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2019 - 2020 FCC Academic Catalog
40 • 301.846.2400 • 301.846.2400 41
2019 - 2020 FCC Academic Catalog
Frederick Community College works to ensure that
all students have equal access to financial assistance
that will help them attend college. FCC participates in
a wide range of federal, state, and local financial aid
programs that includes grants, loans, employment,
and scholarships (see chart, page 44).
The Financial Aid office calculates financial aid
eligibility based on the number of required credits
the student is enrolled in on the census date. The
census date is the day after the 50% refund period
for the 15 week session.
Eligibility Criteria
Financial Need–Financial need is the difference
between educational expenses (the Cost of
Attendance – see chart to the bottom right) at
FCC and the amount students and/or their families
can be expected to pay. The College uses the
Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) from the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the
Cost of Attendance to determine the amount of
financial need.
Citizenship–Students must be a U.S. Citizen or
an eligible non U.S. Citizen. You are considered an
"eligible noncitizen" if you are a U.S. national; U.S.
permanent resident with a Form I-551, I-151, or
I-551C (referred to as a "green card"; you have an
Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from U.S. Citizen and
Immigration Services showing Refugee, Asylum
Granted, Cuban-Haitian Entrant, Conditional Entrant
(prior to April 1, 1980) or Parolee.
Academic Program–Students must be enrolled
in or accepted for enrollment in a state-approved
degree or certificate program. Students can only
receive financial aid for courses that are required
for the selected degree or certificate program.
Some financial aid awards have different minimum
enrollments.
Enrollment Status–Awards are adjusted for
full-time (at least 12 credit hours), three-quarter-
time (9-11 credit hours), or half-time (6-8 hours)
enrollment after the refund period. Students with
exceptional need may qualify for certain aid at
less than half time enrollment (1-5 credit hours).
Students may receive financial aid for developmental
classes, and these courses will be considered
in determining a student’s enrollment status.
(See the academic schedule for the credit hour
equivalent assigned to developmental classes.)
High School Diploma/GED–Effective July 1,
2012, federal financial aid applicants must have a
high school diploma or GED, or have completed an
approved home school program.
How to Apply for
Financial Aid
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA) each year that you plan to attend college.
This form is completed online at www.fafsa.gov.
The school code for Frederick Community College is
002071 and must be listed on the FAFSA to process
student applicant data.
Reapplying: Students must reapply each academic
year to continue receiving financial aid. Each year’s
information is based on the prior-prior year’s federal
tax return and/or income information.
Verification
Some students are selected to provide verification
documentation of information submitted on the
FAFSA. Students whose applications are selected
for verification must provide copies of requested
information in order for financial aid to be awarded.
When to Apply/Reapply
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
is available October 1 each year. It is recommend that
the student complete the FAFSA as soon as possible
after October 1.
The general deadline for Maryland State Scholarships
is March 1, but there are varying deadlines for certain
awards. Visit for futher details.
A student must complete the FAFSA form prior to
March 1 to be eligible for State Scholarships. Students
who miss this priority deadline should still file a
FAFSA as soon as possible after March 1, but they may
only be considered for federal and institutional aid.
To have your financial aid application processed prior
to the tuition bill due date students must complete
the FAFSA and submit all requested documentation
to the FCC financial aid office at least 30 days prior to
payment due date.
Applications submitted after these dates will be
processed as quickly as possible, but financial
aid awards may not be processed in time for the
payment due date.
Transfer Students
Mid-year transfer students planning to attend FCC in
the spring semester who received a Pell Grant in the
fall semester must add Frederick Community College
on their FAFSA. Check with the financial aid office to
find out what additional documents are required.
Transfer students who have a Direct Student Loan
at another college in the fall semester and plan to
attend FCC the following spring semester must
cancel the loan at the prior college and reapply
through FCC. Official academic transcripts should
also be sent to FCC for credit evaluation from any
previously attended institutions.
Recipients of a Maryland State Scholarship from the
Maryland Higher Education Commission, Office of
Student Financial Assistance, should log on to their
MDCAPS account and update their enrollment to
"Full Time" at FCC and "Not Enrolled" at their prior
institution.
Students should have prior coursework evaluated for
possible transfer credit.
Financial Aid Eligibility:
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Federal regulations require that students make
satisfactory progress toward completion of a degree
or certificate to receive financial aid. Students must
attend their classes, complete all classes in which
they enroll, and obtain passing grades (usually a ‘C’
or better). Students must successfully complete a
minimum percentage of credit hours each semester.
Withdrawing from a class after the semester has
begun can affect current financial aid and future
eligibility. A description of satisfactory progress
requirements is available in the financial aid office.
Students must meet the following completion rate
and minimum grade point averages (all coursework
on the transcript is included, not just the semester(s)
financial aid is received
Total Credits
Attempted
Minimum
Cumulative
GPA
Completion
Rate (of total
attempted)
0-15 2.00 50%
16-45 2.50 67%
46 & above 2.75 67%
Note: This is for AAT Degrees only. For all other programs,
a 2.00 GPA is required. Completion rate is the same
for AAT and other degree/eligible certificates.
Financial aid recipients are required to attend
classes on a regular basis. Failure to attend classes
can result in a reduction or cancellation of financial
aid awards. Financial aid is canceled for classes
a student is enrolled in but never attends. A
student cannot receive financial aid for courses
that are audited or courses that are repeated more
than once for a higher grade. The financial aid
Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards is also
posted on financial aid webpage.
