Coursework Required for Your Major FAQs
Your enrollment does affect your eligibility for federal financial aid.
Federal regulations require you to be in an eligible certificate, associate or bachelor's degree to receive financial aid at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City, but the courses you take must also be required for the program. Your enrollment status for financial aid purposes will be based only on the coursework that counts towards your degree (grants, loans, and Federal Work-Study).
How can I determine which courses will count?
To determine if your classes are eligible, check the degree sheet for your major. You can view degree sheets for the current catalog at https://osuokc.edu/catalog/archives. Your academic advisor can also meet with you to map out your program plan. ** Note: be sure to select the catalog year applicable to your admissions record.
Who is my Academic Advisor?
To determine your Academic Advisor, visit https://osuokc.edu/advisement/staff and select the advisor associated with your major.
How will I know if Financial Aid has an issue with my schedule?
If we determine one or more of your courses is not aid eligible, you will receive an email to your student email account. The notification will clearly identify that there is an issue with aid eligibility for a specific semester. You should then visit with your Advisor to determine which course(s) are not applicable to your major then make necessary changes.
What can I do if my classes do not count?
Review your major’s degree sheet to determine what other required course(s) you can enroll in or visit with your Advisor.
Will financial aid pay for courses that do not count?
Awarded financial aid, based on required courses for your major, will apply to your account balance owed when the funds disburses. Your balance could include tuition for a course that is not eligible.
For example: let’s say you have 9 hours and only 6 are eligible; it’s possible for your award to cover the tuition for the eligible hours and have enough excess to pay for the 3 hour course that is not eligible. Always review your awards on your Banner Portal (my.okstate.edu) to see the whole picture.
What about electives, developmental courses, and others?
Electives, developmental (also called remedial or 0-level), and concentration courses all can count as long as they are required for your major.
Will my prerequisite course count?
Prerequisite courses required for your program will be eligible.
How can I inform the Financial Aid Office about course substitutions that are not counting as courses required for my major?
Contact your Advisor. They may need to submit a substitution or advise you to replace the course with another course.
I need courses for admissions to a program, how does that work?
We would encourage you to contact financial aid staff for assistance. We may review your situation for consideration as “preparatory coursework”. Through preparatory coursework, students may be eligible for federal loans only while taking required courses within the approved timeframe.
Please note: You are ineligible for this provision if you are only taking courses for the sole purpose of raising your GPA in order for admissions eligibility to a program.
Am I still able to take courses not required for my degree?
Yes, you can take a course that is not required. Just know that the course will not count toward your financial aid enrollment status.
Will courses count if I am taking them to transfer to a degree at another institution?
No, only courses that count toward your program at OSU-OKC are eligible for student aid.
What if I change my schedule and add a required course?
Once you make an enrollment change, allow two business days for processing then, contact your Financial Aid Counselor for a reevaluation of your eligibility. Contacting us will provide you peace of mind and ensure accuracy within your updated audit and financial aid award.
How will changes to my schedule affect any refund already received?
Depending on when the schedule change occurred, our office may need to re-evaluate your financial aid eligibility. We would encourage you to contact the financial aid office prior to making any schedule changes after a semester begins. Schedule changes could affect the amount awarded or disbursed, causing you to owe a balance.
Am I required to enroll as full-time to receive Federal financial aid?
In most cases, no you do not. An enrollment as half time is required for student loans. It I possible to qualify for financial aid when enrolled as half time, or even less-than-half-time. Below are the minimum enrollment hours for each enrollment status.
Full-time = 12 or more hours
Three-quarter-time = 9 or more hours
Half-time = 6 or more hours,
Less-than-half-time = < 6 hours
Eligibility Examples
If you are Pell Grant eligible and enrolled in 12 credit hours, but only nine are required for your program, you will receive federal aid for only those nine eligible hours.
If you enroll in six credit hours, but only three are required for your program, you will not be eligible for the student loan. You must enroll in a minimum of six eligible hours for Federal Direct loans.
Prepare and register early to ensure your courses will be eligible for federal aid.