Education Code § 51.907

Sec. 51.907. LIMITATIONS ON NUMBER OF COURSES THAT MAY BE DROPPED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. (a) In this section, "governing board" and "institution of higher education" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003. (b) This section applies only to an undergraduate student who drops a course at an institution of higher education and only if: (1) the student was able to drop the course without receiving a grade or incurring an academic penalty; (2) the student's transcript indicates or will indicate that the student was enrolled in the course; and (3) the student is not dropping the course in order to withdraw from the institution. (b-1) This section does not apply to a student enrolled in a competency-based baccalaureate degree program, as defined by Section 56.521. (c) Except as provided under rules adopted under Subsection (d), an institution of higher education may not permit a student to drop more than six courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education, under circumstances described by Subsection (b). (c-1) An institution of higher education may not count toward the number of courses permitted to be dropped under Subsection (c) or a policy adopted under Subsection (d) a course that a student dropped while enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program previously earned by the student. (c-2) An institution of higher education may not count toward the number of courses permitted to be dropped under Subsection (c) or a policy adopted under Subsection (d) a dual credit or dual enrollment course that a student dropped before graduating from high school. (d) The governing board of an institution of higher education may adopt a policy under which the maximum number of courses a student is permitted to drop under circumstances described by Subsection (b) is less than the maximum number of courses that a student may drop under Subsection (c). (e) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules under which an institution of higher education shall permit a student to drop more courses under circumstances described by Subsection (b) than the number of courses permitted to be dropped under Subsection (c) or under a policy adopted under Subsection (d) if good cause exists for dropping more than that number, including: (1) the student's showing of: (A) a severe illness or other debilitating condition that affects the student's ability to satisfactorily complete a course; (B) the student's responsibility for the care of a sick, injured, or needy person if the provision of care affects the student's ability to satisfactorily complete a course; (C) the death of a person who: (i) is considered to be a member of the student's family under a rule adopted under this subsection for purposes of this paragraph; or (ii) is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship to the student under a rule adopted under this subsection that the person's death is considered to be a showing of good cause; or (D) the active duty service as a member of the Texas National Guard or the armed forces of the United States of: (i) the student; or (ii) a person who is considered to be a member of the student's family under a rule adopted under this subsection for purposes of this paragraph; or (2) a disaster declared by the governor under Section 418.014, Government Code, resulting in a bar or limit on in-person course attendance at the institution of a duration that significantly affects the student's ability to participate in coursework, as determined in accordance with a rule adopted under this subsection for purposes of this subdivision. (e-1) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules under which an institution of higher education shall permit a student to drop one additional course under circumstances described by Subsection (b) than the number of courses permitted to be dropped under Subsection (c) or under a policy adopted under Subsection (d) if the student: (1) has reenrolled at the institution following a break in enrollment from the institution or another institution of higher education covering the 24-month period preceding the first class day of the initial semester or other academic term of the student's reenrollment; and (2) successfully completed at least 50 semester credit hours of course work at an institution of higher education before that break in enrollment. (e-2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an institution of higher education may not count toward the number of courses permitted to be dropped under Subsection (c) or a policy adopted under Subsection (d) a course dropped by a student during the 2020 spring semester or summer term or the 2020-2021 academic year because of a bar or limit on in-person course attendance at the institution during the applicable semester or term due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. (f) In determining the number of courses dropped by a student for purposes of this section, a course, such as a laboratory or discussion course, in which a student is enrolled concurrently with a lecture course is not considered to be a course separate from the lecture course if: (1) concurrent enrollment in both courses is required; and (2) in dropping the lecture course, the student would be required to drop the laboratory, discussion, or other course in which the student is concurrently enrolled. Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 546 (S.B. 1231), Sec. 1, eff. June 16, 2007. Amended by: Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 941 (S.B. 1782), Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2017. Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 541 (S.B. 165), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2021. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 378 (H.B. 8), Sec. 13, eff. September 1, 2023. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 754 (H.B. 4005), Sec. 2, eff. June 12, 2023.