Course Program of Study (CPOS)

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Course Program of Study (CPOS) is a federal regulation that requires your federal financial aid to only pay for courses that apply toward your officially declared degree, certificate or transfer program. Beginning in Fall 2026, the Financial Aid Office will review all courses you are enrolled in each term to determine if they align with your declared program of study and adjust your financial aid eligible course load and financial aid award.

Information Session Recording

The Financial Aid Office with be conducting multiple virtual information sessions regarding CPOS for students to attend. Those session dates will be posted on the Financial Aid Workshop page. If you cannot attend one or if you would like to re-review the information, a video recording of the session is available here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Course Program of Study (CPOS)

Course Program of Study (CPOS) is a federal financial aid regulation that mandates that, to be eligible for federal financial aid, the classes you register for must apply toward completing your declared LBCC degree, certificate, or transfer program (AA, AS, AA-T, AS-T, or eligible certificate).

Federal financial aid can only pay for courses that are required for your program according to the LBCC catalog and your Student Educational Plan (SEP).

Thumbnail of What is Course Program of Study (CPoS)?

Why is LBCC required to follow CPOS rules?

The U.S. Department of Education requires all colleges receiving federal financial aid to only fund courses that help students complete their program.

LBCC must review your schedule every term before financial aid is finalized.

What financial aid programs are affected?

CPOS only applies to the following Federal Financial Aid Programs, including:

  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • Federal Direct Loans (Subsidized & Unsubsidized)
  • Federal Work-Study

It does NOT impact your eligibility for state or institutional financial aid such as Cal Grant, Student Success Completion Grant (SSCG), California College Promise Grant (CCPG), Long Beach College Promise (LBCP), Viking Advantage (VA) or LBCC Scholarships.

How does CPOS affect my financial aid amount?

Your financial aid is based on the enrollment intensity of eligible units, not the total units you enrolled in. Enrollment intensity is defined as the percentage of full-time enrollment a student is taking of financial aid eligible units. Enrollment intensity is calculated by dividing the number of eligible units a student is taking by the full-time enrollment credit hours (12 hours at LBCC) and multiplying by 100%.

For example, a student enrolled in 12 units of which only 9 are deemed eligible for financial aid, will have an enrollment intensity of 75% (9 eligible units/12 units for full time status).

If the classes do not apply to your major, those units will not be counted toward your Federal Financial Aid.

What happens if I take a class that is not part of my major?

You can still take the class, but:

  • It will not be eligible for Federal Financial Aid, but will remain eligible to be covered by the California College Promise Grant/Long Beach College Promise/Viking Advantage, if eligible
  • Your Federal Financial Aid may be reduced.

Can students still take any class they want?

Yes, you can register and take any course you choose. However, for those courses to count toward federal financial aid calculations, they must be required for your major/educational goal.

Do electives count?

Yes — but only if they are listed as allowable electives in your program requirements in the LBCC catalog or your Student Educational Plan.

For example, if your degree requires a “Humanities Elective,” Art History might count. A random course outside the elective category will not.

How will students know if a class is eligible for Federal Financial Aid?

Students that register for courses for a term and have applied for financial aid through the FAFSA will have their courses evaluated by HighPoint Course Auditor based on their declared program of study with Admissions and Records the evening they register for any course. The student will receive a email notification after this process has been run indicating whether their courses are eligible for Federal Financial Aid or not. Also, this information will be available in their Viking Student Portal in the Campus Solutions, Financial Aid Self-Service, Course Eligibility page.

What is a Student Educational Plan (SEP) and why is it important?

Your SEP is your official roadmap to graduation created with an LBCC counselor.
Financial Aid uses your SEP and declared major to determine which courses are eligible.

Students without an SEP are at higher risk of registering for ineligible courses.

I’m undecided. Can I still receive financial aid?

To receive most federal and state aid at LBCC, you must declare an eligible major or certificate program.

Undeclared, non-degree, or “personal interest” enrollment is not eligible for federal financial aid.

I changed my major. What happens now?

After you change your major with Admissions and Records, only courses required for your new major will be deemed financial aid eligible. Some of your currently enrolled courses may no longer be eligible and will result in your financial aid being recalculated.

You should always meet with a counselor and financial aid before changing your major to determine if changing your major will effect your financial aid eligibility.

What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?

SAP is a federally mandated financial aid requirement that requires all financial aid recipients meet the following minimum progress standards:

  • Minimum GPA (2.0)
  • Successful Completion rate (67% of attempted units)
  • Maximum timeframe (150% of your program units)

Taking classes not required for your program can hurt your completion rate and Maximum timeframe, and can lead to financial aid disqualification.

Will repeated classes count?

In certain cases, financial aid can pay for repeating a failed course (if eligible for repeat)

Financial aid cannot pay for repeating a course you already passed more than once.

Do waitlisted, audit, or noncredit classes count?

No. These are not financial aid eligible:

  • Audit classes
  • Noncredit courses
  • Waitlisted courses (until officially enrolled)
  • Courses outside your major

What about prerequisite classes?

Prerequisite courses may count only if they are required for entry into a required course within your LBCC program.

Some cases may require counselor verification. Please speak with your counselor and financial aid if you have questions.

What if I drop a class?

Dropping a financial aid eligible course during the semester can result in a recalculation of your financial aid award to determine if you still qualify for federal grants and loans.

Always contact the Financial Aid Office before dropping a class.

Can a student appeal the financial aid eligibility determination?

Yes, if a student feels a course is required for their program, they can appeal the decision. 

Students can go to our Financial Aid Appeals page to learn about their appeal options and how to complete the process to appeal their CPOS determination. Please note a Comprehensive Student Educational Plan created with a Counselor will be required to complete the CPOS Appeal.