CPoS Frequently Asked Questions
Your Degree-Pursuant Coursework
- Where can I find out if my courses are counting toward enrollment requirements for aid?
- How can I prepare for the CPoS evaluation of my courses?
- When will the CPoS process evaluate my courses to determine if they are degree-pursuant?
- How will I be notified if courses are not considered degree-pursuant and are ineligible for federal and/or state financial aid?
- What should I do if I’ve been notified that one or more of my courses isn't degree-pursuant?
- Who do I contact if a course is flagged as not degree-pursuant, but I believe it should be?
- When is the last day to modify my enrollment to potentially impact CPoS?
Your Aid and Degree-Pursuant Coursework
- Where can I find out what the enrollment requirements are for my financial aid?
- What is the difference between federal, state, and institutional financial aid?
- My advisor has submitted a course substitution request. When will my financial aid be updated to reflect this request?
- Do I have to be enrolled full-time to receive my Promise Scholarship?
- How many degree-pursuant hours do Promise Scholarship students need to renew their scholarship?
- Do Promise Scholarship students’ credit hours in the summer need to be degree-pursuant?
- Are institutional scholarships or private loans affected?
- I have been notified that one or more of my courses are not counting toward my Federal Financial Aid eligibility. I consulted with an advisor, and we made updates to my enrollment and/or program of study (declared major). When will I know if the changes “fix” the problem?
Changing Majors
- How will CPoS affect me if I am in the middle of changing my major?
- When is the last day that major changes may potentially impact CPoS?
Dual Degree or Double Major
- What is the impact on eligibility for federal and state aid from being a double major or dual major?
- If I am pursuing a dual degree/double major and have 6 credit hours in one major and 6 credit hours in another major, can that be counted as a total of 12 degree-pursuant credit hours?
Limited or No Degree-Pursuant Courses
- What if there are not enough degree-pursuant courses available to me to reach the coursework requirements for my West Virginia state aid?
- What if I do not intend to enroll full-time in degree-pursuant courses?
- What if I only need 6 or 9 hours to complete my degree?
- What if I do not have any degree-pursuant hours for the semester?
- If I lose aid, is that only for the current semester? Can I get the aid back?
Prerequisites, Electives, Minors, Repeated Coursework, and Exceptions
- How are prerequisites handled when it comes to degree-pursuant coursework?
- Can elective courses count toward my program of study?
- Do courses required for minors or areas of emphasis count as degree-pursuant?
- Are there course exceptions?
- What about D/F repeats? How are those courses impacted by CPoS?
Study Abroad
Taking Courses at a Different Level
Your Degree-Pursuant Coursework
Where can I find out if my courses are counting toward enrollment requirements for aid?
To review which of your registered courses are counting toward your enrollment requirements for aid that requires the courses to be degree-pursuant (count toward your degree):
- Go to your WVU Portal
- Enter your login credentials ( WVU username and password)
- Click on the "Financial Aid Information" button
- Select the "Course Program of Study (CPoS)" link
- This will show if the courses you are registered in for the semester are degree-pursuant (count toward enrollment requirements for federal and state financial aid)
- Results will be available if you have registered for courses and the CPoS process has evaluated your courses for the selected semester.
- The CPoS process does not run immediately, so it may be 3 to 5 business days before this information is updated (if you change your schedule or your academic advisor updates the course).
- If no results appear under the tab, the CPoS process has not evaluated your registered courses yet for the selected semester.
How can I prepare for the CPoS evaluation of my courses?
To prepare for the CPoS process checking to see if your courses are degree-pursuant:
- Review DegreeWorks to verify your information is correct, such as your major (and minor if the minor is required for you to complete your degree). If it is incorrect, contact your academic advisor. Please note that if you changed your major within the last three weeks, it may not be updated yet.
- Work with your academic advisor and use DegreeWorks to choose your courses carefully.
- Register early to get into your required courses and allow time for any CPoS course issues to be resolved prior to the start of the semester.
When will the CPoS process evaluate my courses to determine if they are degree-pursuant?
The CPoS process will begin running when pre-registration begins for each semester. It will continue to run until the last day to add/drop without a "W" of the last Part of Term for the semester.
