What is a program of study?

The Department of Education only considers courses counting toward a student's program of study for federal aid eligibility. This is referred to as Course Program of Study (CPoS). A program of study consists of courses required to complete a degree, inclusive of required coursework within the major. These eligible courses count toward the minimum credit hours required for federal aid. 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.

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. Degree Works will also list any non-degree applicible courses that you are registered for under "Other Courses."

If you think a course is applicable to your degree program, but it is not reflected as applicable, 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. If your advisor makes an update for you in Degree Works, the automated review process occurs nightly.

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.

Credit Hour Requirements

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
  • Special Rule for Federal Pell Grant:  12 Hours Undergraduate

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

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
*New Requirements Effective Fall 2026 - Federal Direct loans will be prorated for less than full time enrollment starting fall 2026. For more information about federal aid changes as a result of The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1), please visit our Federal Student Aid Changes page.

How to Ensure Eligibility for the Maximum Federal Aid Offered

It is essential that your major is officially declared and noted in your student record. If you have been planning to declare or change a major, 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 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.

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.

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.

FAQ

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.

You should ensure that your major is correct in AU Access prior to registration for the next term. Students who wish to change their major or pursue a double major should reach out to their academic advisor for guidance.

Requests for major changes and course substitutions are not immediate and require processing time.

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. 

There are no CPoS exceptions for students in their final term.  See the Credit Hour Requirements section above. 

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.