Maximum Course Attempt Appeals

Students may withdraw without academic penalty from any course by the established deadline as follows:

  1. A student may have only three attempts per course including the original grade, repeat grades, and all withdrawals. The most recent grade is included in the computation of the cumulative grade point average. Students will be required to pay 100% of the direct instructional cost beginning with the third attempt. Students who want to pursue an appeal of the full-cost requirement can do so following the student appeals process through the appropriate collegewide chair.

  2. Courses taken at institutions other than EFSC will not be counted in determining repeat charges.

  3. Some types of financial aid do not cover repeat course attempts. Students should check with the Financial Aid Office to determine status.

  4. A course can be counted only once toward meeting graduation requirements, except where permitted by a course description.

  5. Attempts “counted” begin with courses taken fall of 1997.

  6. A fourth attempt may be allowed only with approval of the collegewide Academic Chair for the academic discipline related to the course or designee, based upon an academic appeals process which requires documenting serious extenuating circumstances, which are considered to be exceptional, documented and beyond the control of the student. Criteria used to determine extenuating circumstances include, but may not be limited to:

        • serious illness
        • medical conditions preventing completion
        • death of an immediate family member
        • call to active duty
        • learning disability
        • English as a second language
        • change in employment conditions
        • natural disasters

Financial hardship exemption appeals coordinated through the Financial Aid Office may be granted more than once for each course; however, an exemption based on a financial hardship will only be granted after the student has demonstrated reasonable effort to succeed in the course. Examples of criteria used for determining financial hardship:

        • qualification for federal need-based financial aid

        • documented financial hardship

Note for A.A. degree students: Some senior institutions count all hours attempted and all quality points earned.

Note for VA students: VA benefits may be received for repeat courses assigned a “D” grade, if a grade of “C” or higher is required by SBE Rule 6A-10.30 (Gordon Rule).