Course Program of Study (CPOS)
and Financial Aid

Course Program of Study

Only the coursework that counts towards a student’s degree at DSCC will be used in determining hours of enrollment for federal and state aid programs, which includes the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Direct Loans, Federal Work-Study, VA, Tennessee Student Assistance Award, TN Promise, TN Reconnect, and Lottery Scholarships.

Program of Study FAQs

What is a program of study (as defined for financial aid purposes)?
A program of study consists of the courses required to complete for an approved degree or certificate at DSCC. The specific courses for a student are identified through a degree evaluation tool called DegreeWorks.

What types of aid are affected by this?
Federal aid (Pell Grant, Direct Loans, Work-Study, and FSEOG), VA funding, and state aid (Tennessee Student Assistance Award, TN Promise, TN Reconnect, and Lottery Scholarships) may only be paid for eligible courses that count towards the program of study.

Which courses count?
To see if your classes are eligible, check your DegreeWorks audit in the MyDSCC Student Quick Links list. DegreeWorks is a great way for you to review your program audit to see required courses and courses remaining to complete your program!

How do I know if I have a financial aid issue with my schedule?
If we determine one or more of your courses is not aid eligible, you will receive an email to your student email account. The notification will clearly identify that there is an issue with aid eligibility for a specific semester. An alert box will also display in your MYDSCC student portal.

What can I do if my classes do not count?
Start early and be familiar with your Degree Works audit, so you can make enrollment adjustments. Your program of study is located on top. Generally, courses not counting will show in the “courses not applied” section of your audit. You can also use the “What If” feature to check other degrees or certificates you may be considering.

What about electives and learning support courses?
Electives can be eligible, provided they are specified for your program and you still need them. Learning support classes will be eligible, as required, up to the maximum 30 credit hour limit.