Registrar: 30 Hour Rule and 45 Hour Rule
Since Fall 2006, undergraduate students in Texas must abide by the 30 Hour Rule, which governs tuition rates for students attempting excessive credit hours. Under the 30 Hour Rule, if you attempt 30 or more semester credit hours beyond the number required to complete your degree, you will be charged out-of-state tuition rates for each new course.
Let’s say your degree plan requires 120 semester credit hours, and you are subject to the 30 Hour Rule. For every credit hour you attempt beyond 150 (120 + 30), you will be charged at the out-of-state tuition rate. This state legislation intends to encourage you to complete your degree program in a timely manner by limiting the number of hours first-time undergraduate Texas residents may attempt while paying in-state tuition.
Do all my hours count?
The 30 Hour Rule applies to students enrolling in their first undergraduate program at any point after the Fall 2006 semester. Even if you have not yet selected your major, you are considered, by state law, to have degree requirements of 120 hours.
Importantly, this legislation is based on your attempted hours – not only your completed or earned hours – which includes courses you may have failed, retaken, or dropped/withdrawn from after the official census date. Any courses you attempt at any Texas public institution of higher education count toward the excessive hour limit whether or not the hours are accepted for transfer at East Texas A&M University.
PLEASE NOTE: Although the 30 Rule concerns excessive attempted hours, it is NOT the same as or related to Financial Aid’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy regarding the maximum time frame to complete a degree program. Students impacted by SAP should speak with their Financial Aid Advisor.
Are there exceptions?
If you are a Texas resident and you enrolled in any Texas public institution of higher education before the Fall 1999 semester, or if you are a student seeking a second bachelor’s degree, you are exempt from the 30 Hour Rule.
Further, the following types of hours do not count toward your attempted hours under the 30 Hour Rule:
- hours earned before a prior associate/bachelor’s degree
- hours attempted before graduating from high school (dual credit)
- hours earned through credit by exam or similar method without registering for a course
- hours from developmental or remedial courses
- hours from workforce education or technical courses
- hours attempted at an out of state or private institution
- hours that do not count toward a degree* at East Texas A&M
- *NOTE: this means hours that do not count toward any degree at East Texas A&M University. If the course in question is not applicable to your specific degree but is applicable to another degree offered, it is counted toward your attempted hours.
Can I appeal?
If you exceed the 30 Hour Rule, you may appeal to have your excessive hours fee waived for one semester by completing an Appeal to Waive 30/45 Hour Rule Charge* form. You may only appeal once.
*NOTE: the 30 Hour Rule replaces the earlier 45 Hour Rule, which applied to first-time undergraduate students enrolling from Fall 1999 to Summer 2006.