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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.

What is CPoS?

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.

How Does CPoS Affect My Financial Aid Eligibility?

If you are enrolled in 12 CPoS qualifying hours in a semester, you are eligible for maximum Federal and State awards. If you are enrolled in fewer than 12 qualifying hours, the government determines your Enrollment Intensity and Enrollment Status as follows:

Qualifying Credit Hours	Enrollment Intensity	Enrollment Status
12 (or more)	100%	Full-Time
11	92%	Three-Quarter Time
10	83%	Three-Quarter Time
9	75%	Three-Quarter Time
8	67%	Half-Time
7	58%	Half-Time
6	50%	Half-Time
5	42%	Less-than-Half-Time
4	33%	Less-than-Half-Time
3	25%	Less-than-Half-Time
2	17%	Less-than-Half-Time
1	8%	Less-than-Half-Time

You must be enrolled in at least 6 CPoS qualifying hours to qualify for federal loans.

• If you are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and are registered for fewer than 12 qualifying hours, the Federal Pell Grant will be prorated by your Enrollment Intensity. For example, if you have 5 qualifying hours, you would receive 42% of your maximum award. However, you may still be eligible to receive full-time institutional scholarships.
• If you are eligible for TN state grants or scholarships or other Federal Title IV programs and are registered for fewer than 12 qualifying hours, your aid will be prorated on the basis of your Enrollment Status. Students who are Three-Quarter Time will have their TN grants/scholarships or Title IV aid reduced to a three-quarter time award. If you are Half-Time, your awards will be reduced to a half-time award. Students who are Less-than-Half-Time are not eligible for these awards. However, you may still be eligible to receive full-time institutional scholarships.
• Federal Direct Loans for undergraduate students require students to be at least Half-Time.