Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Students receiving financial aid at Frederick Community College (FCC) must make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward an eligible program of study, a degree or certificate, to remain eligible for financial aid within a specified timeframe. This requirement applies to both federal and state aid. This page explains the standards you need to meet, how your progress is reviewed, and what to do if you fall short. This policy is effective as of December 10, 2025.

Progress Reviews

SAP status is generally reviewed once a year, after the Spring semester, with the exception of individuals on an academic plan and students in certificate programs designed to be completed in one year or less, which are reviewed at the end of each semester.

If you return to FCC after time away and were not enrolled during the most recent Spring semester, your SAP review happens when we receive your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or MHEC One App. The review is based on your performance through your most recently completed semester.

Three measures are evaluated: Pace of Completion, GPA, and Maximum Timeframe. Students who do not meet all three are placed in financial aid suspended status.

What We Measure

FCC evaluates your academic progress using three measures. Select each tab to learn how each measure works and what you need to meet the standard.

Pace of Completion

Pace of Completion is calculated by dividing your total completed credit hours (including credit, accepted transfer, and developmental hours) by your total attempted credit hours.

Pace is rounded for SAP purposes. A Pace of 66.5% or higher rounds up to 67%. A Pace of 66.4% or lower rounds down to 66%. The Financial Aid GPA calculation is not rounded.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

You must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average based on the total credits you have attempted at FCC. Both your Pace of Completion and your Financial Aid Cumulative GPA must meet the minimums in the tables below.

Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.) Degree Requirements

To earn an A.A.T. degree, you must achieve a minimum 2.750 cumulative GPA as described in the college catalog. Federal regulations require SAP standards to be at least as strict as the academic policy, so A.A.T. students must meet the following:

Total Credits Attempted	Minimum Cumulative GPA	Minimum Pace of Completion
0 - 15	2.000	50%
16 - 45	2.500	67%
46 or more	2.750	67%

All Other Eligible Associate Degrees and Certificate Programs

Total Credits Attempted	Minimum Cumulative GPA	Minimum Pace of Completion
0 - 15	2.000	50%
16 and above	2.000	67%

Maximum Timeframe

Maximum Timeframe is 150% of your program's published length, expressed in attempted credit hours. The review includes all attempted credit coursework at FCC plus any transfer credits accepted toward your current program. When you can no longer complete your program within 150% of its published length, you have reached Maximum Timeframe.

Example

A General Studies A.A. degree requires 60 credits. 60 x 150% = 90 credits maximum.

Meets SAP: A student has attempted 80 credits and needs 6 more to graduate. 80 + 6 = 86, which is less than 90. This student has not reached Maximum Timeframe and remains eligible for aid.
Does not meet SAP: The same student has attempted 80 credits but needs 12 more. 80 + 12 = 92, which is greater than 90. This student cannot complete their program within Maximum Timeframe and is not eligible for aid.

Grades and SAP Calculations

Different grade types affect your SAP status in different ways. Review the tabs below to understand how grades, repeated courses, and other factors are calculated.

Overview

Attempted credits include developmental and English as a Second Language (ESL) courses.

Accepted transfer credits count as both attempted and successfully completed. (Courses dropped during the 100% refund period are not considered.) For SAP, a grade of "D" in any college-level course is considered successful completion, even if your program of study requires a "C" or better. Students on financial aid probation may need to meet a higher standard if specified on their Individual College Academic Plan (ICAP).

Developmental credits are not included in the GPA calculation but are considered as a qualitative measure. Grades of "D" and lower are not considered successful completion of developmental coursework.

Prior Enrollment at FCC If you attended FCC before applying for financial aid, including as an Open Campus or Dual Enrollment student, all prior coursework is included in your GPA, Pace, and Maximum Timeframe calculations.

