How to Maintain Federal Financial Aid Eligibility in a Declared Program of Study
Federal and State Regulations require schools to only pay for the cost of courses
in your declared program of study. Federal Financial Aid affected by this regulation
includes Pell, SEOG and Teach grants, Federal Direct Stafford and Plus loans & Work-Study
program and some State programs. Currently this regulation does not apply to privately
funded scholarships. To see what type of financial aid you have, log in to MyMC.
Federal Financial Aid is awarded based on a student’s enrollment status and will be
prorated if the student is taking less than 12 credit hours a semester. When determining enrollment status (see the definition below), the US Department of
Education counts only the hours taken that are in the student’s declared program of
study. Previously passed courses in your declared program of study may be retaken
one time only and still count towards enrollment status.
Enrollment Status Definition:
- Full time status – registered for 12 credits or more in the declared program of study
- Three quarter time status – registered between 9 – 11 credits in the declared program of study
- Half time status – registered between 6 – 8 credits in the declared program of study
- Less than half time status – registered for 5 credits or less in the declared program of study
Frequently Asked Questions
What is my program of study (POS)?
Program of study (POS) is your declared major. To see what your declared POS is, run your degree evaluation by logging into MyMC. Click on the "Registration" link, and then select “Apply for Graduation” icon under “Registration Tools” menu. Click on “Degree Evaluation” link at the bottom of the page. Select the current term and click “Submit”.
How do I change my program of study (POS)?
If you would like to change your Program of Study, complete the Change of Major, Program of Study, Curriculum form (PDF, 
) and turn it into the Office of Admissions and Records.
How do I know what classes are in my program?
Run your degree evaluation by logging into MyMC. Click on the "Registration" link, and then select “Apply for Graduation” icon under “Registration Tools” menu. Click on “Degree Evaluation” link at the bottom of the page. Select the current term and click “Submit”. Click “Generate New Evaluation”. Select the Program by enabling the radio button next to the program, select the current term from the drop-down menu, and Generate Request.
How do I know what type of financial aid I have?
View your financial aid information by logging into MyMC and clicking on “Financial Aid” link on the main menu. Select “View and Accept My Awards” icon under “Financial Aid Tools for Current Recipients” menu. Then select “Award by Aid Year”. Choose the applicable aid year from the “Select Aid Year” drop down and click Submit.
Are developmental courses counted in my enrollment for financial aid?
Yes, up to 30 credit hours of developmental courses may be considered as part of your program of study.
Are American English Language Program (AELP) / ESL courses included in my declared program of study?
Yes, all American English Language Program (AELP) / ESL courses are included in your declared program of study.
My course is required for my program, but it isn’t counting in my enrollment hours. What can I do?
Contact the Advising and Counseling department.
I am enrolled full-time which is required for my scholarship, but not all registered courses are in my declared program of study. Will I still be able to get my scholarship?
It depends, institutional and scholarships from outside organizations do not follow the federal regulation. Some, but not all state scholarships follow the federal regulation. Check with financial aid to see if enrollment for your specific scholarship is limited to your declared program of study.
I am registered for 6 credit hours, of which 3 credit hours are in my declared program of study. Am I eligible for receiving Federal Direct Loans?
No, you must be enrolled for a minimum of 6 credit hours in your declared program of study to qualify for Federal Direct Stafford or Plus loans.
I am required to enroll for electives in my declared program of study. How many of them will federal financial aid pay for?
Federal Financial Aid is limited to the specific number of electives identified in your declared program of study.
I was registered for 9 credit hours of which 6 credit hours are in my declared program of study. I withdrew from the 6 credits that were in my declared program of study. Will my Federal financial aid be affected?
Yes, Federal Financial Aid may be prorated based on the time of withdrawal from the classes in your declared program of study.
Can I still repeat the class that financial aid won’t cover, if I am registered full time with other courses in my declared program of study?
Yes, as long as you are taking a minimum of 12 eligible credit hours in your declared program of study you will be considered full time for financial aid purposes.
I made a D in my class, but my major requires a C. How many times can I retake it and will it be counted towards my enrollment for federal financial aid?
For Federal financial aid purposes, a D is considered passing. You may retake it one time and it will be counted in your enrollment.
What if I withdraw from the class that I previously passed, will that count as my retake?
If you officially withdraw from the class before completing it, then it is not counted as your one retake.
What if I fail the class that I previously passed, will that course count in my enrollment again?
Retaking a previously passed course and failing it will count as your one retake.
How many times can I repeat a failed class?
You can repeat a failed class until you pass it; however, in order to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) you must earn 67% of all classes you attempt and maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA. View our SAP Policy in MyMC (Financial Aid page under Policies and Procedures).