Special Circumstances (Professional Judgement and Course of Program Study)

Professional Judgement/Special Circumstances

When there are unusual situations or circumstances that impact your federal student aid eligibility, federal regulations give a financial aid administrator discretion or professional judgment (PJ) on a case-by-case basis, and with adequate documentation, make adjustments to the data elements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form that impact your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to gain a more accurate assessment of your family's ability to contribute to your cost of education. 

The FAFSA requires that students (and parents, if the student is dependent for federal aid purposes) use financial information from two years prior to answer the income section(s) of the FAFSA. Given the time lapse that exists between the requested tax year and the current tax year, income situations can be significantly different. In an effort to help students who experience a significant change in financial situation, professional judgements are permitted.

Unusual Circumstances that Traditionally Merit Review

• Loss of employment
• Substantial change in income
• Change in financial situation due to separation or divorce
• Death of custodial parent
• Death of Spouse for Independent student
• Loss of benefits

Unusual Circumstances that Traditionally Do Not Merit Review

• Student already has an Expected Contribution of 0
• Credit Card debt

If you feel you qualify for a Professional Adjustment, please complete the application below. The Financial Aid Office will contact you if your circumstances qualify for review in accordance with Federal, State, and Institutional guidelines.

Professional Judgement Application

The Financial Aid Office understands that many circumstances impact a family’s ability to contribute to a student’s education. We will assist you to understand your options and determine if any additional aid may be available based on your circumstances. Please note that not all circumstances will be eligible for consideration, and not all appeals will result in additional financial assistance.

Course Program of Study

Federal and state financial aid regulations allow courses that are required to complete a student’s program of study to be included when determining financial aid eligibility.  Courses that are not needed to complete the requirements of a student’s academic program must be excluded when determining financial aid eligibility. Canisius uses a software program to help students understand which courses apply to their program of study.  Degree Works, also known as GriffAudit, is the Canisius degree audit program. GriffAudit specifies if the courses a student registers for (or completes) fulfills a requirement within the student’s program of study.  Course Program of Study (CPoS) allows the financial aid office to retrieve information from each student’s degree audit prior to disbursing aid.  Only courses identified in a student’s GriffAudit as fulfilling a graduation requirement are included when determining the student’s enrollment status.  The amount of financial aid offered can be adjusted, if the number of degree applicable credits reduces them to a part time enrollment status.  

For federal and/or state aid to cover the cost of a course(s) in your major, minor, or other degree requirement, the course must be a graduation requirement, or be necessary to complete the total hours required for your program. For students depending on financial aid to attend Canisius, it is important to understand CPoS, as it could affect your full-time enrollment status, as well as your eligibility for federal, state and institutionally-funded grants, scholarships and loans. Canisius is required to adhere to all federal and state financial aid regulations.

How does this impact Financial Aid?

Courses that do not fulfill degree requirements cannot be counted toward your financial aid enrollment status, eligibility or cost of attendance. Taking courses that are not required to complete your program of study, which includes your officially declared major or minor, could result in you receiving less or no financial aid. All federal, state, and some institutional financial aid, disbursed through the financial aid office are subject to Course Program of Study disbursement rules. Child of Employee/Employee tuition benefit/waiver are a benefit of employment and are not subject to CPoS disbursement rules. Students who do not receive or take any federal or state aid will not be impacted by CPoS.

 Undergrad Examples:

1. An undergraduate student enrolled in 12 credit hours, where only 9 credit hours apply to degree requirements, financial aid will be based on 9 credit hours, but tuition charges will be based on 12 credit hours (full-time/block) tuition enrollment.
2. An undergraduate student enrolled in 9 credit hours, where only 6 credit hours apply to degree requirements, financial aid will be based on 6 credit hours, but tuition charges will be based on 9 credit hours.
3. However, an undergraduate student can be enrolled in 15 credit hours, where only 12 credit hours apply to degree requirements. The student’s financial aid and tuition will still be based upon full time enrollment because of block tuition charges (set rate for full-time undergraduate students taking 12-18 credit hours).

Graduate Examples:

1. If a graduate student is registered for 6 credit hours but only 3 credit hours count, the student would not be eligible for Federal Unsub loans since they do not have at least 4.5 credits or more counting
2. If a graduate student is registered for 9 or more credit hours but only 6 credit hours count, then the student’s financial aid budget will be adjusted to reflect to the courses that do count. This may result in a smaller amount of federal loans offered to the student, which could also mean a smaller refund or no refund at all.

Enrollment Standards

Financial aid programs have varying enrollment requirements. The information below applies specifically in determining financial aid eligibility and cost of attendance for financial aid purposes.

Below are the credit hours, which determine whether a student is less than half-time, half-time, or full-time.

Undergraduate Students:

Graduate Students:

What is considered Financial Aid?

Financial aid includes federal/state need-based scholarships and grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional grants and scholarships, federal loans, student-based employment (Federal Work Study), and military educational benefits from federal, state, governmental agencies, and other third-parties.

Advising Tips/Make Your Courses Count

Do not lose or have your financial aid reduced due to course selections that are not degree applicable. Talk to your Academic Advisor before planning your schedule!

1. Work with your Academic Advisor and Student Success Coach to ensure the appropriate selection of courses.
2. Consult your GriffAudit regularly.
3. Keep your program information up to date by ensuring the proper major(s), minor(s), concentration(s), or program(s) are listed on your degree audit.

FAQ's

What is Course Program of Study (CPoS)?

