Aggie One Stop
Source: https://aggieonestop.tamu.edu/financial-aid/apply-for-aid/program-of-study-faq Parent: https://aggieonestop.tamu.edu/financial-aid/types-of-aid/scholarships/undergraduate-scholarships/continuing-student-scholarships
Program of Study FAQ
\
What is a program of study (as defined for financial aid purposes)?
A program of study is the list of courses you must successfully complete in order to be awarded an approved degree or financial aid eligible certificate. You may also see it referred to as a degree plan. A course must count in the evaluation of your degree using the degree evaluation tool to be counted as part of your program of study.
Is financial aid only offered for courses that count toward my degree plan?
It depends on the type of financial aid you are being offered. Federal aid can only be applied to courses in your degree plan. State aid and most scholarships do not have this restriction, so those can be applied to any class, like a KINE 199, regardless of whether it is in your degree plan. Contact Aggie One Stop if you have questions about your aid.
Where can I see my degree evaluation?
- Log in to Howdy
- In the left menu, expand My Record
- SelectDegree Progress
- Click Degree Evaluation
What types of aid are affected by program of study requirements?
Federal financial aid can be paid for courses that count towards the program of study only. These aid programs include: Pell Grant, TEACH Grant, Direct Loans (including PLUS), Federal Work Study and FSEOG. \ \ State aid (e.g.: TEXAS Grant, TPEG, Regents’ Scholarship, etc.) , as well as private/alternative loans, are not subject to the same rules, and can be paid for courses not included on the degree plan. However, these awards could be reduced if your overall cost of attendance is reduced due to courses not counting for federal aid.
How does this affect Cost of Attendance?
The Cost of Attendance is an estimate of what it could cost for you to go to school full time. If you are not enrolled full time, your cost of attendance will be reduced to match your enrollment level, which could require that federal aid and some state aid be reduced. Enrollment status for federal financial aid is based on courses that count only. Visit the Maintaining Eligibility webpage for more information on how enrollment status is calculated based on your enrolled hours.
How are courses not counting in the program of study identified?
Your enrollment is compared to the courses listed in your program of study as published in the University catalog. An automated degree evaluation process runs each night beginning at preregistration and running through the census date (the official 12th class day in the long terms and 4th class day in summer terms). If you make changes to your enrollment, you can expect to see the updated enrollment status information in Howdy the next day.
How will I be notified of courses not counting in my program of study?
You will be notified by email. In addition, you can view your courses using the degree evaluation tool. You can review which courses are counting by logging into Howdy, selecting the Student Profile icon, and navigating to the Schedule tab under the Curriculum and Courses channel. If you have questions about courses included in your program of study, you should contact your Academic Advisor.
How can I fix my class schedule so I am considered to be enrolled full time?
Until the official census date, you may add additional courses that count in order to be considered full time. You may also drop courses that do not count in your program of study and replace them with courses that do.\ \ You can review which courses are counting by logging into Howdy and reviewing your degree evaluation(s).\ \ After the census date, no further adjustments will be made and your enrollment is considered to be frozen for federal financial aid purposes. It is imperative that all changes to the degree evaluation affecting courses that count be made before the census date.
What about courses that will be adjusted and thus become part of a student’s program of study?
In order to count for financial aid, all adjustments for undergraduate students must be submitted in the University Adjustment System (UAS) by your Academic Advisor prior to the census date for that term (official 12th class day, 4th class day for summer). The census deadline applies to graduate and professional students, as well. Graduate students should work with the Graduate School to ensure that any degree plan petitions are submitted prior to census, and professional students should contact their departments.
How are courses needed for completion of minors treated?
Minors must be officially declared and reflected in the degree evaluation prior to the census date (official 12th class day for fall and spring, 4th class day for summer). Courses counting toward undeclared minors will not be included in the program of study.
How are courses needed for double majors treated?
Double majors must be officially declared and reflected in the degree evaluation prior to the census date (official 12th class day, 4th class day for summer ). Courses counting toward undeclared majors will not be included in the program of study.
