Program of Study Requirements

The U.S. Department of Education requires that federal financial aid funds such as grants, loans, and work-study compensation, only apply toward courses that count toward the degree or certificate a student is pursuing. As a result, federal financial aid does not cover classes outside your degree plan (also known as your program of study). To maximize the amount of federal financial aid you can receive, be sure to register only for courses within your program of study/degree plan.

Program of Study FAQs

What is a Program of Study?

A program of study is your degree plan. In other words, these are the courses required to complete the degree you are pursuing within your major. You can review your major and see the courses required in your degree plan through Degree Works, a degree evaluation tool available in the myBLINN student portal.

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How will my financial aid be affected by taking courses that do not apply toward my program of study?

Federal aid may only be paid for eligible courses that count toward your program of study. If you are not enrolled in 12 credit hours in your program of study, your federal aid will be reduced by a pro-rated amount.

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What are the differences between federal aid, state aid, and institutional aid?

Federal aid is generally determined based on the information included in your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and comes from the U.S. Department of Education. Examples include the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Direct Loans, and PLUS loans. Your program of study does impact these awards.

State aid is generally determined based on information included in your FAFSA and comes from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. State aid includes the Texas Equal Opportunity Grant and Texas Public Educational Grant. Your program of study does not impact these awards.

Institutional aid comes from Blinn College or the Blinn College Foundation, and includes Blinn academic, athletic, endowed, and fine arts scholarships. Your program of study does not impact these awards.

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How will I know if I register for courses outside my Program of Study?

Students will be notified by text and at their Blinn email account. Additionally, students can view their courses through Degree Works, a degree evaluation tool available in the myBLINN student portal. In Degree Works, you can see your program of study and the courses that apply toward that degree or certificate.

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What do I do if I am registered for courses not included in my degree plan?

In Degree Works, you can review the courses you have registered for and confirm that they apply toward your degree (please note that courses will not appear in Degree Works until the day after you register). If your listed major is incorrect, students must meet with an academic advisor. Blinn recommends that all students meet with an academic advisor before registering for courses or changing their schedules.

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What is the latest date I can change my major and affect my financial aid for an upcoming term?

• For Fall/Spring semesters, you must change your major by the Day of Record or the Census date of the 16-week term.
• For Summer Terms, your major must be changed by Day of Record or Census Date of the of the classes you are enrolled in.
• The Census Dates can be found on the Academic Calendar.

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How will courses for double majors be treated?

Double majors must officially be declared and reflected in the program of study prior to that term’s day of record (you can find the day of record for each term at www.blinn.edu/calendar). Courses counting toward undeclared majors will not be included in the program of study.

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How will elective courses be treated?

If your program of study has listed specific courses that can count as electives, then only those will be eligible unless an adjustment is made by your academic advisor. If there is no specified list, students can use any course to meet the elective requirement as long as open elective hours exist in the program of study.

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How will developmental courses be treated?

Prerequisite courses are eligible for financial aid for up to 30 credit hours. If you take a prerequisite course and already have completed 30 credit hours in the remedial or prerequisite categories, the course will not be eligible for federal aid.

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How does this affect Texas A&M-Blinn TEAM and Texas AM Engineering at Blinn students?

Blinn is not considered the “home institution” for TEAM and Texas A&M Engineering at Blinn students for financial aid purposes, so they are not impacted by their program of study at Blinn. However, program of study does impact them at Texas A&M.

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How does this affect Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Brenham students?

Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Brenham students must take classes in their Blinn program of study for those credit hours to count toward their financial aid eligibility.

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How does this affect scholarships?

Scholarships do not require your courses to count. However, students with need-based scholarships that are need-based could be adjusted due to the adjustment of their cost of attendance. Other institutional or private scholarships will not be adjusted.

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How does this effect state aid?

State aid and most scholarships do not have program of study requirements. These can be applied to any class regardless of whether it is in your degree plan.

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