Financial Aid Typical Expenses used to
Determine Financial Need
The following estimated budgets are used when
calculating the need of average full-time in-county
students (14 credits per semester) for the full
academic year. Budgets for other categories of
students can be obtained from the financial aid office.
2018–2019 Living at
Home
Living Away
from Home
Estimated Tuition
& Fees
$4,164 $4,164
Books & Supplies 1,600 1,600
Room & Board 4,050 8,100
Transportation 1,800 1,800
Personal 1,800 1,800
Total $13,414 $17,464
Financial Aid
Appeals Process
Students who feel that their financial aid application
was not given proper consideration or who have
been suspended from financial aid eligibility due to
lack of satisfactory academic progress may appeal
the decision. The appeal form must be submitted to
the Financial Aid Office. All appeals are reviewed
by a financial aid committee.
Veteran and Military
Services
The Frederick Community College Veteran and
Military Services offers academic and support services
for Veterans enrolling into classes at FCC. We strive
to provide a respectful and inclusive link for our
returning veterans to become successful in civilian
and college life. Our focus is on wellness and helping
guide veterans to adapt the skills they developed
from military training and combat experience to the
classroom. We provide a“One-Stop-Shop”where
veterans and families can get all needed information
and assistance in one place.
Department Overview
Frederick Community College (FCC) is approved
by the Maryland Higher Education Commission
(MHEC) for the training of eligible veterans, their
dependents, and active duty personnel. FCC may
certify enrollment to the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) for approved programs of study.
All veterans except for Chapter 31 and Post 9/11
Chapter 33 are responsible for paying tuition and fees
by specified deadlines.
If you are unsure which type of VA education benefit
you qualify for, you may contact the VA Call Center
by phone at 1.888.442.4551 or visit the VA website
at www.gibill.va.gov. You will need to provide your
social security number (or that of your sponsor, if
applying for benefits under a parent or spouse) when
you make the call.
If you have a question about Go Army Ed/Tuition
Assistance, National Guard Waiver, or MyCAA, please
contact the Welcome Desk at 301.846.2431 for the
appropriate procedure.
Applying for Veterans Education Benefits
To apply for education benefits at FCC, students
must first apply for admission to FCC, choose an
approved program, and complete the Veterans Online
Application (VONAPP). If students attended any
other institution prior to FCC, they should review the
Transfer Student requirements (below).
The student should then schedule an appointment
with a Veteran and Military Services advisor by calling
301.624.2836 or by stopping by A109.
The VA will only pay for courses required by the
student’s current approved program of study. Please
refer to the college catalog for courses required under
each program. If the student enrolls in non-approved
courses, he/she is responsible for payment of the
tuition and fees on their own.
• The VA does not currently pay for any continuing
education courses or Federal Emergency
Management (FEMA) courses at FCC.
• The VA also does not pay for audited courses.
• The VA does pay for a repeated course IF the
student received an unsuccessful grade on the
previous attempt and the repeat is required for
graduation from FCC.
• The VA does pay for courses designated as
remedial, online, practicum, clinical, independent
study, and internship/externship.
If a student ceases attendance in a course, does not
officially withdraw and receives a failing grade, the
student may be required to repay some or all of the
education benefits that he/she received for that
course.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs requires that
students who receive VA educational benefits must
meet the standards of satisfactory progress as defined
by the college. Students who fail to make satisfactory
academic progress may lose their approval to receive
VA educational benefits.
A student who must withdraw due to mitigating
circumstances should contact the FCC VA Certifying
Official immediately. The student shall be responsible
for any charges that the VA does not cover.
Students receiving education benefits through
Chapter 30, 1606 or 1607 will not receive their
monthly payment until they have certified their
enrollment via Web Automated Verification of
Enrollment (WAVE). This must be done monthly.
Transfer Students
Students who have attended other institutions
of higher education prior to attending FCC must
complete the following steps.
• Apply for admission to FCC.
• Choose an approved program of study.
• Have official copies of all prior college transcripts
submitted to the Welcome Desk for evaluation.
• Schedule an appointment with a Veteran and
Military Services advisor by calling 301.624.2836 or
stopping by A109.
• Complete the VA Student Questionnaire.
• Completed VA Form 22-1995 or VA Form 22-5495.
• Register for classes.
Guest Students
Students who are attending FCC as their host
institution to obtain credit for a degree program at
their primary institution must complete the following
steps.
• Apply for admission to FCC.
• Complete the Guest Student Declaration
of Intent.
• Schedule an appointment with a Veteran and
Military Services advisor by calling 301.624.2836 or
stopping by A109.
Evaluation of Military Credit
All veterans must have their official military transcripts
submitted to the Welcome Desk for evaluation of
transferable credit. FCC will accept up to 45 credits
in military and other transfer credit toward an FCC
program of study. Links to the branches of service
transcript request procedures can be found at www.
Education Benefit Chapters
• Chapter 30 – Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty)
• Chapter 31 – Vocational Rehabilitation
• Chapter 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill
• Chapter 35 – Survivors’ and Dependents’
Educational Assistance Program (DEA)
• Chapter 1606 – Montgomery GI Bill
(Selected Reserve)