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Financial Aid Course Auditor

What is Financial Aid Course Auditor? 

Federal rules require that only courses that satisfy the requirements for a declared program of study (major, second major, minor, dual degree, honors) count toward the credit load for FAFSA-based financial aid. Once you complete the requirements for your primary major, you are not eligible to receive additional FAFSA-based aid. Any changes to your program of study must reflect on your record prior to the start of the term to be considered for aid for that term. Note that any changes to your declared program of study should be declared prior to 90 credits. 

Types of aid affected: Federal, state, and FIU FAFSA-based aid such as: Federal Pell Grant, Direct Loans, Work-Study, Florida State Assistance Grant, Opportunity Grant and other FAFSA-based grants. Merit scholarships and Bright Futures are not affected by the Financial Aid Course Auditor and have separate guidelines (outlined below).

Starting Summer 2026, FIU will use Course Auditor, a tool in your MyFIU portal, to verify that your courses are eligible for financial aid. If you’ve submitted a FAFSA and are in a degree-seeking program, each of the courses you are enrolled in will be marked as: 

  • Eligible – Counts toward your program and can be used to calculate your need-based aid. 
  • Ineligible* – Does not count toward your program or is a repeated course; cannot be used for FAFSA-based aid.  
  • Unknown – Eligibility not determined (for example, if FAFSA isn’t submitted). 

* Courses marked “Ineligible” still count for enrollment, grading, and billing, but they won’t be used to determine need-based aid. 

  • General Rule
    Only courses that satisfy requirements for a declared program are eligible for FAFSA-based aid (federal, state, and FIU). Once you complete the requirements for your primary major, you are not eligible to receive additional FAFSA-based aid. 
  • Program Eligibility
    • Second Major / Minor – Courses are eligible if taken before completing the requirements for your primary major. 
    • Certificate – Courses are not eligible, unless counting toward another eligible program. 
    • Dual Degrees – Courses are eligible until the requirements for one of the two concurrent degrees is completed.  
    • Honors College courses – Courses are eligible. 
    • Graduate School Prerequisites – Courses are not eligible, unless counting toward another eligible program. 
    • Second Bachelor’s – Courses taken toward a second Bachelor’s degree after graduating with a first Bachelor’s degree are only eligible for loans. 
  • Questions about Course Degree Applicability?
    • Log in to your MyFIU Portal and verify that you have officially declared the degree plan(s) you are pursuing. Then review your Panther Degree Audit to ensure you are enrolled in courses that satisfy requirements for your degree plan. If you have questions about your degree requirements, connect with your advisor through the Panther Success Network (PSN).  
    • If you were told a course satisfies a requirement for your declared degree plan and you receive an email that the course is flagged as ineligible for financial aid, you may submit a request for review by clicking the link in the email. Please note that you may not appeal courses marked ineligible due to being repeated the maximum number of times allowed.  
    • Note that courses that satisfy requirements for a certificate and/or pre-requisite courses for graduate school are not aid-eligible, unless they also satisfy a requirement for a different eligible program. 

     

Other Important Information 

  • Bright Futures
    Covers up to 120 attempted credits or 5 years after high school, or until the time that you have completed the requirements for your declared program of study, whichever comes first. Courses for second majors, minors, certificates, Honors, or a second bachelor’s are eligible, as long as you are still within the credit limit or the 5 years after high school. 
  • FIU Merit Scholarships
    Covers up to 120 attempted credits or 4 years toward your first bachelor’s degree (more if your program requires it). Courses for minors, second majors, or certificates are eligible within this limit. For students enrolled in a 4+1 program, FIU Merit Scholarship eligibility ends once you move to graduate status in a 4+1 program. 
  • Graduation & Auto-Application
    • If you do not apply for graduation on your own, you may be automatically applied for graduation once you have completed (or are enrolled in) your final degree requirements. 
    • While you will not be automatically applied for graduation if you still have a declared minor, second major, or certificate in progress; any courses that you take to fulfil these requirements once your primary major requirements have been satisfied will not be eligible for need-based aid. If you are pursuing two bachelor’s degrees, both must be completed before auto-application.  
    • Note that you must declare any intended academic plans prior to 90 credits. Once you have earned 90 credit hours, any changes to your program of study that extend the time required to complete your degree or result in excess credit hours are not permitted without approval from the College Dean and Vice President.    
    • You may appeal to postpone your graduation for one semester, but extensions do not extend FAFSA-based aid. Merit scholarships are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.