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Students Called to Active Military Service

Texas Education Code 54.006 (f) indicates, "Beginning with the summer semester of 1990, if a student withdraws from an institution of higher education because the student is called to active military service, the institution, at the student's option, shall:

  1. Refund the tuition and fees paid by the student for the semester in which the student withdraws;
  2. Grant a student, who is eligible under the institution's guidelines, an incomplete grade in all courses by designating 'withdrawn-military' on the student's transcript; or
  3. As determined by the instructor, assign an appropriate final grade or credit to a student who has satisfactorily completed a substantial amount of course work and who has demonstrated sufficient mastery of the course material."

In order to be eligible for options under this law, a TAMIU student must produce a copy of their orders. Withdrawal may or may not require that the student talk with each instructor depending on timing in the semester; however, the latter two options do require that the student talk with their instructors and come to a decision as to which solution is best for each class given timing and circumstances. A student called to active duty may consider the following options:

  1. Withdrawal with a full refund of appropriate tuition/fees;
  2. Incomplete grades with the one-year I (Incomplete) removal time limit starting with the end of active duty; and/or
  3. A final grade if the course is essentially over and the course material has been sufficiently mastered (determined by the instructor).

The Student Leave of Absence (LOA) Rule assists and encourages service members to return and graduate after an absence of two or more consecutive long semesters from TAMIU. Absences during summer sessions are excluded, as continuous enrollment is not affected. Eligible students are encouraged to take advantage of the benefits provided by an LOA, e.g., no need to apply for readmission to University and may participate in their regularly scheduled registration/enrollment period upon return. Please note that re-admission to a college
program may be required.

Further information on the Student Leave of Absence Rule can be found on page 69 of the TAMIU Student Handbook linked below.

https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/documents/student-handbook.pdf

https://www.tamiu.edu/registrar/documents/leave-of-absence-form

You do not have to navigate this process alone! The Veterans Affairs Office can assist all students called to active duty or on orders for drill. Our office can reach out to faculty on your behalf should you need us to. Please contact us at veterans@tamiu.edu or at 956.326.2254.