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Course Program of Study (CPoS)

The U.S. Department of Education places an important emphasis on federal financial aid rules that may impact the amount of aid you receive.
For federal aid to pay for enrolled courses, these courses must count toward your major and/or required minor, be part of your program of study, or be necessary to earn the total hours required for your degree. You may view your degree requirements for your course program of study in the DegreeWorks Degree Audit Report. Course Program of Study (CPoS) is the process that is run to identify courses within a student’s program of study. Courses that do not apply towards a student’s program of study will be ineligible for federal financial aid.
Please contact the the Student Aid Office for more information concerning CPoS and federal financial aid eligibility, and the Registrar’s office for questions concerning degree and program requirements.
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CPOS FAQ

Specifically, for federal aid to pay for courses in your major, required minor, or other degree requirements, it must be part of your program of study, or be necessary to earn the total hours required for your degree.  Taking courses not a part of your program of study could result in receiving less, or even, no federal financial aid.

 

  • Student registers for courses other than instructed to by advisor that are not required for the declared program.
  • Course is a substitution, but the official substitution process is not complete.
  • Course was previously repeated and no longer qualifies for aid.
    • If the course is already repeated twice, with passing grades, it is not eligible for financial aid. The student may register for a different eligible course.
  • Course applies toward a minor that is not required of major.
    • Although minors may be declared by the student and are visible in Degree Works, unless the minor is a major requirement, the course is not eligible for federal aid.
  • Course is an elective and the student already fulfilled all electives.
    • Electives are correctly calculated in Degree Works. If electives are fulfilled and a substitution is not completed, the course is not eligible for federal aid.

You may only receive federal financial aid for outstanding coursework that counts towards your declared program of study.  These restrictions do not apply to scholarships.

Dropping or not attending courses (NA or NP grades) can negatively impact your eligibility for current or future aid.

If your federal financial aid is reduced due to enrollment in coursework that does not count towards your declared program of study, you should review the program requirements in degree works and adjust your schedule; or, contact your academic to discuss your academic options.

Examples:

  • If you are eligible for a Pell Grant and enroll in 12 hours and only 9 of the 12 hours are required towards your declared program of study, the Pell Grant will be reduced to an award based on the 9 eligible hours. You may still be eligible to receive full time scholarship.
  • Federal student loans for undergraduate students require 6 eligible hours of enrollment or 5 eligible hours for graduate students. If you are enrolled in 5 hours and only 3 hours are required for your program of study, you are not eligible for a federal student loan.