Course Program of Study (CPoS) and Financial Aid Eligibility

What CPoS Means for You

Your financial aid — including Pell Grants, SEOG, Direct Loans and Work-Study — is based only on the classes that are part of your degree or certificate requirements.

If you’re enrolled in courses outside of your program of study, those credits cannot be counted toward your financial aid eligibility. Any class that doesn’t apply can reduce your aid amount or cause you to lose eligibility for certain types of aid.

How to Stay Eligible

To ensure your financial aid applies to your enrolled courses, follow these 3 simple steps:

1. Confirm Your Major and Minor

   • If you’ve changed majors or added a minor, make sure those updates are reflected in UAOnline and DegreeWorks.
   • You may need to work with your advisor to officially update your major or minor.

2. Review Your Degree Requirements

   • Your academic advisor can help you understand which courses are required for your program.

3. Check Your DegreeWorks Audit

   • Use DegreeWorks to verify which courses count toward your degree or certificate.

Register Carefully Each Term

Meet with your academic advisor before registering to ensure your planned courses apply toward your program of study.

Follow Up on Alerts

If you receive a notice that a course may not count toward CPoS, review it right away. Your advisor can help you determine your options.

What Happens if You Enroll in Ineligible Courses

If one or more of your classes do not apply to your program of study:

• Your financial aid award may be reduced based on your eligible credit hours.
• You may owe a balance to the university if your aid changes after disbursement.
• You can work with your advisor to adjust your schedule before the add/drop deadline.

What CPoS Means for Advisors

Advisors are the first line of support in helping students understand how CPoS affects their aid and progress. Careful planning and accurate advising can prevent financial aid reductions and keep students on track toward their goals.

Advisor Responsibilities

1. Verify Degree and Program Accuracy
   • Ensure each student’s major, concentration and minor are correctly declared in the student record system.
   • Remind students that pending or unsubmitted changes (e.g., major change forms) will not be reflected in CPoS evaluations until processed.
2. Assist with Registration Planning
   • Use the DegreeWorks to confirm that each planned course applies toward the student’s program requirements.
   • Encourage students to register only for applicable coursework if they are relying on federal financial aid.
   • Identify and discuss any elective or non-required courses before registration is finalized.
3. Respond to CPoS Alerts or Notifications
   • Students flagged for “non-CPoS” courses will receive alerts indicating potential aid ineligibility.
   • Advisors should review these alerts promptly and help students determine if substitutions, program changes, or schedule adjustments are appropriate.
4. Coordinate with Financial Aid
   • If a course substitution, curriculum adjustment, or late program change is needed, communicate with the financial aid office.
   • Financial aid staff can clarify how course eligibility affects aid disbursement and help ensure updates are processed before census dates.

Key Scenarios

Major Change: A student who recently changed majors but whose record has not yet updated may appear to have ineligible courses.

Electives: General electives that do not meet degree requirements will not count unless they fill an open elective slot on the audit.

Second Majors/Minors: Only declared programs are considered for CPoS — unapproved or undeclared second majors/minors are excluded.

Graduate Programs: Courses outside of the approved plan of study (as listed on the Graduate Study Plan) may not be eligible.

Best Practices

• Review students’ degree audits each term during advising appointments.
• Encourage students to submit program changes well before registration.
• Partner with the Financial Aid Office to stay current on CPoS procedures and reporting deadlines.
• Reinforce the message that CPoS is not just an administrative rule — it’s essential for maintaining federal aid eligibility and supporting timely degree completion.