The financial aid office at each College in the District - Coastline College, Golden West College, and Orange Coast College - reviews the courses you are enrolled in each term and compares them to your DegreeWorks audit to ensure that they align with your declared program of study.

Q&A

What type of Financial Aid does CPOS impact?

CPOS only applies to Federal Financial Aid (Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Work Study, Direct Loans). It does NOT impact your eligibility for state or institutional financial aid such as Cal Grant, California College Promise Grant (CCPG), College Scholarships.

How and when will I know if I am impacted by CPOS?

Please follow the steps in the document available at the link below to see if a class you are registered for is not counting for federal financial aid.

How to see in Degree Works if a course is not counting for federal financial aid

What should I do if one or more of my courses doesn’t count in my declared program of study?
Contact the financial aid office or meet with an academic counselor at your home college. They can help you explore options such as switching to a required course, dropping the ineligible course, or remaining enrolled in the ineligible course knowing that it will not be covered by federal financial aid. 

What if I remain enrolled in courses that are not in my program of study?

Your federal financial aid will be reduced - you may receive less than you were expecting. 

What if courses that are needed for my declared program of study are added to my Student Educational Plan (SEP)?

Sometimes, courses needed for transfer or degree completion may not show in DegreeWorks. If a counselor lists them in your SEP, the financial aid office can override the system to include them for federal financial aid. These overrides are reviewed weekly and must be in place before financial aid is disbursed.

What if I have transcripts from another college?

Make sure your transcripts are on file and evaluated before the semester starts. Schedule a counseling appointment to review them - this helps ensure that your financial aid will not be negatively impacted.

One Declared Program of Study Across all Three Colleges

Starting with Fall 2025 semester, Coast District Colleges: Coastline College, Golden West College, and Orange Coast College will recognize only one official program of study that you have declared. Previously, students could declare a program of study at each College. This approach created multiple degree/certificate pathways and caused confusion for students who enrolled in classes at another College in the District. It also created duplication of counseling services, transcript evaluations, and financial aid processing delays.

What Does This Mean to You?

  • You can still take classes at any of the three colleges.
  • You will have only one official program of study across all three colleges in the district.
  • If you want to change your program, you will need to meet with a counselor at the college where you plan to complete your degree or certificate.
  • If you receive any form of financial aid, other than the California College Promise Grant (CCPG), your declared program of study must be at the college that gives you your financial aid.

If You Do Not Receive Federal Financial Aid

  • You will still need to declare and can only have one program of study.
  • You can take classes outside your program if you wish, since you are not limited by financial aid rules.