Course Program of Study (CPOS)

Course Program of Study (CPoS)

The United States Department of Education mandates that Title IV federal and state financial aid pay only towards courses required for the student’s course program of study (CPoS). This also helps to ensure that students are enrolled in the proper courses to graduate. The types of aid impacted by CPoS include, but are not limited to, Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), federal work-study, federal direct loans (subsidized, unsubsidized, and PLUS loans), WV Higher Education Grant, WV PROMISE Scholarship, WV HEAPS Grant, and WV Underwood Smith Scholarship.

Courses for elective minors are not considered degree-pursuant courses, unless the minor is required in order to obtain the degree (is a part of the 60 or 120 hour requirements for associate or bachelor’s degrees). Required electives are courses not necessarily related to the major but are necessary to reach the minimum credits required by the degree program, as specified in the course program of study. Required electives are considered degree-pursuant courses. Once a student is enrolled in enough credits in their program of study to be full-time (12 hours per semester), the student will be eligible for maximum federal and state financial aid and would be able to take additional courses that would not be required for their program of study.

Courses taken for dual degrees or a second major are considered degree-pursuant. Requirements for either may be combined each semester. However, once a student has completed the requirements for the first degree or major, whether or not a student has graduated, the student is considered to have earned said degree and would no longer be eligible for Title IV federal grants or West Virginia state aid. At that time, the student would be a second-degree seeking student and would be considered for student loans only. Thus, to continue to receive federal and state funding for multiple majors or degrees, the student must complete the last requirements for both degrees/majors in the final/same semester.

Students seeking a second degree are also subject to the CPoS requirements. To be eligible for federal student loans, the second degree must also be a different degree than the one already awarded.

Courses may be repeated one time and still be degree-pursuant, even if the student obtained a grade of “D.” However, additional attempts are not considered degree-pursuant and are therefore ineligible for federal and state aid. If a student fails or withdraws from a repeated course, they can take that course again until a “D” or better grade is earned. A grade of “D” is considered a passing grade for financial aid purposes, even if a “C” or better is required for the program of study. All hours attempted and earned are also used in the calculations of the GSU Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

DegreeWorks, available through EdNet, is used to determine which courses count towards the program of study.