The financial aid office audits courses a student is enrolled in for the current term against what a student has to complete in their program as shown on the myCuesta pathway worksheet for their specific degree. 

 

Q&A

What type of Financial Aid does CPOS impact?
CPOS only applies to Federal Financial Aid (e.g. Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, Direct Loans, PLUS Loans, etc.). It does NOT impact eligibility for state or institutional financial aid (e.g., Cal Grant, CCPG, Cuesta Scholarships etc).

How and when will I know if I am impacted by CPOS?
You will receive an email within 3 days of registering if you have a course that does not count in your program. You will receive an email every 10 days as long as you remain enrolled in a course that is not counting in your program. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, send a message to finaid@cuesta.edu.  

What should I do if I’ve been notified that one or more of my courses doesn’t count in my program of study (declared major/minor)?
You should review your myCuesta pathway to see what classes are not counting in your program. Contact the financial aid office or consult with an academic counselor to consider an appropriate course of action (adding a required course, dropping the ineligible course, or remaining enrolled in the ineligible course). 

What if I remain enrolled in courses that are not in my program of study and are not listed on my CSEP?                          Your Federal aid will be affected and you may recieve less than you were expecting. 

Can classes get added to my CSEP so I can be in 12 units and considered full time for financial aid?                                       No, only classes that count in your program can be added. If you are not full time for federal aid, you may recieve other aid that is not affected (e.g., Cal Grant, CCPG, Cuesta Scholarships etc).

What if courses that are needed for my degree are added to my CSEP?                                                                                             On occasion there are courses a student's needs to take for transfer or degree completion and a counselor will list these on a comprehensive education plan (CSEP). The financial aid office will then make overrides on a student's account so the courses will count as eligible/needed. The financial aid office will review this information on a weekly basis. Courses would need to be added prior to the Financial Aid freeze date.

What happens if I change my major after the freeze date?

You may not recieve any additional aid for the term, because your classes may not count towards your program. If you have recieve all of your aid for the term, you may be subject to R2T4.    

What if I have transcripts from another college?

You should make sure they are on file and evaluated by having a counseling appointment prior to the semester starting to make sure your aid is not effected.