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2019 - 2020 FCC Academic Catalog
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2019 - 2020 FCC Academic Catalog
Admission to the College
Admissions Policy and
Procedures
I. Philosophy and Purpose
Frederick Community College (“FCC”or the“College”)
is an open admissions College committed to lifelong
learning, that provides access to postsecondary
education. A student may be admitted to the College
without being admitted to a specific credit or
continuing education program. The College prohibits
discrimination against any person on the basis of age,
ancestry, citizenship status, color, creed, ethnicity,
gender identity and expression, genetic information,
marital status, mental or physical disability, national
origin, race, religious affiliation, sex, sexual orientation,
or veteran status in its activities, admissions,
educational programs and employment.
Admission to the College does not guarantee
admission to all programs of study and courses. A
high school diploma is not required to participate in
credit or continuing education courses or programs.
However, a high school diploma or GED may be
required to qualify for federal financial aid; and, there
may be additional eligibility requirements for credit
degree, certificate, and letter of recognition programs.
Admission to a specific program of study shall be in
accordance with the requirements and procedures
established for the specific program of study as
adopted by the College. Admission to a specific
program of study will be granted based on verifiably
accurate application materials, which may include the
application for admission, academic transcripts, test
data, and other appropriate educational information
or credentials, and/or where required, evidence of
physical exams, background checks or test results.
First-time college students who apply for admission
into degree programs are required to be assessed for
reading, writing, computer literacy, and mathematics
proficiency prior to initial registration. Based on
assessment scores, students will be placed in the
appropriate level of developmental or college-level
mathematics or English course(s).
Admission to the College may be denied or revoked
for those persons whom the College considers to
be a potential danger to the safety, security, and
educational environment of the College. Such
decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis
with individuals being afforded due process, which
includes notification and explanation of the decision
and an opportunity to respond.
II. Definitions for the Purpose of this Policy
and Procedures
The College reserves the right to define
the classification of each student at the
College. The College categorizes students
for the purpose of local, state, and/or federal
reporting requirements and regulations.
A. Application Categories for
Credit Students
Individuals applying to FCC for a credit course or
courses must select one of the following:
1. The category “New” refers to a student who
is attending FCC for the first time, and who
never applied or registered for a credit course
at FCC, except as a Dual Enrollment student.
2. The category “Transfer” refers to a student
who has attended another institution of
higher learning after high school graduation
or equivalency, and who seeks to receive
credit for prior coursework completed at
previous institutions.
3. The category “Re-Admit” refers to a student
who has attended credit courses at FCC
previously, but not within the last two years
(four fall and spring semesters – exclusive of
the summer sessions), who seeks to reenroll.
4. The category “Courses of Interest (Non-
FCC Degree Seeking)” refers to a student
who seeks to take courses listed as credit in
the FCC catalog for personal knowledge or
professional development as opposed to the
fulfillment of FCC degree requirements. A
student can take Courses of Interest at FCC for
personal enrichment or for visiting students
who have the intention to transfer the credits
to another college. The student should
have written authorization from the home
institution to ensure transferability of credits.
Courses of Interest students are not eligible
for Federal Financial Aid.
5. “Dual Enrollment” refers to a current high
school student who seeks to earn College
credit. Dual Enrollment students are not
eligible for Federal Financial Aid.
a. “Open Campus” refers to a high school
student who takes a College course(s)
on College Premises or through the
College Distributed Learning Program.
The course(s) may be during or outside
the regular school day.
b. “High School Based” refers to a high
school student who takes an FCC course
that is taught at their local high school.
6. “Gifted & Talented” refers to a student under
the age of 16 years, who has been identified
as having exceptional academic or fine arts
talent in selected college courses. The student
must be at least 12 years of age and have
completed the seventh grade or equivalent
education. Gifted & Talented students are
not eligible for Federal Financial Aid.
B. Admission Status
1. “Prospective Student” refers to an individual
who has become a part of the College
recruitment database who has been assigned
an FCC student identification number
2. “Applicant” refers to an individual who
has an assigned FCC student identification
number and who has submitted a College
application for credit enrollment.
3. “Registrant” refers to an individual who
has an assigned FCC student identification
number, who has submitted a College
application for credit enrollment or a student
profile for continuing education, and who
has registered for a course or courses.
4. “Student” refers to an individual who
is registered at the College, either full
or part-time, in a credit or continuing
education class or classes who has
either paid or made arrangement for
payment of tuition and/or fees.
5. “Enrolled Student” refers to an individual
who is registered at the College, either
full or part-time, in a credit or continuing
education class or classes, who has
either paid or made arrangements for
payment of tuition and/or fees, and whose
participation in a class has been verified.
C. Credit Level
1. “Full-time Student” refers to a student who
enrolls in coursework of twelve (12) credit
hours or more during the fall or spring
semesters, or who is enrolled for a total of
twelve (12) credit hours cumulatively for the
summer sessions.
2. “Part-time Student”refers to a student who
enrolls in coursework of less than twelve
(12) credit hours during the fall or spring
semesters, or who is enrolled for a total of less
than twelve (12) credits cumulatively for the
summer sessions.
3. “Visiting Student” refers to a student who
is enrolled at another higher education
institution who is taking courses at FCC to
transfer back to their home institution.
D. Program Type
1. “Degree Programs”refer to Career and
Transfer programs that lead to an associate
degree. Degree Programs are generally 60
credits, unless otherwise specified.
2. “Certificate Programs” refer to a sequence
of specific credit courses resulting in a formal
award of completion of up to 36 credits,
unless otherwise specified.
