Course Program of Study
Frequently Asked Questions
CPOS is a federal requirement that ensures financial aid funds are used only for coursework
that applies toward a student’s officially declared degree program. While this is
not a new regulation, WCU will begin actively monitoring CPOS compliance through a
new reporting process starting with Fall 2025 registration.
A program of study refers to the list of required courses a student must complete
to earn a specific degree, as outlined in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs.
A student’s catalog year is indicated in their DegreeWorks audit, available through
myWCU.
CPOS affects eligibility for Title IV federal financial aid, including Pell Grants,
Federal Direct Loans, Federal Work-Study, and the Federal Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). State, institutional, and private (e.g., scholarship) aid
may also be impacted.
Check your DegreeWorks audit to ensure your registration includes at least 12 undergraduate
hours or 9 graduate hours that apply directly to your program of study each fall and
spring semester. You can also view your financial aid self-service page in myWCU to
see courses that do not count toward aid eligibility. If any of your courses are flagged
as ineligible, you will receive a notification via your WCU email before the semester
begins.
CPOS reporting begins once registration opens and continues through the end of the
add/drop period. The system evaluates student course enrollment nightly against DegreeWorks.
If no changes are made to your major, registration, or academic plan, the audit won’t
re-run. Students typically receive updates within 2–3 days of registering.
Do not make schedule changes without first consulting your academic advisor or program
director. Refer to your DegreeWorks audit and either Undergraduate or Graduate Catalog.
If a course should apply but isn’t recognized by the system, your advisor must submit
a substitution or exception request by the last day of the add/drop period.
To qualify for full-time financial aid, you must enroll in at least 12 credit hours
(undergraduate) or 9 credit hours (graduate) that apply toward your degree each fall
and spring semester. Failure to meet this threshold may reduce your aid eligibility.
Contact your academic advisor immediately. Your financial aid eligibility is based
on the curriculum listed in your official record and reflected in DegreeWorks. Changes
to your major after the add/drop period take effect the following term. Do not register
for courses in your new major until your record is officially updated.
Courses required for a minor will count if the minor is part of your degree requirements.
If the minor is optional, the courses may only count if they fulfill elective requirements
within your degree. Check the or Catalog to confirm if a minor is required.
Yes—if the electives are required as part of your degree program. Refer to the or Catalog to see how many elective hours your program allows.
Yes, if the prerequisite is required for your program of study. In such cases, your
advisor should notify the Financial Aid Office to ensure the course is considered
aid eligible.
In most cases, yes. Federal aid will cover one additional attempt of a previously
passed course. Additional repeats beyond that are not eligible.
Only courses required for your program of study are eligible for aid—even in your
final semester. For example, if you only need 3 credit hours to graduate but enroll
in 6 to qualify for a loan, you won’t be eligible for the loan unless all 6 hours
are required for your degree.
Study abroad courses may qualify for federal financial aid if they apply directly
toward your declared program of study. Contact the for more information.
DegreeWorks will identify crossover courses, including electives. However, to receive federal aid, you must be enrolled in required courses from your declared program(s). For Pell and FSEOG eligibility and some state aid, once all requirements for one degree are met, you are no longer eligible for those grants—even if you haven’t yet graduated or finished a second major.
Tip: To avoid losing grant eligibility, try to align your course schedules so both
majors are completed in your final semester.
If you add a required course before the add/drop deadline, the system will automatically
re-evaluate your aid eligibility that night. You can verify this on the Financial
Aid Self Service home tab in myWCU. If you make changes after the add/drop deadline,
contact the Financial Aid Office for further assistance.
Yes, if:
- WCU is your home institution,
- The courses apply to your WCU degree, and
- You have a valid with the host school.
Once your enrollment is confirmed, your term enrollment will be updated for aid purposes.
Students must declare a major by the time they complete 45 credit hours in order to
remain eligible for federal and state financial aid.
If you are unable to reach the degree-pursuant coursework requirements for your federal aid, please consider these other ways to fund your educational expenses:
- Search and apply for
- Consider using our to break your semester balance due into smaller payments instead of one lump sum before the semester begins
- Apply for credit-based