Course Program of Study (CPOS)

What is Course Program of Study (CPOS)?

Course Program of Study (CPOS) is a federal requirement that only courses that count toward a student's program of study (your declared Associate's Degree or Certificate Program) be considered when determining Federal Financial Aid eligibility.

When did CPOS become a requirement?

Yavapai College has implemented CPOS since the Fall 2019 semester. It has been a federal requirement for many years.

What type of financial aid does CPOS impact?

CPOS only applies to Federal Financial Aid (e.g., Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans, PLUS Loans, etc.). It does NOT impact eligibility for state or institutional financial aid (e.g., Yavapai College Foundation Scholarships, Private Scholarships, AZLeap grants, etc.).

Not all Course Program of Study (CPOS) are financial aid eligible. Consult Degreeworks from the quicklinks in the YC portal to confirm your CPOS is financial aid eligible.

How do I know if I have registered for classes that are not part of my Program of Study?

Please review your program requirements by going to the myYC portal and selecting "Degreeworks" from the quicklinks at the top of the page. Then, contact your academic advisor to discuss your academic options if you have any questions as some exceptions may apply.

What should I do if I've been notified that one or more of my courses doesn't count in my program of study (declared degree/certificate)?

Do NOT begin modifying your schedule without consultation with an academic advisor! An advisor will be able to review your account and determine whether the system is accurately assessing your enrollment.

Degree changes for any semester may be made until the last day to register for full-term clases for that semester. See the Academic Calendar for dates

What are Federal Financial Aid, State Financial Aid, and Institutional Financial Aid?

“Financial aid” refers to any funding designed to assist with your educational expenses. Most financial aid flows through the school and is applied directly to your student account.

FEDERAL: This financial aid is generally determined based on the information included on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and comes from the U.S. Department of Education. Examples include the Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, Stafford Loans, and PLUS Loans to name a few. CPOS DOES impact these awards.

STATE: This financial aid may also use information included on the FAFSA to determine eligibility, but sometimes require an additional application. The primary difference is that the source of funding is from the state government. An example of State funded aid is the Arizona Leveraging Partnership Act (AZLeap). CPOS DOES NOT impact any of these awards.

INSTITUTIONAL: This financial aid may also use information included on the FAFSA to determine eligibility, but primarily looks at other factors such as high school GPA and performance. Examples include Yavapai College Foundation Scholarships, Athletic Scholarships, Departmental Scholarships, etc. CPOS DOES NOT impact any of these awards.

Further information can be found on our Financial Aid policies page.

For additional questions please contact:
Academic Advising Services (928) 776-2106 or Financial Aid (928) 776-2152

Additional FAQs

An academic advisor has determined that one or more of my courses are not required for my program of study (declared degree/certificate). What can I do?

If an academic advisor determines that a course is not satisfying a requirement for your program of study (declared degree/certificate), it will not count toward your Federal Financial Aid eligibility. You should consult with an academic advisor and the financial aid office to consider an appropriate course of action (adding a required course, dropping the ineligible course, or remaining enrolled in the ineligible course).

It is important to remember that most forms of financial aid, including Federal Financial Aid, are limited in nature. Using financial aid to pay for courses that are not required for your program of study is risky as it is a finite (limited) resource. Once the maximum limits have been used the only way to regain eligibility is to repay the aid you previously received.

I am enrolled in courses that aren't part of my program of study (declared Nursing major but enrolled in Graphic Design courses). Will CPOS impact me?

Yes. If your enrollment isn't satisfying a requirement for your declared degree/certificate, the system will flag the courses as ineligible and they will not count toward your Federal Financial Aid eligibility. NOTE: Some courses may be required by both a concurrent degree and a certificate and will not be flagged. You should still update your officially declared degree/certificate through your advisor as soon as possible. It may not be an issue this semester, but it will eventually pose a problem.

When is the last day to modify my enrollment to potentially impact CPOS?

The Federal Financial Aid census (a snapshot of your account) happens on the last day to drop courses for the full term (during the add/drop period at the beginning of each semester). Your Federal Financial Aid eligibility will be based off this snapshot. After that, changes to your enrollment will not be considered for CPOS purposes. An exception would be completely beginning your enrollment for “POT” (Part of Term) or “late start” after the census date for that term.

When is the last day to make changes to potentially impact CPOS?

The Federal Financial Aid census (a snapshot of your account) happens on the last day to drop courses (census date) for the full term (during the add/drop period at the beginning of each semester). Your Federal Financial Aid eligibility will be based off this snapshot. Do not wait until the last minute to submit updates as program of study changes are not immediate. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that their degree/certificate accurately reflects their current enrollment and that any updates are submitted in sufficient time to allow for processing. The last day to update your Program of Study is the last day to add classes for the full term. We recommend program changes/updates be submitted 10 business days before the beginning of the term, at the latest.

Do electives count toward CPOS?

If an academic advisor determines that a course is not satisfying a requirement for your program of study (declared degree/certificate), it will not count toward your Federal Financial Aid eligibility. You should consult with an academic advisor and the financial aid office to consider an appropriate course of action (adding a required course, dropping the ineligible course, or remaining enrolled in the ineligible course).

It is important to remember that most forms of financial aid, including Federal Financial Aid, are limited in nature. Using financial aid to pay for courses that are not required for your program of study is risky as it is a finite (limited) resource. Once the maximum limits have been used the only way to regain eligibility is to repay the aid you previously received.

I have been notified that one or more of my courses are not counting toward my Federal Financial Aid eligibility due to CPOS. I consulted with an advisor and we made updates to my enrollment and/or program of study (declared degree/certificate). When will I know if the changes “fixed” the problem?

The CPOS automated review process happens nightly. It can only review updates that are reflected on your account. If the updates have been fully processed and your course is determined to be eligible, your financial aid will automatically update to reflect your new eligibility within 24 hours of the overnight CPOS process. NOTE: Requests for program of study changes are not immediate and require manual updates in the system.