Texas A&M University Graduate Catalog

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  Graduate Studies
• General Information
• Degree Information
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• Tuition, Fees &
  Other Financial Information
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• Texas A&M University at Galveston
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  Rural Public Health
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• Appendices

Degree Information

The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

99-Hour Cap on Doctoral Degrees

In Texas, public colleges and universities are funded by the state according to the number of students enrolled. In accordance with legislation passed by the Texas Legislature, the number of hours for which state universities may receive subvention funding at the doctoral rate for any individual is limited. Texas A&M and other universities will not receive subvention for hours in excess of the limit.

The law affected Texas A&M for the first time in the fall semester of 1994 with a limit of 130 hours. The most recent action by the Legislature in spring of 1997 reduced that limit to 100 hours. This change in state funding became effective in September 1999. When the Legislature passed the “cap,” however, it considered the potential loss of funding and voted to allow institutions of higher education to charge the equivalent of nonresident tuition to a resident doctoral student who has enrolled in 100 or more semester credit hours of doctoral course work.

A doctoral student at Texas A&M University has seven years to complete his/her degree before being charged out-of-state tuition. A doctoral student who, after seven years of study, has accumulated 100 or more doctoral hours will be charged tuition at a rate equivalent to out-of-state tuition. Please note that the tuition increases will apply to Texas residents as well as students from other states and countries who currently are charged tuition at the resident rate. This includes those doctoral students who hold GAT, GANT, and GAR appointments of 20 or more hours and recipients of competitive fellowships who receive more than $1,000 per semester Doctoral students who, after seven years of study, have not accumulated 100 hours are eligible to pay in-state tuition if otherwise eligible.

For count purposes, a year is counted as three semesters, normally Fall, Spring and Summer. Using this system, a student is allowed 21 semesters as a G8 student to complete the doctoral degree before being penalized with the higher tuition rate. Any semester in which a G8 student is enrolled for a doctoral level course is counted.