How will I be notified if courses are not considered degree-pursuant and are ineligible for federal and/or state financial aid?
You will only be notified if:
- You have federal and/or state financial aid that may be impacted; AND
- One or more of the courses for which you have registered for the semester are not degree-pursuant; AND
- You are enrolled less than full-time for the semester in degree-pursuant coursework.
After the CPoS process runs, college advisors are given a chance to review to see if any of your non-degree-pursuant courses should be considered degree-pursuant. If not, the WVU Hub will send notification to your MIX email (via your WVU Portal).
What should I do if I’ve been notified that one or more of my courses isn't degree-pursuant?
Do NOT begin modifying your schedule without consulting your academic advisor!
You should review your CPoS audit results to determine which courses are not counting toward your degree. Consult with your academic advisor to determine an appropriate course of action. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Adding a course required for your degree;
- Dropping the ineligible course; OR
- Remaining enrolled in the ineligible course, understanding that it will not count toward your enrollment requirements for aid types that require degree-pursuant coursework.
Who do I contact if a course is flagged as not degree-pursuant, but I believe it should be?
Contact your academic advisor. Keep in mind that if you received a communication from the WVU Hub about not being enrolled in enough degree-pursuant courses for your financial aid, your academic advisor did have a chance to review your course registration prior to that communication being sent.
When is the last day to modify my enrollment to potentially impact CPoS?
Changes should be completed by the last day of add/drop without a "W" for full-semester courses to ensure there are no issues. The CPoS process will continue to run until the last day to add/drop without a "W" of the last Part of Term for the semester.
Your Aid and Degree-Pursuant Coursework
Where can I find out what the enrollment requirements are for my financial aid?
First, determine what financial aid you have for the aid year. You can view your financial aid through your WVU Portal.
- Go to your WVU Portal
- Enter your login credentials ( WVU username and password)
- Click on the "Financial Aid Information" button
- Click on "Award"
- Click on "Award by Aid Year"
- Select the appropriate aid year (Please note financial aid for the summer semester is listed under the prior academic year. Example: Aid for summer 2021 is listed on the 2020-2021 aid year.)
- Click on the "Accept Award Offer" tab
- On this tab, you can see the types of aid and the status (i.e. offered, accepted, declined, etc.). Aid in accepted status is your current financial aid.
Second - once you know the different types of financial aid you have for the aid year - go to our Enrollment for Specific Aid Programs page. You can find a list of common aid programs, the enrollment requirements for the aid to disburse, and whether or not courses need to be degree-pursuant to count toward enrollment requirements for that aid. In addition to the list of common aid programs, there is also a spreadsheet of aid programs and their enrollment requirements.
What is the difference between federal, state, and institutional financial aid?
In general, "financial aid" refers to funds that are given or lent to a student to assist with paying for educational expenses. This can include grants, scholarships, loans, Federal Work-Study, waivers, and funds from other third parties. Financial aid can come from the federal government, state government, your institution, your department or college (based on your program of study), private lenders, and other third parties, such as employers, private scholarship providers, charitable or nonprofit organizations, sponsors, and more.
FEDERAL Financial Aid
Eligibility for federal aid is usually determined based on information you provided on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and comes from the U.S. Department of Education. Examples include the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work-Study, Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, and Federal PLUS Loans. The CPoS process and degree-pursuant requirements DO apply to federal aid.
STATE Financial Aid
Depending on the state and the requirements for the aid program established by the state, this financial aid may also use information included on the FAFSA to determine eligibility. Sometimes it may require a separate application. The primary difference is that the source of this funding comes from the state government. Examples of West Virginia state aid include the WV Higher Education Grant, WV Promise Scholarship, WV Engineering, Science & Technology Scholarship, and the Underwood-Smith Teacher Scholarship to name a few. For WV state aid, a full list can be found on the CFWV West Virginia State-Level Financial Aid Programs website.
The CPoS process and degree-pursuant requirements DO apply to these awards. Please note that if you are unable to reach full-time degree-pursuant coursework in any given semester due to limited course offerings, there is a West Virginia state aid appeal process available for some programs. The programs eligible for appeal are the WV Promise Scholarship, the West Virginia Higher Education Grant, the Engineering, Science and Technology Scholarship, and the Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars program. You must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours of degree-pursuant coursework to appeal.
