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Course Drop Limit Policy

Pursuant to section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code and based on PS 03.A.36 all courses dropped beginning in Fall 2007 are calculated into the 6 drop limit students are allowed during their academic career. In Texas, the “6 Drop Rule” prohibits dropping more than six classes after the last day to drop without a grade or "Census Date". If you are an undergraduate student and started as a first-time undergraduate at any community college, four-year college, or university in the fall of 2007 or later, you cannot drop more than six courses during your entire Texas college career. The rationale for this rule is based on a Texas law designed to motivate and encourage course completion and the timely attainment of a degree.
 
Courses dropped on or by the Census Date of the semester are not considered drops that count towards the 6 drop limit and do not appear on a transcript. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for Census Dates in the semester.
 
What happens after you drop six classes?
If you have already dropped six classes, and wish to drop a seventh, the request will be denied if you attempt to drop after the “Census Date”. Unless you qualify for an exception, you must complete the course.
 
Do the courses you dropped before coming to UHD count as part of the six?
Yes, courses dropped prior to enrolling at UHD count towards the total. At UHD we identify the courses you dropped at other Texas colleges as “transfer drops.” You can see how many individual and cumulative courses you have dropped via your student myUHD portal.  
 
6 Drop Appeal & Exemptions
 
Reached or Exceeded Drop Limit and Wish to Partially drop a course
If you have reached or exceeded the 6 drop limit, you are still allowed to drop partially a course. If you wish to partially drop a course after the Census Date, you may seek to have the course dropped and made exempt from the 6 drop limit by submitting a Request to Waive Course Partial Withdraw Limit Form with supporting documentation to the Registrar's Office. You must submit this form and documents before the last day to drop in the session.  Please refer to the Academic Calendar for last day to drop with W grade in the semester. The requests can take up to 2 business days to process and an email will be sent to you when completed. 
 
A student may show good cause for dropping more than six courses after the “Census Date”. Good cause may include, but is not limited to, showing proof of any of the following: 
  1. Severe illness or other debilitating condition that affects a student’s ability to satisfactorily complete a course; 
  2. The student’s responsibility for the care of a sick, injured, or needy person if the provision of that care affects the student’s ability to satisfactorily complete the course;
  3. The death of a person who is considered to be a member of the student’s family (defined in Texas Administrative Code 19.1.4.A, Rule §4.10(b)) or who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship (defined in Texas Administrative Code 19.1.4.A, Rule §4.10(b)) to the student; 
  4. The active duty service as a member of the armed forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard of either the student or person who is considered to be a member of the student’s family or who is otherwise considered to have sufficiently close relationship to the student; 
  5. The change of the student’s work schedule that is beyond the control of the student and that affects the student’s ability to satisfactorily complete the course; 
  6. Other good cause as determined by agreement of the Registrar, Dean of Enrollment Management, and the Dean of the college in which the dropped course is housed.
 
Reached or Exceeded Drop Limit and Wish to Completely drop from semester
Dropping all courses from your schedule during a term after the Census Date is considered a complete withdrawal and none of the dropped courses will be calculated towards the 6 drop limit. If you wish to completely withdraw from the semester, students must login to their student portal at myUHD and submit a Request Term Withdrawal.  The Request Term Withdrawal link will provide you with instructions on how to login your student portal and submit your request. Please read and complete the information that applies to you and initial areas required.  Once you fill out and initial all required information click on Submit for the request to be sent to the Registrar’s Office.  You must submit the Request to Term Withdrawal by the last day to drop from the semester to receive a letter grade of W. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for last day to drop with W grade in the semester. The requests can take up to 2 business days to process and an email will be sent to you when completed.
 
For questions regarding the 6 Drop Limit, please contact the Registrar’s Office at uhdrecords@uhd.edu. 
 
For more information, follow the links below: