Does the statute allow any exceptions for bachelors degree programs at universities?
Paragraph (a) of ยง61.0515 states that the requirement must be met “unless the institution determines that there is a compelling academic reason for requiring completion of additional semester credit hours for the degree.” The Coordinating Board (CB) understands that each institution is responsible for reviewing for any exceptions to the limitation. Exceptions based on what the university considers a “compelling academic reason” should be officially approved at the institution, and records regarding the basis for such a decision should be retained. Other statutes (for example, the statute that enacts the B-on-Time loan forgiveness program) identify “5-year” degree programs – currently those in engineering and architecture. Such a statutory identification could potentially provide a basis for determining a compelling academic reason to raise the limitation on SCH required for graduation in those programs. Institutions would determine other compelling academic reasons based on the informa
