Right to an Academic Fresh Start
The Texas Senate Bill 1321 Right to An Academic Fresh Start allows a person who is a resident of Texas to apply for undergraduate admission and who does not have coursework completed 10 or more years prior to the date of anticipated enrollment included as consideration in the admission decision. This allows undergraduate students to begin a new course of study with a clear academic record.
Note: This is an all or nothing option. You are not able to pick and choose which courses to ignore and which courses to count. If you choose the Academic Fresh Start option, you will not receive any credit for any courses you took 10 or more years ago.
This means that
- Courses taken previously cannot be used to fulfill new prerequisite requirements.
- Courses taken previously cannot be counted towards your new degree.
- Courses taken previously will not be counted in your new GPA calculations.
Even if you choose the Academic Fresh Start option, you must still complete the usual admissions process including providing information on all colleges or universities previously attended and providing official copies of transcripts from all of the schools that you attended. Nothing in the law prohibits a public university from applying standard admissions requirements.
Students under the Academic Fresh Start provision must still meet the criteria for the Texas Success Initiative unless they have met one of the exemptions. The Academic Fresh Start provision does not affect Texas Success Initiative exemptions claimed on the basis of college credit earned prior to September 1989.
Additional notes:
- The Academic Fresh Start provision may be claimed only upon application to Del Mar College and will not be applicable to currently enrolled Del Mar College students.
- Once enrolled, the Academic Fresh Start provision may only be requested upon submission of an application for readmission to the College. The Academic Fresh Start application must be completed and granted prior to re-enrollment.
- Once the Academic Fresh Start provision has been claimed and the student has enrolled, the provision cannot be reversed.
- An applicant may use the Academic Fresh Start provision only once at Del Mar College.
Applying for Academic Fresh Start
Students must submit an application for Academic Fresh Start prior to enrollment at the College preferably at the time they apply for admission or re-admission. Students will not be granted Academic Fresh Start until they have completed their admissions file and have been admitted to the College.
Download and print an application for Academic Fresh Start. The application should be completed, signed, and submitted to the Admissions Office located in the Student Enrollment Center. Alternately, the application may be completed at the Admissions Office during regular office hours. See our contact information for the mailing address, location, and hours of operation.
Acceptance of Academic Fresh Start Application
The Del Mar College Director of Admissions is the final authority on applying or interpreting the Texas Education Code 51.931 Right to an Academic Fresh Start. When the Academic Fresh Start application is approved, the Del Mar College Registrar's Office will be notified. and upon enrollment, a message will be posted to the student's academic record indicating that admission has been granted through the Academic Fresh Start provision. If the student was previously enrolled at Del Mar College, the grade point average will be changed on the academic record for any coursework completed here 10 or more years prior to the re-enrollment date. The original courses or grades will not be considered in the grade point average, but they will remain on the Del Mar College academic record.
Effect on Financial Aid
The Academic Fresh Start provision clears only your academic record. When deciding your eligibility for financial aid, previously taken coursework at Del Mar College and transfer courses towards your active degree plan at Del Mar College, will be included when reviewing your financial aid status. Please contact the Del Mar College Financial Aid Services Office at (361) 698-1293 if you have any questions.
In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not recognize the Academic Fresh Start Program. Students cannot be certified for courses that they have successfully completed. Students using VA educational benefits should coordinate with the Veteran Services Office.