Course Programof StudyFAQ
U.S. Department of Education regulations require students to be enrolled in a degree-seeking or certificate-seeking program to receive federal financial aid. Course Program of Study (CPOS) is the process TSC uses to confirm that the classes you register for count toward your declared program — find answers to common questions below.
Effective Summer 2022: students enrolling in courses that are not required to complete their officially declared degree or certificate could see their financial aid prorated and/or cancelled, as required by the U.S. Department of Education.
Frequently Asked Questions
Select a question to expand the answer. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, contact the Financial Aid Office using the button below.
Course Program of Study (CPOS) is the process that is run to identify courses within a student’s program of study. The process will compare the courses a student registers for each term with the degree requirements listed on their DegreeCheck worksheet. Courses that do not apply towards a student’s officially declared program of study will be ineligible for federal financial aid.
Federal financial aid (Pell grants, FSEOG grants, Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized and PLUS Loans, and Federal Work Study) will be adjusted if a student is not registered in courses that apply to their officially declared program of study. Students should plan carefully and ensure that their registration aligns with their degree program requirements.
Students should review their DegreeCheck if they receive a CPOS notification. Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment with their Pathways Advisor to discuss course registration changes.
No
The Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend is not impacted by CPOS.
You may still do so; however, you may not receive financial aid for that course. Financial aid will prorate automatically based on your enrollment status for courses within your program of study. If you have questions about your authorized or disbursed amounts of financial aid, please contact the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@trinidadstate.edu.
After registration, the Financial Aid Office will begin reviewing enrollment and will let you know if a course for which you registered cannot be used to determine your aid eligibility. You will have time to drop that course before the term begins and add another in its place. However, it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure you are enrolled in courses which are required for your degree and the number of credit hours for federal aid program funds you are receiving.
Students can also look in Degree Check under the “Not Counted” heading to find out if a particular course(s) will not be financial aid eligible.
Financial aid is not retroactively adjusted for prior terms. Students may change degree programs as needed for future terms. The CPOS process is looking at only the program declared for each term.
Related Financial Aid Resources
A few places students affected by CPOS often go next.
More Financial Aid Topics
Still have questions?
The Financial Aid Office can help you understand how CPOS applies to your specific program and registration.