There are several items to consider when maintaining your eligibility for Federal Aid. The newest item is called Course Program of Study.

Course Program of Study (CPOS) Frequently Asked Questions

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) regulations require that a student must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program to receive federal financial aid (Pell grants, FSEOG, Work-Study). Starting Spring 2019, Title IV funds will only be awarded for the courses needed to fulfill the program of study requirements.

Students enrolling in courses that are not required to complete their degree could see their financial aid prorated and/or cancelled as required by the Department of Education.

Taking courses that do not apply to a student’s degree program can cause delayed graduation and a higher educational cost to the student. Students should reach out to an advisor before registering for classes not in their program to guarantee they are on the right track to graduate.  

What is Program of Study?

Program of study consists of the classes needed/used to complete an approved degree. Students can determine which courses are needed for their current major by selecting the Degree Audit (DegreeWorks) link in their MyNortheast under “Your Records.” A course must count in the evaluation of the degree to be counted as part of the student’s program of study.  

What types of Aid are affected by CPOS?

All Title IV federal student aid including Grants, Federal Work-Study and Federal SEOG may be affected by CPOS. These types of aid will only pay for eligible courses that count towards the student’s program of study.  

How does this affect the Cost of Attendance?

Cost of attendance is an estimate of the cost for students to go to school for a specific amount of time (semester or year) and is based on the student’s enrollment status. Enrollment status for financial aid is based on eligible (in program) courses only. If a student is enrolled in 12 credit hours that count towards their program of study, he or she will be considered a full time student for cost of attendance purposes.  

Where can students find their major?

All students can find their major in MyNortheast in the upper right hand corner under their name.  

How do students change their major?

Students considering a major change are strongly encouraged to meet with an academic advisor. Students can change their major by signing into their MyNortheast and selecting the change button next to their current major. A change of major after Census Date (14^th day) will apply to the next semester of enrollment.  

When will the process run to identify courses not in the program of study?

The degree audit will run every night against the student’s DegreeWorks plan to determine which courses are part of the student’s program. The degree audit will not run again unless students change their major, course registration, or any other item that affects their student account.  

How will students be notified if they are taking the right courses to satisfy the financial aid requirements?

Students will receive an email regarding their registration and courses not counted in their program within 2-3 days after completing registration. Students can also see an alert in their MyNortheast account. Students should monitor their school email account and take action promptly.

Can a student take classes that are not required for his or her major?

Students receiving financial aid are welcome to take classes which are not required for their Program of Study. However, they will need to pay for those classes out-of-pocket or with excess financial aid.  

What should students do if they are taking a course that is not counted in their program and they think it should?

If students think a course should count, but it isn’t, they should contact their academic advisor.  

Are scholarships impacted by CPOS?

Scholarships do not require that students enroll in courses in their program of study. Scholarship awards will not be based on classes counted in the student’s major.  

How will CPOS impact elective courses?

If a program of study has specific courses that count as electives, only these will be eligible, unless the academic dean makes an override or substitution. If there is no specified course list, any course will count as long as open electives hours exist for the student’s program of study.  

I need to take a learning support English, Math, or Reading class and it is not listed as required on my major requirements.

Learning support (classes below the 1000 level: ENGL 0920, MATH 0030, etc...) are eligible for financial aid funding up to a maximum of 30 attempted remedial hours. As long as the student is otherwise eligible for financial aid, the credits for the remedial courses will be considered as in program and eligible for financial aid.