Course Program of Study Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CPoS as a requirement?
- What is a course program of study (as defined for financial aid purposes)?
- How does CPoS affect my financial aid if I have not declared a major?
- How does CPoS impact Cost of Attendance (COA)?
- What types of Aid are affected by CPoS?
- Why do the CPoS guidelines say that Institutional Aid is not affected, but then says it could be reduced?
- How can I determine if a course will count towards financial aid eligibility?
- I have been awarded a TN Lottery Scholarship and a TN State Grant (TN Student Assistance Award) but only 4 out of my 6 enrolled credit hours apply towards outstanding requirements in my officially declared program of study. Can I still receive these funds?
- I want federal student loans, but only 4 out of my 9 enrolled hours apply towards outstanding requirements in my officially declared program of study. Can I still get loans?
- For the upcoming semester, I plan to enroll in 17 undergraduate hours, which includes a 1 credit hour class that does not apply toward outstanding requirements in my officially declared program of study. Will financial aid pay for the additional 1-hour class?
- How will CPoS affect my financial aid refund?
- What about courses that will be substituted and thus become part of a student’s program of study?
- How will courses needed for completion of minors be treated?
- How will courses needed for double majors be treated?
- How will elective courses noted in program of study be treated?
- What about courses taken for licensure requirements, and prerequisite coursework?
- How will this affect study abroad?
- What about students who are going to change their program of study?
- Typically, except for student loans, aid that is disbursed by the census date (14th calendar day of a full-term fall or spring semester) is based on your program of study as of the census date.
- For Federal Direct Loan purposes, your eligibility is based on your program of study as of the date of disbursement.
- Aid disbursed after the census date (14th calendar day of a full-term fall or spring semester) is based on your program of study as of the date of disbursement.
- If you change your program of study beyond the census date and the current semester coursework no longer applies toward your new program of study, your previously disbursed aid will not be reduced since you were eligible at the time of disbursement or census date, as applicable. However, if you decide to make application for a Federal Direct Loan beyond the census date and you are not enrolled at least half-time in eligible coursework that applies toward your new program of study, you will not be eligible for the Federal Direct Loan.
- Can I change my program of study to receive federal financial aid for a course that does not apply toward my current program of study?
- What about graduating seniors in their last semester?
- What if a course doesn’t count toward CPoS but I think it should?
- Some of the classes in which I’m enrolled do not apply toward my program of study. What do I do next?
- None of my courses apply toward outstanding requirements in my officially declared program of study, but I still want to take them. What does this mean for me?
- Are there some proactive curricular actions that a student can take for some courses not currently showing as eligible in the course plan of study?
Enrollment status for financial aid is based on outstanding coursework that applies toward the officially declared program of study. If you are an undergraduate student enrolled in 12 hours that count towards your program of study, you will be considered a full-time student for cost of attendance purposes. However, if only 9 of the 12 hours are required for your officially declared program of study, the tuition and book components of your COA will be reduced to a three-quarter time amount and the total amount of aid you can receive will also be reduced.
Enrollment Status | Undergraduate | Graduate |
Full Time | 12+ credits/semester | 6+ credits/semester |
Three Quarter Time | 9-11 credits/semester | 4-5 credits/semester |
Half Time | 6-8 credits/semester | 3 credits/semester |
Less Than Half Time | 1-5 credits/semester | 1-2 credits/semester |
Example: An undergraduate student who takes 12 hours fall/spring could have a COA of $58,555 for the academic year. If 3 of the 12 hours did not count in their program each term, this could reduce their total COA for the year to $46,745 due to CPoS guidelines for federal/state aid. The only time institutional aid might be affected would be if it was necessary to reduce those funds to stay within the new COA.
After you register or drop/add courses and personnel in the offices of the Registrar and Student Financial Services have reviewed the audit of your courses, you can identify whether your coursework is eligible / ineligible for aid purposes within the my.belmont.edu portal.
In a few cases where a course or courses might fit into a Course Plan of Study or a possible resolution might be available after review from the Registrar’s Office and/or Student Financial Aid they will reach out through the student’s Belmont E-mail.
Undergraduate double majors must be officially declared and reflected in Degree Works no later than the end of a drop and add period (first week of classes) to be included as eligible coursework for federal/state financial aid. Note that double majors have the minor waived. Under CPoS because by university policy the minor is waived, in cases of a double major, a minor is not eligible under financial aid.
Additionally, once students meet the degree requirements to complete one of the majors, they are considered to have earned a degree if the student elects to graduate, even if they are still completing the requirements for their other major.
Example: A student is pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science with majors in Mathematics and Environmental Science. At the end of spring semester, the student meets the requirements to complete the Mathematics degree but will not finish the Environmental Science major until after the end of summer semester. If the student elects to graduate before also finishing the second major, then the student is not eligible for any federal or state of Tennessee financial aid for the summer semester, including the HOPE and TSAA Scholarships, because the student has already earned a first Bachelor’s degree. Student should consider graduation when both majors are completed.
This answer is a bit more complicated as the answer depends upon both the type of aid and the timing of the program change:
Your aid is based on coursework that applies toward outstanding requirements in your program of study. Therefore, your aid may be reduced. You have two options:
1) Meet with your Academic Advisor to discuss your academic options. If the semester has not started, it may be in your best interest to drop the ineligible course(s) and enroll only in courses in your officially declared program that will be eligible for financial aid.
OR
2) If the semester has already begun and your financial aid does not cover all of your tuition costs, you will be responsible for the outstanding balance owed. In some instances, your financial aid may still be enough to pay for course(s) that are not in your program. If not, the ineligible courses can be paid for out of pocket or through the Monthly Payment Plan.
During open registration students should check to be sure courses are part of the Course Plan of Study as indicated in their DegreeWorks / catalog.
In some instances, a course can be eligible to count depending on the particular circumstance. For example, an advisor may have directed the student to take a special studies or study abroad course that is not listed in the catalog or DegreeWorks as part of the plan of study. However, if the faculty advisor is planning on the course counting in the major or minor, students can ask about a “course substitution” form. In other situations, a student might be taking courses in a major of interest but has not officially declared the major. Declaring the major might be a resolution to courses being eligible after an audit review. In all cases, consult with a faculty advisor before making significant changes to your Course Plan of Study.