The state appeal usually becomes available in early June for each upcoming aid year. You may visit the Appeal to Waive Full-Time Enrollment Requirement website to access the online form, instructions for submitting, and more details about enrollment requirements for state aid. Please note that your academic advisor will be automatically notified of your appeal submission.
INSTITUTIONAL and DEPARTMENTAL Financial Aid
This financial aid may also use information included on your FAFSA to determine some eligibility, but primarily institutional and departmental aid (from your college/department based on your program of study) looks at merit-based factors - high school or overall GPA, standardized test scores, or other performance. Examples include institutional scholarships and grants, athletic scholarships, and scholarships from your college/department. The CPoS process and degree-pursuant requirements DO NOT impact these awards.
See our Enrollment for Specific Aid Programs webpage for the enrollment requirements for different financial aid funds as well as whether or not the enrollment must be in courses eligible for federal/state aid in order to meet the enrollment requirements.
My advisor has submitted a course substitution request. When will my financial aid be updated to reflect this request?
Please allow 5 to 7 business days for your financial aid to reflect the override.
Do I have to be enrolled full-time to receive my Promise Scholarship?
The WV state regulations for the Promise Scholarship require a student to be enrolled full-time (12 credit hours or more) in degree-pursuant coursework during a semester. An exception is for students in their final academic year of Promise eligibility – who do not need to be enrolled full-time to receive the scholarship. However, their courses must still be degree-pursuant. The amount of the scholarship may be prorated based on enrollment. Students may request this adjustment by submitting an Institutional Scholarship Exception Request. For more information, please visit our Scholarship Exception Requests webpage. Also, please remember that Promise renewal requirements state you must have 30 earned credit hours in order to renew the scholarship for the following academic year. The earned hours requirement for renewal does not require all 30 hours to be degree-pursuant.
Please note that if you are unable to reach full-time degree-pursuant coursework in any given semester due to limited course offerings, there is a West Virginia state aid appeal process available for some programs. The programs eligible for appeal are the WV Promise Scholarship, the West Virginia Higher Education Grant, the Engineering, Science and Technology Scholarship, and the Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars program. You must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours of degree-pursuant coursework to appeal.
The state appeal usually becomes available in early June for each upcoming aid year. You may visit the Appeal to Waive Full-Time Enrollment Requirement website to access the online form, instructions for submitting, and more details about enrollment requirements for state aid. Please note that your academic advisor will be automatically notified of your appeal submission.
How many degree-pursuant hours do Promise Scholarship students need to renew their scholarship?
Promise Scholarship recipients must complete 30 credit hours (15 credit hours for a one-semester award) between fall, spring, and summer during the academic year. The earned hours requirement for renewal does not require all 30 hours to be degree-pursuant.
However, for the Promise Scholarship to disburse as payment for the semester, students are required to be enrolled full-time in hours required for their degree - meaning at least 12 hours must be degree-pursuant each semester. For more information on degree-pursuant requirements for Promise to disburse for the semester and potential appeal options, see the FAQ for Do I have to be enrolled full-time to receive my Promise Scholarship?
Do Promise Scholarship students’ credit hours in the summer need to be degree-pursuant?
As long as the student has completed 24 hours of degree-pursuant courses during the fall and spring semesters, the summer courses do not need to be degree-pursuant in order to count toward their earned hours for renewing the scholarship. However, if a student wants to utilize federal and state aid during the summer, they must be enrolled in degree-pursuant courses.
Are institutional scholarships or private loans affected?
Private loans and institutional scholarships can be affected if your cost of attendance based on your degree-pursuant hours is met with federal and state aid.
No, at this time institutional scholarships and private loans are not impacted by the CPoS process.
I have been notified that one or more of my courses are not counting toward my Federal Financial Aid eligibility. I consulted with an advisor, and we made updates to my enrollment and/or program of study (declared major). When will I know if the changes “fix” the problem?
If the changes that were made brought your enrollment in degree-pursuant coursework up to the required enrollment for your federal and/or state financial aid, your CPoS audit results online will be updated with the changes within 3 to 5 business days.
