Course Program of Study
CPOS Overview
In line with regulations established by the U.S. Department of Education, you must be enrolled in a degree program and take courses required for that degree per the Academic Catalog to receive federal or state financial aid, such as Pell Grants, Federal Student Loans, TN HOPE Scholarship, TSAA, Federal Work-Study, and others.
The University uses the Course Program of Study (CPOS) process to track which courses count toward your degree. This enables the University to determine financial aid eligibility and ensure you are on track to graduate. If you take courses that are not a part of the required curriculum outlined in the Academic Catalog, financial aid will be adjusted, which could lead to a reduction or cancellation of your financial aid.
Maintain CPOS
Some types of financial aid have specific enrollment requirements, semester/term restrictions, and CPOS requirements. The University recommends you carefully review requirements outlined for your specific financial aid awards to ensure you meet all requirements to receive your specific financial aid awards.
Find Your Financial Aid Awards
Fall, Winter Mini-Term, and Spring Semesters
Full-time Enrollment: To remain eligible for full-time federal and state financial aid, you must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours specific to your degree program each semester. If you enroll in fewer than 12 credit hours specific to your degree program each semester, your federal and state financial aid will be adjusted based on the remaining number of qualifying credit hours within your degree program for that semester.
Part-time Enrollment: To remain eligible for part-time federal and state financial aid, you must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours specific to your degree program each semester. If you enroll in fewer than 6 credit hours specific to your degree program each semester, your federal and state financial aid will be adjusted based on the remaining number of qualifying credit hours within your degree program for that semester.
May Mini-Term and Summer Terms
If you are enrolled in the Summer term, you may be eligible for financial aid; however, summer aid is determined differently than aid for fall and spring semesters. Summer financial aid awards are typically limited to the remaining funds from the current academic year (fall and spring semesters), so the available summer award amount may differ from the award amounts for fall and spring semesters. Once the available award amount has been calculated, you will be awarded financial aid based on enrollment and CPOS requirements specific to your financial aid awards.
Need help with financial planning? The Center for Financial Wellness is here to help!
The Center for Financial Wellness (CFW) is here to help you understand your scholarship retention requirements, develop a loan repayment plan, and create a financial aid budget to ensure you can take the classes you need to graduate.
Make Sure Your Courses Count
Before you register for courses, we recommend you meet with your academic advisor and review your DARS Report to ensure you are registering for courses that are required for your degree program per the Academic Catalog. If you have already registered for courses, you can verify your schedule meets CPOS requirements by completing a CPOS Evaluation.
Locate CPOS Eligible Courses
The Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) in MyUTK can help you find courses that are required for your degree program per the Academic Catalog. Check out Undergraduate Advising’s step-by-step guide for accessing your DARS report. If you are a graduate student, contact your academic advisor to identify courses required for your degree program.
Review Schedule for CPOS Eligibility
Once you have registered for courses, you can double-check your course schedule’s CPOS-eligibility by using the CPOS Evaluation tool in MyUTK.
- Log in to MyUTK
- Locate the “My Resources” tab
- Click “CPOS Evaluation”
- Select the semester/term schedule you would like to evaluate
- Follow on-screen prompts to determine CPOS Eligibility
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I need to change my course schedule?
Your enrollment will be checked each semester when financial aid is disbursed and immediately following the end of the add/drop period. Any changes to your schedule after the census date (14 days after the start of the semester/term) will not impact aid eligibility.
Can I appeal to have a non-qualifying course considered for financial aid eligibility?
UT’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships does not review appeals on individual courses. Please talk to your academic advisor and ask if the course can be added as a qualified course within your degree program.
What if I haven’t declared a major yet?
Students that have not declared a major must do so by the completion of 60 credit hours to remain eligible for federal and state financial aid.
What if I want to change my major?
If you’re considering changing your major or adding additional degree programs, it is important you discuss updates with your academic advisor to better understand how this may affect your eligibility for federal and state financial aid.
What if it’s my last semester and I need fewer than 12 credit hours?
Your federal and state financial aid eligibility will be calculated based on the remaining number of CPOS eligible course you must take to graduate.
If all CPOS-eligible courses for my major are full, can I substitute a course to ensure I qualify for my financial aid?
Contact your academic advisor to see if a different course can be substituted for the unavailable CPOS-eligible course.
I have to retake a course in my major. Will the course still meet CPOS requirements?
If the course requirement has not been fulfilled, the course will continue to be CPOS eligible until you pass the course and/or retake a course with a passing grade for one additional attempt.
What if I am studying abroad?
To remain eligible for federal and state financial aid, any courses you take while abroad must meet your degree requirements or electives.
I’m in ROTC. How will this affect me?
ROTC courses are considered electives and must fall within the allowable electives for your degree program or be taken alongside the required number of CPOS-eligible credit hours.
Do CPOS requirements affect VA benefits?
VA benefits are subject to their own rules and do not fall under CPOS requirements. Contact the Veterans Success Center if you have questions regarding course eligibility.
How do CPOS requirements affect transfer students with 60+ credit hours?
If you are transferring to UT with 60+ credit hours and are receiving federal and state financial aid, you must declare your major and enroll in the required number of CPOS-eligible credits upon transferring to UT.
I’m an undergraduate taking graduate classes. Will these classes be considered CPOS-eligible?
If you are an undergraduate student in a five-year concentration that requires graduate-level courses for graduation, the graduate-level courses will be considered CPOS-eligible. If the graduate-level courses are not part of your degree program, they are not considered CPOS-eligible.