Course Program of Study is a software tool utilized by institutions of higher education to identify which courses fulfill a student’s graduation requirements.  CPoS uses information from the Degree Works audit program for each financial aid recipient to determine the student’s enrollment level (full-time, half-time, etc.) based solely on courses which are required for a student’s program of study.  Financial aid disbursements are reduced when the CPoS enrollment status is less than the requirement for the financial aid program.  Courses that do not count toward the student’s degree, certificate, or other recognized credential, cannot be used to determine financial aid enrollment status.

Why do my classes have to be required for graduation in order to receive financial aid?

Federal and state regulations require that funding be applied only to those courses that are required for you to graduate. “If a student is enrolled in courses that do not count toward his degree, certificate, or other recognized credential, they cannot be used to determine enrollment status unless they are eligible remedial courses” (Federal Student Aid Handbook, September 2020, page 1-27). 

What types of aid are affected by Course Program of Study disbursement rules?

All federal, state, and some institutional financial aid disbursed through the financial aid office is subject to Course Program of Study disbursement rules. Child of Employee/Employee tuition benefit/waiver are a benefit of employment and not subject to CPoS disbursement rules. Students who do not receive or take any federal or state aid will not be impacted by CPoS.

How will I know if a class counts towards my program of study?

The Canisius Student Information System has a process that will analyze degree audits to determine if the courses the student has registered for will count towards their graduation requirements. Major, minor, concentration and program course requirements will count toward their aid. Free electives may also count towards aid if they fulfill a free elective requirement in the "Free Electives" section of the audit. Courses listed in the "Courses not fulfilling any requirements/excess courses” or “Over the Limit” sections are not eligible for aid.

How does Canisius define "Program of Study"?

A student's program of study includes the degree requirements for a student’s primary degree type as well as additional majors, minors, and concentrations. Degree types include bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, approved certificates, and courses required for initial teaching licensure.

When will the CPoS process be run to identify which courses are eligible for aid?

Email notifications will be distributed from the start of registration through the first week of the start of the new semester known as Add/Drop week. Students who have not adjusted their schedule and still have course(s) not pursuant to their degree, will have their aid adjusted after the Add/Drop period.

Will I be notified if a course I have registered for does not qualify for aid?

Yes. Students are encouraged to consult their GriffAudit when selecting courses for registration, and again after registration has been concluded. Courses that do not count toward graduation requirements will appear near the bottom of your degree audit, in a section labeled “Courses not fulfilling any requirements/excess courses” Any courses that are listed in this section of your GriffAudit will not count toward your financial aid enrollment status.

I want to take a pre-requisite or preparatory course(s) for Graduate school but the course(s) are not needed for my current degree requirements. What can I do?

In a given semester, as long as a student is registered for at least 12 degree applicable credit hours in their current program, up to six additional non-degree applicable credits may be taken without an impact to their financial aid award.  Undergraduate block tuition allows for this because students can take between 12-18 credits at the same tuition rate. This may be a common practice for students designated in a pre-med, pre-vet, or pre-dental program.

The student may also need to provide documentation confirming the coursework is necessary for Graduate school enrollment.

What if I am in a 4+1 Program and will receive both my Bachelors and Masters Degrees at the end of five years? How does this affect my Financial Aid?

Students can only receive federal aid that is relevant for their program. For example: the Pell Grant, SEOG grant and Federal Subsidized loan can only be used towards courses counting for the undergraduate degree. It is highly recommended that students work closely with their Associate Dean and the Financial Aid Office when they plan to take graduate level courses to see how their aid can be impacted.

How does Course Program of Study (CPoS) impact Graduate students?

Unlike full-time Undergraduate students who are charged block tuition, Graduate students are charged based upon the number of credit hours they are registered for. Therefore, Graduate students have their cost of attendance (COA) based-off of courses pursuant to their degree requirements. This can affect how much in federal loans the student will be offered.

What if I'm undecided about my major?

Undecided students and those in an exploratory program will be able to take General Education courses and a limited number of elective courses that will count for their program. As long as the course is fulfilling a requirement in a block other than "Courses not fulfilling any requirements/excess courses" it can be considered for aid eligibility.

What if I change my Major?

Students are encouraged to change their Majors/Minors at the beginning of the semester. If a student changes their Major/Minor in the middle of a semester and some courses are no longer counting towards the new major; federal aid will not be retroactively adjusted as long as the courses were originally counting towards the previous program.

Undergraduate students request changes to their designated major(s) and/or minor(s) by filling out the Major/Minor Declaration Form located on the MyCanisius Portal under the Schedule and Registration heading. Graduate students should contact their Academic Advisor/Program Director to request a change to their program of study.

What if another course is being substituted for a degree required course?

Please have your Academic Advisor or Associate Dean email all degree exceptions and/or substitutions to @email

What happens if I go above 120 credit hours for my Bachelor’s degree?

Going above 120 credit hours is perfectly acceptable. Many students who have multiple majors and/or minor or may have switched their program during their time here may need to take beyond 120 credit hours to complete all degree requirements. In order for an undergraduate student to graduate, they must have a minimum of 120 credit hours completed* (*in addition to satisfying all program requirements).    

More Questions? Contact Us

Questions about Financial Aid

Students have access to their financial aid information through their MyCanisius Portal under Financial Services, View/Accept My Financial Aid. Additional questions or concerns can be emailed to the Student Records & Financial Services Center at @email, or by calling our office at 716-888-2600.

Questions about Graduation/Degree Requirements

1. Students should consistently refer to their GriffAudit to ensure degree requirements are being met.
2. Students with additional degree requirement questions, should contact their Academic Advisor. Your assigned advisor contact information can be found at the top of your degree audit, as well as in your Student Profile.
3. If your advisor is unable to provide you with the information that you require, please contact your Associate Dean.
4. General graduation or degree requirement questions can also be submitted to the Student Records and Financial Services Center at @email, or by calling our office at 716-888-2600.