Changing Majors
How will CPoS affect me if I am in the middle of changing my major?
You can still change your major, but you need to have an understanding of when your college will submit your change of major forms. Once the necessary paperwork is processed, CPoS audits will review courses based on the updated major. Please be aware that it can take up to three weeks after you change your major for your major to be updated on your account.
When is the last day that major changes may potentially impact CPoS?
Do NOT wait until last minute to submit updates to your major as program changes are not immediately reflected on your account. It can take up to three weeks after you change your major for it to be reflected on your account. It is your responsibility to ensure that your major accurately reflects your current enrollment and that any updates are submitted in enough time to allow for processing. We recommend major updates be submitted at least three weeks before the first day of the semester.
Why is it so important to allow this processing time? If you wait until too late, you may be in jeopardy of losing your federal and/or state aid for that semester if the courses in which you are registered for are not degree-pursuant for your major. For example, your program of study is Economics. Your registered courses are degree-pursuant for Economics. You submit a major change to switch to Accounting. Once it is processed, your registered courses may not be considered degree-pursuant for your new major. If your major change happens the second week of courses, your federal and/or state aid eligibility would be re-evaluated and adjusted based on your enrollment in degree-pursuant courses for Accounting.
Review the major change requirements on the WVU Admissions Change of Major website. Current students must contact their advisor regarding major changes.
Dual Degree or Double Major
What is the impact on eligibility for federal and state aid from being a double major or dual major?
Courses from both degrees are considered degree pursuant. Upon completion of the requirements for the first bachelor’s degree, you are no longer eligible for most federal and state aid programs. Therefore, you can no longer receive those types of funding to complete a second bachelor’s degree. To avoid losing aid, it is best for you to complete the requirements for both degrees at the same time, which would maximize your opportunity for all financial aid programs.
If I am pursuing a dual degree/double major and have 6 credit hours in one major and 6 credit hours in another major, can that be counted as a total of 12 degree-pursuant credit hours?
Yes. If you have not completed the degree requirements for either program, you may combine courses from two degree programs to meet the full-time degree-pursuant enrollment requirement as long as you are showing as an admitted, degree-seeking student for both programs.
Limited or No Degree-Pursuant Courses
What if there are not enough degree-pursuant courses available to me to reach the coursework requirements for my West Virginia state aid?
Please note that if you are unable to reach full-time degree-pursuant coursework in any given semester due to limited course offerings, there is a West Virginia state aid appeal process available for some programs. The programs eligible for appeal are the WV Promise Scholarship, the West Virginia Higher Education Grant, the Engineering, Science and Technology Scholarship, and the Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars program. You must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours of degree-pursuant coursework to appeal.
The state appeal usually becomes available in early June for each upcoming aid year. You may visit the Appeal to Waive Full-Time Enrollment Requirement website to access the online form, instructions for submitting, and more details about enrollment requirements for state aid. Please note that your academic advisor will be automatically notified of your appeal submission.
There is currently no appeal process for federal aid that may be affected by the CPoS process. 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 external/private scholarships
- Consider using our monthly payment plan to break your semester balance due into smaller payments instead of one lump sum before the semester begins
- Apply for credit-based private loans
- See our Other Funding Options webpage for additional potential options
What if I do not intend to enroll full-time in degree-pursuant courses?
If you do not intend to enroll full-time for the semester - or do not intend to be full-time in degree-pursuant courses - please submit an online request to the WVU Hub so that your aid eligibility can be reevaluated based on your intended enrollment. The earlier this information is provided, the earlier you can view your actual aid eligibility for the semester and plan for educational expenses.
What if I only need 6 or 9 hours to complete my degree?
An example of this situation would be if you are an undergraduate student who only has your capstone class remaining in order to obtain your degree, so you have 6 degree-pursuant hours - which is half-time at an undergraduate level - and will not have at least 12 degree-pursuant hours to be considered full-time as an undergraduate. Since Title IV federal aid and WV state aid can only pay for degree-pursuant courses, in this scenario, you would not be able to receive any Title IV federal aid or WV state aid that requires full-time enrollment to disburse. However, you could still potentially receive the Federal Pell Grant at a reduced amount, federal loans, or institutional scholarships and grants.
