Course Program of Study

Course Program of Study (CPoS) is a U.S. Department of Education requirement that only considers courses counting toward a student’s program of study for financial aid eligibility. This federal requirement is not new but will be monitored for student compliance at PennWest through a new reporting process beginning with Summer 2025/Fall 2025 registration.

As defined for financial aid purposes, a program of study is the list of courses required to complete a specific degree, its requirements, general education, major, major electives and free elective credits as outlined in the University Catalog. A student’s specific catalog year is identified on the student’s Degree Works audit in the myPennWest portal. On the Degree Progress Card, click "view audit."

Title IV federal aid is based on coursework that counts toward a student’s degree. Many state, institutional, and private (scholarship) aid programs require the same enrollment criteria as federal programs. Check with the agency or the Financial Aid Office (FAO) to ensure you meet all requirements for funding.

To qualify for full-time financial aid, review your Degree Works audit in the myPennWest portal to ensure you are enrolled in at least 12 undergraduate or 9 graduate credits from your program each fall and spring. Check your financial aid self-service page to identify any courses that don’t count toward aid. If affected by CPoS, you’ll receive an email from the Financial Aid Office before the semester begins. Contact your advisor to discuss a possible substitution if a course later appears in the “Not Counting Toward Degree” block.

The CPoS process runs after registration begins for the term and continues until the term’s census date. No further adjustments are allowed after the census date.

Do not change your schedule without first consulting your academic advisor or program director. Refer to your official degree plan in the University Catalog or your Degree Works audit. If you believe a course should count toward your degree but isn’t covered by financial aid, contact your advisor. They can review your audit and, if appropriate, submit a course substitution or exception request. These must be submitted by the last day of the add/drop period each term.

Your financial aid is based on credits that count toward your program of study. You must take at least 12 undergraduate or 9 graduate program-approved credits each fall and spring to receive full-time aid. Taking courses outside your program, dropping classes, or changing your major late may reduce your aid.

If you plan to change your program of study, contact your academic advisor immediately. Your official curriculum must be listed in your student record i the University Catalog for your catalog year. It appears in your Degree Works audit. To take effect for the current term, changes must be made before the add/drop deadline; changes after the census date apply to the next term. Do not register for courses in the new program until the change is reflected in Degree Works.

If a minor is required for your degree program, the courses you take to meet that requirement are eligible for financial aid. If you are pursuing an optional minor, you will need to have enough free electives (if minor courses do not meet another requirement of your degree) to cover those courses to be eligible for financial aid or be enrolled in at least twelve (12) undergraduate applicable credits or *nine (9) graduate applicable credits. Please check the University Catalog to determine if a minor is required for your degree.

Programs that require or allow for a minor

Electives count if they are required for the degree. Review the University Catalog to determine how many elective classes your degree allows. For PennWest programs (excluding legacy ones) the Degree Works audit also indicates how many free elective credits each program has.

Remedial classes (MATH 0201) do count for aid purposes.

If the prerequisite is a required course for your degree, the course is eligible for financial aid. If you are required to take a prerequisite course that is not included in the degree requirements prior to enrolling in a required course for the degree, the prerequisite course may count for aid. Your academic advisor should notify the Financial Aid Office (FAO) regarding a required prerequisite.

A repeat course may be eligible for federal financial aid depending on whether the course was previously passed or not. A course could be repeated one time and still be degree-applicable if the student obtained a grade of a “D” or better at the undergraduate level or “C” or higher at the graduate level. Additional attempts after earning a D or better are not degree applicable. If a student fails or withdraws from a repeated course, they can take that course again until a “D” or better at the undergraduate level or “C” or higher at the graduate level grade is earned. However, all hours attempted and earned from the courses taken are still computed in the calculation of the completion rate and maximum time frame for satisfactory academic progress for financial aid eligibility.

Students may only repeat a previously passed course one additional time, apart from repeatable courses. Courses that are eligible to be repeated are counted as anticipated. Example – special topics, music or art courses or other courses that are designated to be repeatable. Contact the Financial Aid Office (FAO) for specific questions regarding repeated courses.

Only courses required for the program of study are eligible for financial aid. For example, if you only need three (3) credits to graduate but register for six (6) credits to qualify for a Federal Direct Loan, you will not be eligible for the Direct Loan.

