To be eligible for federal financial assistance at Salt Lake Community College, students must be enrolled in an approved degree or certificate program and take only courses included in their chosen program, according to the Federal Student Aid website.
“It’s something that’s been out there for a long time. If the question is ‘why now,’ there wasn’t always a big push to follow this type of regulation,” said Richard Boruszewski, senior director of Financial Aid & Scholarships at SLCC. “But as the years have gone by and schools and the Department of Education have been making sure that the aid is going to people who are following all the rules — the accountability part.”
According to Boruszewski, this rule has existed since 2000. In recent years, the Department of Education and higher education institutions have put greater emphasis on ensuring federal financial aid goes to students who meet the rules, increasing accountability around compliance.
Boruszewski went on to say that the whole idea of financial aid is helping students get a credential or get a degree. But to do that, a student should take classes that are in their program of study.
“So that’s why they wrote into law that we’re only able to get money for classes that are in the program of study,” said Boruszewski.
What if a student changes their major?
Course Program of Study, or CPoS, is a process at SLCC to enforce federal requirements by the U.S. Department of Education, which mandates that only courses in a student’s declared major or minor program will determine that student’s eligibility for federal financial aid.
Boruszewski said that this is a bigger deal with community colleges because of shorter programs like certificates (around 30 credits) and associate degrees (up to 60 credits) offered.
“Associate degrees, they’re tighter in terms of getting through the education [system],” said Boruszewski. “Whereas a bachelor’s at a university, there’s a little more play and they have a lot more electives and they have a minor and all that.”
Boruszewski said if a student wants to change their major, they can do so with no penalty. But they will still be required to pay back the loans under the federal loan repayment guidelines.
Since most majors include a few “fun” elective options, students usually have plenty to choose from, said Verl Long, assistant director of Academic Advising. He said students should still check DegreeWorks or meet with an advisor to ensure those courses are in the CPoS.
“It depends on the degree you’re in,” Long said. “If the degree that you’re in allows for electives that you want to choose, then yeah, you can take some fun classes. But if the degree is specific on what requirements and electives you need to take, then there’s not as much wiggle room there.”
Being informed
Long encouraged students check out the SLCC website for scholarships.
“We got this product called Scholarship Universe, and it’s the scholarship search program that helps match students up with potential scholarships that are out there,” Long said.
If a student wants to take a class that isn’t in the CPoS, Long said that scholarship funds are available to students.
“I have a lot of money in scholarships, free money that doesn’t have anything to do with the federal funds,” Long said. “That if they [students] were taking a class that isn’t covered, maybe they [can] get a scholarship, and they could use that money towards that class.”
For students unsure of course requirements, visit DegreeWorks or contact academic advising.
