Course Program of Study (CPoS)

Make All Courses Count

The University of èßäÉçÇø¹ÙÍø at Lafayette is required to follow U.S. Department of Education regulations related to the disbursement of federal financial aid. Federal regulations require that financial aid (federal pell grants, federal loans, and federal work-study) can only be used to pay for courses that count toward program of study (formally declared major, concentration and/or minor). 

Full-time, undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours (part-time, minimum 6 credit hours) of required coursework for the program of study each semester to remain eligible for and receive the full financial aid package. If students enroll in courses that are not required in the declared program of study, financial aid may be prorated and/or cancelled as required by federal regulations.

Full-time, graduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 credit hours (part-time, minimum 5 credit hours) of required coursework for the program of study each semester to remain eligible for and receive the full financial aid package. If students enroll in courses that are not required in the declared program of study, financial aid may be prorated and/or cancelled as required by federal regulations.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Program of study includes the courses required to complete a degree as listed on the student DegreeWorks audit.  This includes required coursework of the declared major, minor, concentration as outlined in the academic catalog.

Course Program of Study (CPoS) is a process used to determine, each term, which courses in a student's schedule are required for their program of study.  Federal student financial aid can only be paid on courses within a student's program of study.  These aid programs include federal grants, federal student loans, and federal work-study.

In addition to ensuring that federal student financial aid regulations are being met, CPoS is designed to help students stay on track and finish the degree in a timely manner. Enrolling in only courses that count toward program of study helps to minimize education expenses and debt.

If a student does not receive federal financial aid, CPoS will not impact the student.

A DegreeWorks audit will determine if the courses enrolled can be counted in the program of study. 

In DegreeWorks, courses that do not count for federal financial aid will be listed in the ‘Fall Through’ section at the bottom of the audit worksheet.

Students will receive an email regarding courses that are not counted in the program if it impacts financial aid eligibility.  Students should monitor University email regularly but can also access the degree audit at any time to review course listed as ‘Fall Through’ (not counted towards financial aid eligibility).  

The student should speak to the academic Dean’s office or assigned academic advisor. 

For undergraduate students, twelve credits of degree-applicable courses are required for federal financial aid to disburse at the full-time rate. Credit hours 13 and above do not necessarily have to be degree applicable.

For graduate students, nine credits of degree-applicable courses are required for federal financial aid to disburse at the full-time rate. Credit hours 10 and above do not necessarily have to be degree applicable.

No. There is no appeal process for courses that do not satisfy a requirement of the program of study. However, if a course has been approved as a substitution, the academic College should complete a substitution to reflect in the degree audit.

Yes, co-requisite and pre-requisite courses will all be counted in the program of study.

DegreeWorks should properly identify courses required as a double major.  Even with a double major, students must be enrolled in required courses.

At the semester census date, course enrollment will be reviewed a final time for CPoS financial aid purposes.

A student may qualify for federal financial aid until all degree requirements for the program of study are satisfied.  Once all degree requirements for the major are satisfied, students will not qualify for federal financial aid even if the minor is not complete.

Study abroad courses may count for federal financial aid if they apply towards outstanding coursework in the officially declared program of study.

  • Registered for courses that are not included in the declared degree program
  • Course is a substitution, but the official substitution process is not complete.
  • Courses are not required in the catalog year and are not appropriate for the program of study major, concentration, or minor.
  • Course is considered an elective, and all elective options have been fulfilled.

A course may be part of a student’s program of study, but not count toward federal student financial aid eligibility if it exceeds the number of repeat attempts allowed. If a student receives an ‘F’ grade in a course, they are permitted to retake the course as many times as they need until they make a ‘D’ or higher. Once they have made a ‘D’ or higher, they are only permitted to retake the course one additional time after that.

While a ‘D’ may not be successfully passing to advance a student’s academic program, for federal student financial aid purposes, the 'D' is considered a passing grade.

Yes, students may take courses that are not required. However, those courses cannot be covered by federal student financial aid. 

For undergraduate students, twelve credits of degree-applicable courses are required for federal financial aid to disburse at the full-time rate. Credits hours 13 and above do not necessarily have to be degree applicable.

For graduate students, nine credits of degree-applicable courses are required for federal financial aid to disburse at the full-time rate. Credit hours 10 and above do not necessarily have to be degree-applicable.

Full-time enrollment is NOT required to receive aid.  Half-time enrollment is required for student loans. 

Undergraduate: Full-time = 12 hours or more, Half-time = 6 hours

Graduate:  Full-time = 9 hours, Half-time = 5 hours

Scholarships, from any source, are not affected by CPoS.

TOPS is not affected by CPoS.

VA benefits are subject to their own rules and do not fall under CPoS.

CPoS does not affect Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards.