Financial Aid Policies
Receiving and maintaining financial aid through Federal Student Aid (FSA) and most state financial aid programs comes with a number of eligibility requirements. The information below will help guide you through what you need to know. If you have questions along the way, the Financial Aid Office is here to assist you.
Financial Aid Eligibility
Understand how your Cost of Attendance (COA), Student Aid Index (SAI), and financial need are determined, and what each number means for your aid offer. Learn how need-based and non-need-based aid differ, and how enrollment can affect what you receive.
Financial Aid Eligibility
Awards and Receiving Aid
Find out how financial aid is awarded, when funds are disbursed, how refunds work, and the policies that may affect your aid throughout the year.
Awards and Receiving AidSatisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Continuing to receive aid requires meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards, including pace of completion, GPA, and maximum timeframe. Review the full policy to see what is required for your program.
Read the SAP PolicyGeneral Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for financial aid, you must meet the following requirements:
Citizenship and Admission
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Have a valid high school diploma or GED, or complete a state-approved home schooling program
- Be admitted into an approved degree or certificate program at FCC
- Be registered with Selective Service, if required
Financial Standing
- Demonstrate financial need by completing the FAFSA
- Be current on any prior federal student loans (not in default)
- Have no outstanding refund owed on a federal grant at any school
Enrollment and Academic Progress
- Be enrolled for at least six credit hours, not including audited courses (some students enrolled in fewer than six credit hours may be eligible for the Pell Grant)
- Attend classes (attendance must be confirmed before Federal Student Aid is disbursed)
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Stay within the 30 credit-hour limit for developmental coursework eligibility
Eligibility requirements for state financial aid from the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) vary by program. Learn more about state grants and scholarships.
Citizenship Requirements
To be eligible for Federal Student Aid (FSA), you must be one of the following:
- A U.S. citizen or national (by birth or naturalization)
- A U.S. permanent resident
- A citizen of the Freely Associated States: the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republics of Palau and the Marshall Islands
- Another eligible noncitizen
A U.S. citizen or U.S. national is a person who was born in the United States or became a citizen by naturalization.
- People born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands are U.S. citizens. People born abroad to parents (or a parent) who are citizens are also citizens, in most cases. The exception is children of foreign diplomatic staff.
- All U.S. citizens are U.S. nationals, but not all nationals are citizens. Natives of American Samoa and Swain's Island are U.S. nationals but not U.S. citizens.
You are generally an eligible non-citizen if you meet one of the following:
- U.S. permanent resident, with a Permanent Resident Card (formerly known as an Alien Registration Receipt Card or "Green Card")
- Conditional permanent resident (I-551C)
- Other eligible non-citizen with an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security showing one of the following designations: "Refugee," "Asylum Granted," "Indefinite Parole," "Humanitarian Parole," or "Cuban-Haitian Entrant"
- Citizen of the Republic of Palau (PW), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (MH), or the Federated States of Micronesia (FM)
You can receive federal student aid as an eligible noncitizen. You must enter your eight or nine-digit Alien Registration Number (ARN) on the FAFSA.
If your citizenship status has changed from an eligible noncitizen to a U.S. citizen, contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) to update your status. If you do not update your citizenship status with the SSA, it could delay processing your student financial aid. Call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or visit the Social Security Administration website.
To qualify for federal student aid, certain eligible noncitizens must be able to provide evidence from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) showing they are in the United States for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
If you have been asked to provide citizenship verification for financial aid purposes, original documentation must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office. If you have trouble obtaining replacement documents, you may use a Form G-639 to request photocopies of original documentation.
Acceptable Documentation by Citizenship Status
Review the documentation requirements based on your specific citizenship status.
Maryland State Aid for Non-Citizens
A Path Forward
If you are not a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, including students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), F1/F2 student visas, J1/J2 exchange visitor visas, or G series visas, you may still be eligible for Maryland State financial aid. Eligibility is determined by completing the MHEC One App.
Learn About Maryland State Financial AidWithdrawing and the Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4)
If you withdraw from FCC after receiving financial aid, you may need to return a portion of those funds to the federal programs that provided them. This is called a Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) calculation.
Withdrawing before completing 60% of the semester means you may need to return the unearned portion of your aid. This applies to both official and unofficial withdrawals. If you stop attending all classes and receive only non-passing grades (F, W, FNA), FCC is required to treat this as a withdrawal.
Your withdrawal date is the date the institution became aware of the student's withdrawal or, in the case of an unofficial withdrawal, the Last Date of Attendance reported by instructors.
If a return is required, funds are returned in this order:
- Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans
- Subsidized Direct Stafford Loans
- Direct PLUS Loans
- Federal Pell Grants
- Federal SEOG
- Federal TEACH Grants
Withdrawing can also affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) completion rate. Reach out to the Financial Aid Office before dropping or withdrawing from any classes. We can walk you through the financial and academic impact before you make a decision.
Contact Us
Student Financial Aid Office
Jefferson Hall (3rd Floor)
[email protected]
301.846.2620
Student Accounts Center
Jefferson Hall (3rd Floor)
[email protected]
301.846.2456
FCC Foundation Office
Annapolis Hall (2nd Floor)
[email protected]
301.846.2438