Legislation prompts tuition change

SAN MARCOS – Beginning with summer registration, it will be more costly to re-take courses at Texas State University-San Marcos.

The Texas Legislature recently eliminated funding to higher education for courses which are repeated three or more times. In order to compensate for this loss of state funding, resident students who take a course more than twice will be charged the non-resident rate of tuition for the repeated course. Classes in which the student withdraws and earns a “W” are counted under this new rule. If a student takes a course twice--even if they withdraw both times with a “W”--and enrolls for the same course a third time, they will be charged the higher tuition.

Undergraduate resident tuition for summer 2004 is $46 per hour, while non-resident tuition is $282 per hour. Under the new rules, one three-hour course will cost an additional $708 for in-state students taking the class a third time. For fall 2004 courses, the difference will be $774. Students must carefully evaluate the added financial costs when considering withdrawing from or enrolling in a course multiple times. The rule change also applies to graduate courses.

The change stems from Section 50 of Article III, House Bill 1 (the General Appropriations Act) passed during the 78th Regular Legislative Session. The bill directs the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to delete semester credit hours for formula funding for courses taken more than twice by a student since September 2002.

Some courses are exempt because they are designed to be repeated, such as independent study, developmental education and special topics courses. Students should refer to the Texas State website at http://www.txstate.edu for additional information.