6 Course Drop Frequently Asked Questions

What students are affected by this legislation?

Students who enroll as entering freshmen or first-time in college students in undergraduate courses offered through an affected 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.

What does first-time in college mean?

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.

Are any students exempt from this legislation?

Students who enrolled at a Texas public institution before the Fall 2007 semester are exempt from this legislation. 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.

What is considered to be a course drop under this legislation?

A course drop, which will be recorded on the transcript, is defined as an affected credit course not completed by an undergraduate student who:

1. is enrolled in the course at the official date of record*, and
2. will receive a non-punitive grade of W.

*Date of Record varies according to the length of the course. The most common course lengths are listed below. For the date of record for all other course lengths, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

How can students prevent themselves from dropping so many classes?

When determining a class schedule for a term, students need to choose carefully the courses they plan to take. When determining the proper course load for a term, students should take into consideration outside factors which may affect their performance such as their work schedule and/or their extra-curricular activities.

What happens if I completely withdraw from the institution?

Complete withdrawals are not subject to the six drop legislation and do not count toward the limit.

What is the consequence once I reach my limit of six drops?

The option of withdrawing from a class and receiving a neutral grade of “W” will be denied.  You must complete the course, regardless of the academic status and receive the grade earned.

Are there any situations where a course drop would not apply to the limit?

Yes, some courses are excluded from the legislation. The following course drops will NOT apply to the six drop limit:

• Dual credit drops
• Administrative drops
• Courses dropped as a result of college prep
• Family illness
• Job schedule change
• Military deployment
• Personal medical reasons
• Student initiated complete withdrawal
• College prep course drops (including non-college-prep courses dropped as a result of non-attendance in college prep course)
• Language barriers
• Co-requisite courses

What is the purpose of this legislation? Does the state lose money when students drop classes?

The State of Texas awards higher education institutions funding based on the total number of credit hours that students are taking at the institution. When a student drops a course from which the institution has already received funding, the state loses the investment it has made to the institution for that student in that course. In other words, the state will award funding again for the second attempt by the student for the same course. So in a sense, the state has lost money by having to award funding to the institution for the repeated attempt by the student.

The state has partially addressed this loss in funding by restricting the funding awards to the institution for a course that a student has attempted three or more times. Although the state will not award funding, the state has allowed institutions to charge additional fees for students who attempt the same course three or more times.

By restricting the total number of drops a student can have in his/her academic career, the state will save funding dollars that would have otherwise been spent in multiple attempts of the same course.