State, institutional, and private aid requirements may vary when it comes to Course Program of Study (CPoS) requirements. Please check with the agency or the Financial Aid Office (FAO) to determine funding requirements.

Financial aid is disbursed based on the eight (8) credits that apply toward your program of study. The Federal Pell Grant award is reduced from a full-time enrollment award to a half-time enrollment award. You may be eligible to receive federal loans because you are enrolled at least half-time status in eligible coursework.

State, institutional, and private aid requirements may vary when it comes to Course Program of Study (CPoS) requirements. Please check with the funding agency or the Financial Aid Office (FAO) to ensure you are meeting all requirements.

Study abroad courses may count for federal financial aid if they apply towards outstanding coursework in your officially declared program of study. If you are planning on engaging in a study abroad program, you will need to work with your advisor regarding course substitutions and the Study Abroad Office about the overall process.

To be eligible for federal financial aid for the current term, a course substitution request form must be submitted prior to the last day of the add/drop period. It is recommended that course substitution forms be submitted as soon as it’s determined that one is needed. Course substitutions are submitted by advisors and program directors to the Office of the Registrar and, if approved, are processed by the Registrar’s Office. If you qualify for a substitution and believe you may be impacted by this deadline, please contact your academic advisor or program director. You can check that a substitution request has been submitted on your behalf within your Degree Works audit.

Contact your academic advisor. They may need to submit a course substitution request form.

Yes, but the course will not count toward your financial aid enrollment status unless it is used as a free elective in your program of study. To receive a full-time financial aid award, your coursework must include a minimum of twelve (12) undergraduate credits or *nine (9) graduate credits from your program of study each fall and spring semester.

Degree Works should properly identify crossover courses including electives. Even with a double major, to be eligible for federal aid you must still be enrolled in required courses. If your degree program is not listed correctly in Degree Works, work with your academic advisor or program director to add the second program. Do not register for classes toward the new curriculum until the update to your record is reflected in Degree Works. The federal rules for dual majors or degrees are specific to the Pell and SEOG grant programs. For these Programs, once the student completes all degree requirements for one major or degree, a student is no longer eligible for Pell or SEOG, whether the student has been conferred a bachelor’s degree or not. The student will remain eligible for other federal aid programs.

Tip: Students can avoid losing grant aid eligibility by arranging courses to enter their final semester with degree requirements in both majors.

Post Bacc or second-degree courses are not eligible for grants but are eligible for loans, so long as the courses are counting toward requirements for the new degree plan.

If the change is made before the end of add/drop period for the term, your courses are automatically reevaluated that night. Check the home tab in Financial Aid Self Service to verify that the new course is considered for aid (this feature will be available during registration, starting with Summer 2025).

If the change is made after the add/drop period, please contact the Financial Aid Office (FAO) for additional questions regarding financial aid.

The Financial Aid Office (FAO) may need to reevaluate your financial aid eligibility, depending on when the schedule change occurs. Contact the financial aid office prior to making any schedule changes after a semester begins. Schedule changes can affect the amount of aid awarded or disbursed, causing a student to owe a balance.

If a student is obtaining their degree from PennWest, and the courses they are taking at the other institution will count toward their degree requirements, yes. They will need to work with their Academic Advisor or Department Chair to complete a Transfer Credit Authorization Form indicating the other school’s name, intended course, and what it will satisfy at for their degree plan. Once the authorization form has been submitted, the Office of the Registrar will submit a copy to Financial Aid. Financial Aid will initiate a Consortium Agreement with the host school, and once confirmation of enrollment has been received, Financial Aid will update the term’s enrollment accordingly.

If a student is obtaining their degree from PennWest, and the courses they are taking at another PASSHE Institution will count toward their degree requirements, yes. The student will need to work with their Academic Advisor or Department Chair to complete a PASSHE Course Sharing Form. Once confirmation of enrollment has been received, the Office of the Registrar will update the term’s enrollment accordingly.

VA benefits are subject to their own rules. Please discuss with your Veteran’s Certifying Official.

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

If the graduate courses do not fulfill any of the student's undergraduate degree requirements, they do not count towards the calculation of the student's undergraduate enrollment status for Title IV purposes, and vice-versa.

A student pursuing both a degree and a certificate program will have a course program of study (CPoS) that includes courses for both, often with some overlap, depending on the specific certificate and degree requirements.

Yes. The entire course would be eligible for financial aid.