How are elective courses included in program of study treated?
If a program of study has listed specific courses that can count as electives, then only those will be eligible unless an adjustment is made by your academic advisor. If there is no specified list, then any course will count as long as enough open elective hours exist in your program of study to cover the entire course.
For example, you might have only 2 elective hours remaining in your degree plan and are free to take any course to fulfill those 2 hours, but are taking a 3 credit hour course, that 3 hour course will not count. The degree evaluation process in this case determines that 3 hours is too many for the available slot, and the 3 hour course is listed as not counting in its entirety as a result.
What about capstone courses, internships, honors courses, prerequisites for majors or professional schools?
These courses can only be covered if they are included in your program of study as documented within the degree evaluation tool. This is based on their current program of study at the time of payment up to the census date (12th class day, 4th class day for summer). If they are “extra” courses to get you into a major and not part of your current program of study, then they are not eligible.
How will co-ops be treated?
If you are in a university recognized coop, it will count for financial aid purposes. Your actual enrolled hours that count will be used to determine federal financial aid eligibility.
What about students who are going to change majors (closet majors)?
Only your major for the current semester will be used when evaluating your courses. Courses counting only toward future majors will not count toward your program of study.
How will courses used to earn certificates be treated?
Certain certificate programs and Teacher Certifications (with other limiting factors) are eligible for federal aid. Certificate programs must be approved for federal aid by the US Department of Education. Teacher Certification is a special program that is offered through the School of Education & Human Development and has additional factors that affect students' aid eligibility.
Courses taken for ineligible certificates must also count towards your major or minor in the degree evaluation to be counted for federal financial aid eligibility.
To see the most up-to-date list of certificates and their aid eligibility status, please visit the Office of the Registrar's page about certificate programs.\ \ Please note: only certificates with program codes beginning with CTG or CTU are eligible for financial aid.
What about degree candidates in their last semester?
Only courses that are part of the program of study as documented in the degree evaluation are eligible for federal aid. Your actual enrolled hours that count will be used to determine federal financial aid eligibility.
How will this affect Blinn Team and Texas A&M Engineering at Blinn?
All courses taken at Blinn Bryan will count in your program of study. Courses taken at Texas A&M University must count toward your listed intended major to be included in the program of study.
How will this affect Transitional Academic Programs (General Studies) students?
Courses must count toward your intended major to be included in the program of study.
How will this affect education abroad?
All education abroad courses will count for federal financial aid.
How will this affect Corps of Cadets requirements?
Only courses that are part of the program of study as documented in the degree evaluation are eligible for federal aid.
How are scholarships affected?
Most institutional scholarships and private/outside scholarships are not subject to the program of study requirements.
How will repeated coursework be affected?
A repeated course will count for the program of study evaluation if it is in the program of study as documented by the degree evaluation. However, the course would then also need to pass repeated coursework evaluation to be eligible for federal aid. Visit the Maintaining Eligibility webpage for more information on repeated courses.
Does this affect Satisfactory Academic Progress evaluations?
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is based on total hours taken and not federal aid eligible hours taken. Visit the Maintaining Eligibility webpage for more information on SAP.
How does this affect Athletic Scholarships?
If you are a student athlete, you are required to enroll full-time, unless you are certified to be in final hours before graduation or granted a Progress Toward Degree Waiver. If you have federal aid in your aid package and do not have full-time hours (12 for undergraduates or 9 for graduate students) that count in your program of study, we will reduce your cost of attendance. Aid may be impacted, depending on your aid package and source of funds.
How does this affect Grad students?
Prior to the degree plan being filed, all graduate and upper-level undergraduate courses will count. After a degree plan is filed, only courses counting towards the degree evaluation will count.
How does this affect Professional students?
Only courses that are part of the program of study as documented in the degree evaluation are eligible for federal aid.
Can I, an undergraduate, take a KINE class if it’s not required by my degree?
Yes, but for federal financial aid we will only base your aid on classes that count.
Program of Study FAQ
...