There are regulations that determine if the courses students take can count toward their enrollment standards for Title IV federal aid and TN state aid eligibility and disbursement.
Most students are initially reviewed for financial aid based on anticipated full-time enrollment status. However, as the start of a semester approaches, students who have been offered Title IV federal aid and/or TN state aid must have their financial aid eligibility reevaluated based on their actual enrollment in courses that count for federal and state aid eligibility.
- Determining Federal and State Aid-Eligible Courses
- Degree-Pursuant Courses and Course Program of Study (CPoS)
- Repeated Coursework Standards
Determining Federal and State Aid-Eligible Courses
There are two factors that determine if a course counts toward the enrollment requirements for Title IV federal aid and TN state aid:
- Degree-pursuant courses as part of Course Program of Study (CPoS) requirements AND
- Repeated coursework standards.
Degree-Pursuant Courses and Course Program of Study (CPoS)
Put simply, courses must be required for a student's degree completion - for the program
in which they are actively admitted and degree-seeking - in order for those courses
to count toward their enrollment requirements for Title IV federal aid and TN state aid. Courses for elective minors or concentrations are not considered degree-pursuant
courses unless the minor or concentration is required in order to obtain the degree.
Note: If a student is full-time in degree-pursuant coursework, they may also consider
taking courses required for a minor above that full-time enrollment. For example,
they may be in 12 degree-pursuant hours (full-time for undergraduates), then take
two courses for a minor, putting them at 18 hours of overall enrollment.
CPoS is the required curriculum for awarding a degree, certificate, or other recognized credential. It comprises all coursework, including electives, necessary to complete the primary degree, certificate, or other recognized credential.
Degree-pursuant courses are courses prescribed by the Course Program of Study. Only degree-pursuant courses determine enrollment status for Title IV federal aid and TN state aid.
Courses must also meet repeated coursework standards in order to count as federal and state aid-eligible.
Repeated Coursework Standards
Previously passed courses (grade of D or higher) may only be repeated one time and
continue to be included in determining enrollment status (full-time, half-time, etc.)
for Title IV federal aid and TN state aid eligibility. As such, students repeating previously passed courses for a second time
after receiving a grade of D or higher may experience reduced eligibility for financial
aid.
Repeated courses also affect satisfactory academic progress standards for financial aid eligibility. A repeated course (along with the original attempt) is counted towards maximum attempted hours and completion rate requirements.
Example 1:
Student takes English 101 and earns a “D” = Financial aid disburses for this course (as long as the student is meeting all aid eligibility requirements).- Student takes English 101 again and earns an “F” = Financial aid disburses for this course (as long as the student is meeting all aid eligibility requirements).
- Student takes English 101 again = Since this is the second time the student has repeated this course after receiving a passing grade in the course, the student’s financial aid may be impacted because this course is no longer considered an “aid-eligible” course.
Example 2:
- Student takes Psychology 101 and earns an “F” = Financial aid disburses for this course (as long as the student is meeting all aid eligibility requirements).
- Student takes Psychology 101 again and earns a “D” = Financial aid disburses for this course (as long as the student is meeting all aid eligibility requirements).
- Student takes Psychology 101 again and earns a “D” = Financial aid disburses for this course (as long as the student is meeting all aid eligibility requirements).
- Student takes Psychology 101 again = Since this is the second time the student has repeated this course after receiving a passing grade in the course, the student’s financial aid may be impacted because this course is no longer considered an “aid-eligible” course.