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Course Program of Study (or CPOS) is a federal requirement by the U.S. Department of Education that mandates that only the courses in a student’s declared major or minor program will determine that student’s eligibility for federal or state financial aid, which can include the Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study, Federal loans (Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford and PLUS),Federal SEOG, and Ohio College Opportunity Grant.

CPOS was designed and has been found to help students finish their degree program faster by focusing on the completion of course work tied directly to the program of study. Timely degree completion also reduces student costs, including debt a student may choose to take on in order to graduate.

Financial aid is initially awarded based on the assumption that undergraduate students will enroll full-time in eligible coursework during fall and spring semesters. In order to remain eligible to receive full-time federal and state financial aid, the student must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours within their degree program. If a student is under the 12-credit hour mark, their federal and state financial aid will be prorated dependent on their total amount of qualifying hours.

Institutional/Private Financial Aid & Scholarships

Any financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) funded by John Carroll University or any other outside organizations are not affected by this requirement but are still subject to the rules and regulations set forth by those institutions.

Make Sure Your Courses Count

Before you register for classes, you can meet with your academic advisor to make sure that the courses for which you plan to register will count toward completing your degree and are eligible for federal and state funding.

You can update your Plan in Degree Works and then run a Planner Audit to review that the courses you are planning to take are meeting your degree requirements. If any courses on your plan appear in the Fall Through - Excluded block, these courses may not be eligible for aid. Your Academic Advisor can help confirm your plans and course work.

When is John Carroll implementing CPOS?

Spring 2023 CPoS monitoring will be effective

What type of financial aid does CPOS impact?

At JCU, CPOS applies to federal aid (e.g., Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, TEACH Grants, Direct Loans, PLUS Loans, Federal Work Study, SEOG etc.) as well as state aid (e.g., Ohio College Opportunity Grant). It does not impact institutional or outside scholarship.

Examples:

Scenario 1: Student is enrolled in 12 credits, but 4 of those credits do not apply to the student's degree or certificate.

Federal and state financial aid will be based on 8 credits; therefore, the student’s eligibility will be:

Federal Pell Grant awarded at half-time instead of full-time.
Federal Direct Loans may be impacted.
Federal Work-Study may be impacted.
State programs are based on half-time instead of full-time.
Institutional grants and scholarships will not be impacted

Scenario 2: Student is enrolled in 9 credits, but 6 of them do not apply to the student’s degree or certificate.

Federal and state financial aid will based on 3 credits; therefore, the student’s eligibility will be:

Federal Pell Grant is awarded at less than half-time instead of three-quarter-time.
Student is not eligible for Federal Direct Loans.
Federal Work-Study is not impacted.
Student is not eligible for state programs.
Student is not eligible for Institutional or state funding

Scenario 3: Student is enrolled in 16 credits but 4 of them do not apply to the student’s degree or certificate.

Federal and state financial aid will based on 12 credits; therefore, the student’s eligibility will be:

Federal Pell Grant is not impacted.
Federal Direct Loans are not impacted.
Federal Work-Study is not impacted.
State programs are not impacted.

How and when will I know if I am impacted by CPOS?

Students enrolled in courses impacted by CPOS will be notified via their JCU email by enrollment@jcu.edu. The email will only state that one or more courses you registered for is not eligible for financial and to contact your advisor NOTE: Students will only be notified if CPOS impacts their federal or state aid eligibility.

What should I do if I've been notified that one or more of my courses doesn't count in my program of study (declared major/minor)?

Do NOT begin modifying your schedule without consultation with an academic advisor! An advisor will be able to review your academic record and DegreePlan to determine whether the CPOS process is accurately assessing your courses. If your declared program of study requires a concentration or specialty, work with your advisor to ensure your DegreePlan is accurately reflecting your selection. In some cases, your academic advisor may recommend you file an academic petition requesting to USE AN ALTERNATE COURSE TO FULFILL A REQUIREMENT.

A course is not required for my program of study (Declared major/minor). What can I do?

If your advisor confirms that a course is not required for your program of study, it will not count toward your federal and state aid eligibility. You should consult with your advisor to consider an appropriate course of action (adding a required course, dropping the ineligible course, or remaining enrolled in the ineligible course with the understanding that your aid will prorate). You may also consult with the SEFS office to understand the impact of prorated aid

Can I appeal a determination that a course does not apply toward my program of study?

No. There is no appeal process for courses that do not satisfy a requirement of your program of study.

I am enrolled in courses that aren't part of my program of study (e.g, based on personal/career interest or to maintain full-time enrollment for athletics or housing). Will CPOS impact me?

Yes. If your enrollment isn't satisfying a requirement for your declared major/minor, the system will flag the courses as ineligible and they will not count toward your federal and state aid eligibility.

When is the last day to modify my enrollment to potentially impact CPOS?

Any changes to your semester enrollment should be completed by the 5th day after a semester start. Please refer to the academic calendar for semester start dates.

When is the last day to make major changes to potentially impact CPOS?

Don't wait until the last minute to contact your academic advisor to make changes to your curriculum/program of study or to submit an academic petition. These requests require manual updates to your academic record and can take up to 2 weeks for processing. We recommend that you connect with your academic advisor by the start of the semester to make curriculum/program of study changes.

Do open electives count toward CPOS?

Possibly. Open electives must satisfy a graduation requirement of your declared program of study. If you have been notified that an elective is not counting toward your federal or state aid eligibility, contact your academic advisor. If an advisor determines that the elective is satisfying a requirement and will count toward your studies, they will advise you on the steps you will need to take to request an update of your academic record.

Can I still take a course that doesn’t count toward my program of study?

Yes, you may take a course that is not required in your program. However, the course will not count toward your enrollment status for determining financial aid eligibility. You must be registered at Full-time status a minimum of 12 credit hours of courses that count toward your program.

I have been notified that one or more of my courses are not counting toward my federal financial aid eligibility due to CPOS. I consulted with an advisor and we made updates to my enrollment and/or program of study. When will I know if this worked?

The CPOS automated review process happens nightly. It can only review updates that are reflected on your account. If the updates have been fully processed and your course is determined to be eligible (i.e. it is counting towards a degree requirement and is not appearing in the Fall Through - Excluded block), your financial aid will automatically update the next business day to reflect your new eligibility. You will receive an email stating that a change was made to your awards.

NOTE: Requests for program of study changes are not immediate and require manual updates in the system.

What if I make a change to my schedule after I receive my financial aid?

The Financial Aid Office may need to re-evaluate your financial aid eligibility based on your change in schedule. This could result in you having to repay a portion or all of the financial aid you have received. You should contact the SEFS Office prior to making any schedule changes after the semester begins.

If I am degree-seeking but haven’t declared a major (“undeclared”), am I still eligible to receive financial aid?

Yes, you will be eligible to receive financial aid with an “undeclared” major status for up to 35 scheduled credits towards a bachelor’s JCU degree. Once your academic record reflects 35 earned JCUcredits, you will be required to select a program of study in order to remain eligible for continued financial aid funding.

How do course withdrawals impact my financial aid eligibility?

If you are withdrawn from a course (student-initiated or attendance policy) your financial aid may be adjusted and returned accordingly. If you are subsequently reinstated into the course, you may not be eligible for your original financial aid package for the semester.