Federal regulations require that federal aid funds are used to pay for courses that apply to a student’s program of study. Courses that apply to a student’s program of study are considered eligible courses for financial aid purposes. Courses that do not apply to a student’s program of study are not considered eligible for financial aid purposes and therefore do not count in the minimum credit hours requirements for federal aid. Taking courses that are not required to complete your degree may result in receiving less or no federal aid.

Credit Hour Requirements

Full Time Enrollment

Full time enrollment of eligible credit hours is required to receive 100% of available aid for the four grants listed in this section. Disbursement amounts are prorated for less than full-time enrollment.

Minimum Number of Eligible Credits Required to Receive 100% of Available Aid:

  • Federal Pell Grant: 12 Hours Undergraduate
  • Federal TEACH Grant:  12 Hours Undergraduate, 9 Hours Graduate
  • Federal Iraq Afghanistan Service Grant:  12 Hours Undergraduate
  • Federal Children of Fallen Heroes Grant:  12 Hours Undergraduate
Half-time Enrollment

At least half-time enrollment of eligible credit hours is required for the following funds.

Minimum Number of Eligible Credits Required:

  • Federal Subsidized Loan: 6 Hours Undergraduate
  • Federal Unsubsidized Loan: 6 Hours Undergraduate, 5 Hours Graduate
  • Federal Parent PLUS Loan: 6 Hours Undergraduate
  • Federal Graduate PLUS Loan: 5 Hours Graduate
  • Federal Supplemental Grant (SEOG): 6 Hours Undergraduate
  • Federal Work Study: 6 Hours Undergraduate, 5 Hours Graduate
9 Hours

At least 9 hours of eligible credit hours is required for the following funds:

Minimum Number of Eligible Credits Required:

  • Health Professions Loan for Pharmacy: 9 Hours Professional Pharmacy
  • Health Professions Loan for Veterinary Medicine: 9 Hours Professional Veterinary Medicine

Note: Course Program of Study does not affect non-federal Institutional aid such as scholarships, fellowships, and fee waivers. All registered hours will continue to count for non-federal aid. At least half time enrollment for undergraduate students is 6 hours, at least half time enrollment for graduate/professional students is 5 hours.

What is a program of study?

A program of study consists of courses required to complete a degree, inclusive of required coursework within the major and minor. The specific courses for a student are listed in the Auburn University Bulletin and identified through our degree evaluation tool – Degree Works.

Do your courses count?

The Department of Education places an important emphasis on federal financial aid rules that may impact the amount of aid you receive. This is referred to as Course Program of Study (CPoS). Courses that are not required for your degree will not count toward your minimum required hours for federal aid. Academic departments determine program requirements and these are listed in the Auburn University Bulletin and entered in the degree evaluation program - Degree Works.

You can view the status of course(s) that count or do not count in Degree Works. Courses listed under “Other Courses” do not apply to your degree program and are not considered eligible for financial aid purposes.

AU Access > My Finances > Course Program of Study: The Course Program of Study tab will display your courses, if any, that are ineligible for federal aid. Please note that waitlisted courses are not evaluated for Course Program of Study until you are actually enrolled in the course.

Note: Your enrollment will be reviewed after registration is open for all students and will continue to be reviewed as courses are dropped and added.

What should you do?

There are a few things you can do to ensure eligibility for the maximum amount of federal aid that you have been offered.

1. Declare your major and minor

It is essential that your major and minor, if applicable, are officially declared and noted in your student record. If you have been planning to declare or change a major or minor, but have not yet done so, you should contact your academic advisor as soon as possible to make the official declaration.

Courses can only be determined to be eligible based on the officially declared major and minor as noted in your student record. These can be viewed in your Academic Profile in AU Access under “Current Program.” Please note that aid recipients must be classified as degree seeking and must be taking courses toward that degree. Certificate programs are not degree programs.

2. Register for the correct courses required for your program

It is important that you discuss your Course Program of Study with your advisor prior to registering each semester. Remember that dropping or not attending your courses can negatively impact your eligibility for current and future aid.

3. Non-federal funding option

If, for whatever reason, your eligible coursework credit hours do not meet the minimum credit hour requirement for your specific federal aid fund(s), you will not be eligible to receive those fund(s). In that case, your option for aid would be a private non-federal loan that in most cases requires a credit-worthy cosigner and in all cases, a credit check.

Frequently Asked Questions

Course Selection

Students receiving federal financial aid may take classes that are not required for their Program of Study. However, they should make sure that they are taking enough eligible credit hours in order to meet the minimum required credit hours to qualify for the federal aid fund(s) that they have been offered in order to maintain eligibility for those fund(s) and make progress towards their degree.

Courses of study vary in the number of elective credits that apply to the degree. If your course of study includes elective credits and you have not already filled those elective credits with other courses, the course will be considered degree applicable. Once you enroll in enough credits for the term in your program of study to meet the minimum requirements for your offered fund(s), you will be eligible for those funds, and you can take additional courses whether they are in your program of study or not.

