service Center, or online at the TAMUK website under Quicklinks. Select “Tuition & Fees”, then choose “Appeal Form”, and register your appeal online with the TAMUK Business Office.

Until the final appeal decision has been made, the student is responsible for payment of their charges and any late fees that may apply for not paying their tuition and fees on time.