Registrar: 3-Peat Rule
Throughout your academic career, you may find you need to repeat a course more than once. While this is not unusual, enrolling in the same course excessively means navigating extra guidelines and fees.
What is a 3-Peat?
Taking the same course three times is known as a 3-peat (three repeat). Let’s imagine you enroll in a course, but for whatever reason, you don’t finish it as planned. Maybe your grades are low and you don’t receive credit, or maybe you drop the course altogether. You decide to try again next semester and either fail again or earn a grade that is technically passing, but lower than you wanted. You think if you enroll a third time, you could do even better. This would be a 3-peat.
The State of Texas has established guidelines to discourage students from repeating the same courses excessively: namely, Texas residents attempting the same course for a third time will be charged an additional $125 per credit hour for that course. This provision is described in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Rules (Chapter 13, Subchapter B, ยง13.25).
Do dropped courses count?
They can, depending on when you drop. If you drop or withdraw from a course after the census date, that course does count towards the 3-peat rule.
Census dates include:
- For Fall and Spring: the 12th class day
- For Summer: the 4th class day
- For Mini semesters: the 2nd class day
If you intend to drop a course, you must do so before the end of the census date to avoid having that course count in your total number of attempted hours. That is, only when you drop before the end of the census date will the course NOT count toward the 3-peat rule imposed by this policy.
Are there exceptions?
Some degree programs may require you to take the same course multiple times. Or maybe the course number is the same, but the content and assignments are entirely different. For these reasons, the following types of coursework are exempt from 3-peat charges:
- Thesis and dissertation courses.
- Independent study courses.
- Seminar courses and Special Topics.
- Continuing Education courses that must be repeated to retain professional certification.
- Developmental Education coursework taken three or more times will be allowed; however, developmental coursework in excess of 18 hours is subject to additional charges.
- Courses that may be repeated for credit because they involve different or more advanced course content each time they are taken, including but not limited to: individual music lessons, Workforce Education Course Manual Special Topics courses (when the topic changes), theater practicum, music performance, ensembles, certain physical education and kinesiology courses and studio art.
Can I appeal the extra fees?
In some cases, yes. If you believe you have extenuating circumstances, you can file an Appeal to Waive 3-Peat Charges form to the Office of the Registrar.