Students can continue to add courses through the fifth day of class in fall and spring terms and the second day of class in summer terms. See the university academic calendar for specific dates each term. Your enrollment will be reviewed after registration is open for all students and will continue to be reviewed as courses are dropped and added during the designated drop/add period.

Courses previously passed may be repeated and counted towards federal aid eligibility. However, students may repeat a previously passed course only once. In other words, the 3rd attempt at a previously passed course will NOT count toward minimum credit hour requirements for federal aid.

Majors and Minors

You should ensure your major is correct in AU Access and declare your minor, if applicable, prior to registration for the next term. Students who wish to change their major should reach out to their academic advisor for guidance.

NOTE: Requests for major changes and course substitutions are not immediate and require manual updates in the system. Students who wish to change their major should talk to their academic advisor for guidance.

If you wish to add a double major or concurrent degree, contact your academic advisor for assistance prior to registration for the next term.

Double majors or concurrent degrees must be officially declared and reflected in your Degree Works. Courses counting toward undeclared majors will not be included in the program of study. You should confirm with an advisor what courses will apply for a double major or concurrent degree.

Specific Scenarios – Applied to Program, Last Term, Scholarships, Study Abroad

You should go ahead and register for classes that will satisfy degree requirements for the course of study you plan to follow if you are not accepted. Another option is to register for courses that will satisfy requirements for your minor if you plan to pursue a minor.

Students receiving federal aid should plan to have more than one required course remaining for their final term since federal student loans require at least half-time enrollment. Half-time enrollment is 6 hours for undergraduate students and 5 hours for graduate students.

No, institutional aid, including scholarships, is not subject to the same federal regulatory restrictions.

Study abroad courses may count for federal financial aid if they apply towards required coursework in your officially declared program of study.

Troubleshooting

If you think a course should count, but it is not, you should review your degree program in the AU Bulletin to confirm it is a requirement. Then contact your academic advisor if you still have questions.

The automated review process happens nightly. It can only review updates that are reflected on your record. If the updates have been fully processed and your course is determined to be eligible, the alert/flag will be cleared within 2-3 business days of the overnight process.

Course Program of Study requirements will not affect how Satisfactory Academic Progress is calculated. SAP determinations are based on cumulative GPA and credit hours attempted for all courses attempted, not just those courses that are required for degree. Therefore, all attempted credit hours and all course grades will continue to count towards Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) calculations for financial aid recipients.

Specific Scenarios – Applied to Program, Last Term, Scholarships, Study Abroad

That depends on what type of aid that you have. If you have Federal Pell Grant, your Pell disbursement will prorate based on half time enrollment (6-8 hours) as opposed to full time enrollment (12+ hours). If you have a Federal Subsidized, Unsubsidized or if your parent has a Direct PLUS Loan, you will be eligible for those disbursements if you have at least 6 hours of eligible coursework. If applicable, your institutional aid will be based on your total 12 hours.

The answer is no if you are an undergraduate student and yes if you are a graduate student. To receive a federal student loan, you must be enrolled at least half-time in credit hours that apply toward your officially declared program of study – at least half time enrollment for undergraduate students is 6 hours, at least half time enrollment for graduate students is 5 hours.

Financial aid will disburse based on full-time enrollment status. If at least 12 of your credits apply towards outstanding requirements in your officially declared program of study, then you are still considered a full-time student for federal financial aid purposes. If eligible you may receive a full-time Federal Pell Grant and Federal Student Loans. Financial aid will pay for any academic related charges, including the charge for the additional class. However, depending on the amount of your aid and amount of your bill, the financial aid you receive may not be enough to cover all charges, leaving you responsible for paying the remaining balance.

You are not eligible for federal financial aid, but you may pursue a non-federal private loan if you need funding to cover your charges. Please visit the loans section of our site for private/alternative loan information.

It depends on the number of credit hours of your remaining course. If you are an undergraduate, you must have at least 6 hours remaining toward your degree program. If you are a graduate student, you must have at least 5 hours remaining toward your degree program. So it’s not advisable to leave just one course remaining for your final term if you will need federal aid to cover your charges.

Common Reasons for Ineligibility

Reason: Student registers for courses that are not required for the declared program.
Recommended Action: Review your program of study in Degree Works to identify courses required for your degree and adjust your schedule.

Reason: Courses are not required in the student’s catalog year.
Recommended Action: Review your program of study in Degree Works to ensure you are looking at the correct catalog year. Catalog year is based on the term you began in your current major.

Reason: Course was previously repeated and no longer qualifies for aid.
Recommended Action: Adjust your schedule to meet the minimum number of required eligible hours with other courses.

Reason: If the course is already repeated twice, with passing grades, it is not eligible for financial aid.
Recommended Action: Adjust your schedule to meet the minimum number of required eligible hours with other courses.

Reason: Course is an elective and the student already fulfilled all electives.
Recommended Action: Review your program of study in Degree Works to identify courses still needed for your degree and adjust your schedule.

Last updated: 01/12/2024