Why Your Program of Study is Important
Taking classes that are not in your Program of Study for your officially declared major may result in a reduction of your financial aid.
Carefully planning and following your curriculum is essential to graduating on time. It is also necessary to ensure you receive the financial aid you expect along the way.
You can Make it Count by following your academic plan in MySam and consulting with your Academic Advisor if you have questions.
What is Course Program of Study (CPoS) as defined for financial aid purposes?
CPoS is a Federal and State of Indiana requirement that financial aid eligibility only be based on courses that count towards a student’s Program of Study.
A Program of Study consists of courses required to complete a degree, inclusive of required coursework within the major, any required electives, any required concentration, and foundational studies.
While it is your responsibility to ensure you are taking classes required for your degree program, the Office of Student Financial Aid will notify you via your Sycamore email account if your federal or state aid eligibility is affected. Notifications will be sent from the point of registration through the 7th day of class.
You can see your Financial Aid Dashboard by going to Student Self-Service and clicking on the Financial Resources link.
What types of Aid are affected by CPoS?
Disbursement of federal aid (Ex: Pell Grant, SEOG, Work Study, Direct Subsidized Loan, Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Parent PLUS Loan, Graduate PLUS Loan), state aid (Ex: 21st Century Scholars, Frank O’Bannon Grant, Child of Disabled Veteran, etc.) are based on eligible coursework.
Institutional scholarships and Foundation or Departmental scholarships are not subject to this regulation. However, because the cost of attendance (COA) will be reduced for ineligible coursework, these sources of aid may also be reduced as total aid cannot exceed COA.
How does CPoS impact Cost of Attendance (COA)?
COA is an estimate of the amount it will cost a student to go to school. Indiana State University calculates the COA to show cost for the academic year (Fall and Spring semesters) and is based on enrolled hours.
Enrollment status for financial aid is based on outstanding coursework that applies toward your 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 component of your COA will be reduced and the total amount of aid you can receive will also be reduced.
Visit our Course Program of Study page in the Root to view a list of Frequently Asked Questions.