Also, keep in mind that if you are a Promise Scholarship recipient and only need one semester to graduate, you can appeal to receive your Promise through the WV Higher Education Policy Commission for less than full-time enrollment. The administration has also introduced a completion grant for students in this situation, and we can encourage these students to apply.
If you will not be full-time in degree-pursuant courses for the semester:
- Determine the enrollment requirements for your financial aid to see if you have aid that requires full-time enrollment in degree-pursuant courses
- Use that information to figure out what aid programs you have that may be impacted
- If necessary, explore other ways to potentially fund educational expenses
- Submit an online request to the WVU Hub so that your aid eligibility can be reevaluated based on your intended enrollment to give you a better idea of your actual aid eligibility so you can plan for your educational expenses
What if I do not have any degree-pursuant hours for the semester?
If you do not have any degree-pursuant hours for the semester, we are unable to disburse federal or state financial aid. However, if you are an institutional scholarship recipient, institutional scholarships DO NOT require degree-pursuant courses.
Other ways to potentially fund educational expenses:
- Search and apply for external/private scholarships
- Consider using our monthly payment plan to break your semester balance due into smaller payments instead of one lump sum before the semester begins
- Apply for credit-based private loans
- See our Other Funding Options webpage for additional potential options
If I lose aid, is that only for the current semester? Can I get the aid back?
It depends on the financial aid program. For most federal aid programs, a student can continue to be eligible in the future even if they are not eligible in the current semester.
Under the current Promise regulations, a student is no longer eligible for Promise again once they lose eligibility for any reason, including dropping below full-time enrollment. We are working with the state to make changes to these regulations and make exceptions for certain circumstances, and these changes require legislative involvement which could take a while to pass. In the meantime, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission is open to allowing an appeal process in certain circumstances.
Prerequisites, Electives, Minors, Repeated Coursework, and Exceptions
How are prerequisites handled when it comes to degree-pursuant coursework?
If you are taking a prerequisite course that is scribed in DegreeWorks as a requirement for the degree program, then that course can be counted for aid. We are working on concrete definitions at the institutional and state levels to ensure we are capturing which prerequisite courses count as degree-pursuant coursework. We will have more guidance as we near implementation.
Can elective courses count toward my program of study?
If your major has allocated room for free electives, those elective credits will be eligible for federal or state financial aid (i.e. count as degree-pursuant courses). If you enroll in electives in excess of those allowed by the major, the courses will not be considered eligible for federal/state aid. Review your available electives in DegreeWorks.
Do courses required for minors or areas of emphasis count as degree-pursuant?
Minor courses are degree-pursuant only if the minor is required for the student to achieve their degree for their Course Program of Study or if they are taken as required electives in programs that include required electives.
Courses in an area of emphasis will only be considered degree-pursuant if the area of emphasis is specified in the student’s Course Program of Study or if they are taken as required electives in programs that include required electives.
Overall, a course can only count as degree-pursuant if it is a requirement for you to obtain your degree in your program of study.
Are there course exceptions?
In rare circumstances, a dean or department chair for your program of study may authorize an exception to a degree requirement, permitting a course outside of the published degree requirements to count as degree-pursuant. If an exception has been approved, DegreeWorks should reflect that change. Contact your advisor if a course does not appear as expected. Note: Your college must update the course in DegreeWorks and the Banner/STAR system to ensure everything reflects accurately on your student account.
What about D/F repeats? How are those courses impacted by CPoS?
A student may only receive federal and state funding for one repetition of a previously passed course. This is already currently monitored and will continue to be monitored after CPoS implementation.
Study Abroad
How does CPoS affect study abroad?
Study abroad courses may count for federal and state aid if they apply towards outstanding coursework in your officially declared program of study.
Taking Courses at a Different Level
Can graduate courses count as an elective for undergraduate students?
Any graduate courses taken as an undergraduate-level student will stay on an undergraduate transcript. Graduate courses may be counted as degree-pursuant if designated as a course substitution or elective toward undergraduate degree requirements.