The Texas State Legislature has passed a law that limits the number of credit hours that a student can accumulate in pursuit of the Ph.D. and still be eligible for a waiver of out-of-state tuition. When a student enters the Ph.D. program with a BA or BS, the first 30 completed credit hours are called G7 hours. After this time, the student begins to accumulate G8 hours. When a student enters the program with a MS, all courses are regarded as G8 hours. The Legislature has determined that a cap of 100 G8 hours will be imposed. The Texas A&M University Board of Regents reacted to this by approving a plan (summarized below) for implementing the new State Law at Texas A&M University.
Currently, the subvention hour limit is at 140. TAMU will collect nonresident tuition from all doctoral students (including Texas residents) having in excess of 110 G8 hours. Each fall thereafter, the number will be dropped by 5 hours for the next two years until it reaches the 100 hour limit. This policy will allow TAMU to be in compliance with the new law by the Fall 2002.
For example, suppose a student enrolls in the A&M Chemistry program after having attained a BS degree. Here is the way his/her hours would go (which is very typical for our students):
Fall 1997: 19 graded hours
Spring 1998: 8 graded hours (1 was probably research hours for which a grade of "I" was given)
Summer 1998: 0 graded hours (all research hours)
Fall 1998: 7 graded hours
Spring 1999: 7 graded hours
Summer 1999: 0 graded hours
Thus, at the end of two full years, this student has a total of 30 G7 hours and only 1 G8 hour. If this student is planning on graduating at the end of the summer of 2002 (which is five full years of study), they will accrue an additional 72 G8 hours (all hours, graded or not, count toward G8; typically students sign up for 9 hours in a long semester and 6 in the summer). Thus, at the end of five years this student has accrued a total of only 73 G8 hours. They will not reach the 100 year cap until the end of their sixth year, which the department views as adequate time to complete the requirements for a Ph.D. (actually, 5 years is generally considered as sufficient in most cases).
ACTION TO BE TAKEN:
The Graduate Student Office will begin to warn students and their advisors one year in advance of the student hitting the subvention hour cap. If it becomes apparent that a student will not graduate prior to accumulating the designated G8 credit hours, then during the semester in which the student's cumulative number of G8 hours meets or exceeds the designated hours, the chairperson of the advisory committee must call a meeting, which will include the student and the student's advisory committee, to certify that adequate progress is being made toward the degree. The committee chairperson will forward a memo, signed by each member of the committee, to the Graduate Student Office certifying that adequate degree progress is being made toward the degree. This will include a projected time-table for the final dissertation defense. If the committee determines that adequate progress is not being made, they will make an appropriate recommendation to the Graduate Advisor.
In addition to University imposed sanctions, the Department of Chemistry will no longer support students with GATs or GANTs after completion of his/her 5th year of study regardless of the number of G8 hours accrued. Recognizing that special circumstances beyond students' control can extend the time required to complete doctoral studies, exceptions to the policy may be requested via the Graduate Advisor. GAR and fellowship support are not affected by this policy.
For the most up-to-date information from TAMU on implementation of the 100 hour cap and possible repercussions for the student, see the Office of Graduate Studies Web site: 100 Hour Cap
For more information, or if you would like to know how many G8 hours you presently have, please e-mail Julie Wilson: Wilson@mail.chem.tamu.edu.
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