3. “Letter of Recognition” refers to an award for
the completion of a series of specific credit
courses comprised of six to 11 credits.
4. “Industry-Based Certifications” refers to an
independent third-party credential that is
industry-accepted and results from a process
whereby an individual’s knowledge and/or
skill in a particular area is verified against a set
of predetermined standards. Many credit and
continuing education courses and programs
prepare students for industry certifications
that support or enable employment.
5. “Continuing Education”
Continuing Education (CE) includes non-credit
short-term courses, programs, or organized
learning experiences which enhance personal
or professional goals.
a. “Workforce Development Programs”
– Short term non-credit instruction for
entering an occupation, gaining industry-
based certification, or engaging in
professional development.
b. “Personal Enrichment Programs” –
Instructional programs that are designed
to support lifelong learning and personal
interest. Special programs are designed for
people in retirement and for youth.
c. “Youth Programs” – Kids on Campus (KOC)
& Teens on Campus (TOC): These programs
are open to any youth between ages four
through fifteen years of age.
d. “Adult Basic Education Program” –
Programs include basic reading and math
skills, as well as High School completion
programs for adults. High School
completion students must have been
officially withdrawn from the secondary
school system. The High School Diploma
credential is awarded by the State of
Maryland for successful completion of the
GED Test or the National External Diploma
Program.
e. “English as a Second Language (ESL)
Program” – This program is open to
students who are 16 years old or older, who
are non-native English speakers seeking to
improve their language skills. There are three
levels of ESL that include both credit and
continuing education options.
i. “Basic ESL” – Free classes for students
who need to learn basic English for life
and work.
ii. “Targeted ESL” – Fee-based classes for
students who have intermediate or higher
level English proficiency. Courses focus
on specific English skill development, to
include listening, speaking, pronunciation,
reading, writing, and grammar. Courses
are designed to transition students from
basic English to higher level English.
iii. “Academic ESL” – Tuition-based classes
for students with high intermediate
proficiency in English. Courses focus on
developing academic English proficiency
to prepare students for the rigor of
degree programs and/or professional
communication.
6. “Degree plan” refers to the plan that is
developed in consultation with an academic
advisor, required for all new students seeking
a degree. The degree plan does not include
developmental coursework that may be part
of the student’s academic pathway.
7. “College premises”means buildings or
grounds owned, leased, operated, controlled,
supervised, or temporarily used by the
College.
8. “Workdays” means Monday through Friday
and does not include weekends, holidays,
scheduled breaks, or other days the College is
closed.
III. Enrollment Requirements and Steps for
Credit Students
A. Requirements
To comply with the Maryland College and Career
Readiness Act of 2013 and the College Academic
Assessment and Placement Policy and Procedures,
the College requires that:
• Upon entering the College, all new students,
unless otherwise exempted, are required to
complete the prerequisite placement test(s)
for any course(s) in which they intend to
register. However, the College recommends
that all mathematics, reading, writing and skills
placement tests be taken upon entering to
support the development of the degree plan
• Upon entering the College, all new students
who are seeking a degree, must file a degree
plan that is developed in consultation with an
academic advisor.
• Upon reaching 24 credits, all new students must
have completed developmental courses and
the first college-level English and Math courses
required by their degree plan
B. Enrollment Steps for Credit Students
1. Application for Admission – A complete
application for admission is required for
enrollment in credit courses. A student can
apply by completing and submitting an
application for admission either online via
or in-person. Applications
for admission are accepted year round
2. Residency – A student’s legal residence is
determined at the time he/she applies to the
College. The burden of proof of residency
is to be upon the student, and he/she will
be required to certify by signature to the
accuracy of the information provided on the
College application (see Residency Policy and
Procedures).
3. Official Documentation – A student may
need to submit a copy of their high school
and/or college transcript(s), ACT and/or SAT
scores, Advanced Placement scores, military
transcripts, CLEP scores, and/or transcripts
from American Council on Education (ACE)
recognized organizations to receive credit.
4. Placement Assessment – Unless otherwise
exempted, upon entering the College, all
new students are required to complete
the prerequisite placement test(s) for any
course(s) in which they intend to register. A
student who does not achieve the required
assessment scores for reading, writing, or
mathematics must successfully complete
appropriate developmental coursework prior
to entering the specific curriculum.
5. Academic Advising Session – A student is
required to consult with an academic advisor
to assess any developmental requirements,
develop a degree plan, select courses for
registration, and establish the pathway to his/
her academic goal(s).
6. myFCC E-mail Account Activation – A
student will need to activate his/her myFCC
E-mail account by going to the myFCC
Student Portal (
7. Registration for Courses – A student will
need to complete the registration process
by registering for a course(s) in person or
online through PeopleSoft Campus Solutions
).
8. Financial Aid – If seeking financial aid, a
student will need to complete the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
) for the school year they
plan to attend and list FCC in Step 6 of the
FAFSA (School Code 002071).
9. FCC Foundation Scholarships – If seeking
FCC Foundation scholarships, students will
need to apply through the College online
scholarship application system. (https://
10. Payment Process – A student is required to
make payment arrangements and/or pay his/
her bill within the established timeframe, in
order to avoid being dropped from a course
or courses for non-payment. A student who
is receiving financial aid will have his/her
aid credited to his/her account, but will be
responsible for paying any remaining charges.
11. Attendance in Class – A student must attend
class to ensure full academic instruction is
received. Students not attending class may
lose federal financial aid.