The Course Program of Study (CPoS) is a U.S. Department of Education regulation that requires that the student be enrolled in an eligible degree-seeking program to receive state or federal financial aid (grants, loans, work-study compensation, etc.).
To qualify for federal and state financial aid, the student must be enrolled in courses that are applicable toward the student’s degree.
If a student is enrolled in courses that are not required to complete his or her eligible degree, the student’s financial aid award could be prorated or canceled as required by the U.S. Department of Education.
Course program of study (CPoS) refers to all courses needed to earn your degree: general education requirements, major requirements, and elective courses needed to reach the required credit hours to complete your degree. The credit hours associated with such courses will, in this article, be referred to as CPoS qualifying hours, or simply qualifying hours.
Only courses needed to complete your degree in your program count as qualifying hours towards your enrollment status for federal financial aid (Pell, SEOG, Federal Direct Student and Parent, PLUS Loans, and Federal Work Study) and state aid programs (Tennessee HOPE, Tennessee GAMS, Tennessee Aspire, Ned McWherter, and Tennessee Grant Program).
If you enroll in enough qualifying hours in your program of study to have full-time student status, you will be eligible for your maximum state and federal aid, and you can take additional courses whether or not they're in your program of study.
If you are enrolled in 12 CPoS qualifying hours in a semester, you are eligible for maximum Federal and State awards. You must be enrolled in at least 6 CPoS qualifying hours to qualify for federal loans.