SAP Calculations

Grade	Evaluation	Included in SAP Pace Calculation	Included in GPA Calculation	Successful Completion
A	Excellent	Yes	Yes	Yes
B	Good	Yes	Yes	Yes
C	Average	Yes	Yes	Yes
D	Passing	Yes	Yes	Yes, unless developmental coursework*
F	Failing	Yes	Yes	No
FNA	Nonattendance or No Participation	Yes	Yes	No
I	Incomplete	Yes	No	No
W	Withdrawal	Yes	No	No
AU	Audit	No	No	N/A
S	Satisfactory	Yes	No	Yes
U	Unsatisfactory	Yes	No	No
Z	In Progress	No	No	N/A
P	Pass ("C" or better)	Yes	No	Yes
DX	Clemency/Passing	Yes	Yes	Yes, unless developmental coursework*
FX	Clemency/Failing	Yes	Yes	No
TC or TR	Transfer	Yes	No	Yes

The table above shows what counts toward your Pace, GPA, and completion status. If you want to see the actual point value each grade contributes to your SAP GPA, use the table below.

Grade	SAP GPA Quality Points
A	4
B	3
C	2
D	1
F	0
I	0
W	No effect on GPA
AU	No effect on GPA
S	No effect on GPA
U	No effect on GPA
Z	No effect on GPA
P	No effect on GPA
DX	1
FX	0
TC or TR	No effect on GPA

Repeated Courses

For the GPA calculation, a repeated course is counted only once using the highest grade earned. All other attempts count as credits attempted for the Pace and Maximum Timeframe calculations.

If repeated credit comes from an accepted transfer, the repeated course may replace a failing grade in the GPA calculation, even if transfer credit does not otherwise impact GPA.

Academic Clemency

FCC Academic Clemency policy gives returning students a way to address prior unsatisfactory academic performance. The policy expunges a limited number of "D," "F," or "FNA" grades previously earned at FCC, converting them to grades of "DX" or "FX."

Federal regulations do not permit excluding these courses from SAP evaluation, so grades of "DX" and "FX" will affect both your GPA and Pace calculations. Your GPA may improve if you retake the course as described in the Repeated Courses section above.

Change of Major

Your SAP status is calculated using all credits you have attempted at FCC, plus any accepted transfer credits. Changing your major does not reset your SAP status.

If you are on an Individual College Academic Plan (ICAP), review the Appeals and Reinstatement section below before changing your major, since a change may require a new SAP appeal.

Appeals and Reinstatement

If you become ineligible for financial aid because you did not meet SAP standards, you have the right to appeal. You may submit a Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal if an extenuating circumstance affected your ability to meet the standards. Appeals received after the deadline will be considered for the following term.

If you need help preparing your appeal, send an email from your myFCC account to [email protected] to request an appointment with a financial aid representative. The decision will be sent to your myFCC email.

Appeal and ICAP Deadlines

Your complete appeal must be submitted by the semester deadline. An Individual College Academic Plan (ICAP) not submitted before the ICAP deadline will result in a denied SAP appeal for that semester.

Semester	SAP Appeal Deadline	ICAP Submission Deadline
Fall	October 1	October 25
Spring	March 1	March 25
Summer	July 1	July 25

Acceptable Extenuating Circumstances

For your appeal to be considered, you must document an extenuating circumstance that affected your ability to meet SAP standards and explain how the situation has been resolved. Supporting documentation is required.

Illness, accident, or injury experienced by you or an immediate family member. Acceptable documentation includes proof of office visit, police report, or hospital bill statement.

Acceptable documentation includes an obituary, death certificate, or funeral program.

Your divorce or your parents' divorce. Acceptable documentation includes a divorce decree.

If you withdrew due to military service. Acceptable documentation includes a statement from a Commanding Officer or orders.

If you are seeking a second degree or certificate, your appeal should explain how the additional credential supports your career and educational goals. If you changed your major, explain why and how your new major will help you achieve your goals. If approved, students may only change their major once after approval for Maximum Timeframe.

If you are unable to provide documentation because of the time elapsed, provide an additional statement explaining why documentation is not available.

If you were suspended due to courses taken while dually enrolled as a high school student, provide documentation of the extenuating circumstance or a separate statement explaining why documentation is not available.

Clearly state your reason and provide supporting documentation.

Probation and Academic Plans

Approved Appeal

If your appeal is approved, you will be placed on academic plan probation status. While on probation, you must follow the conditions outlined in your Individual College Academic Plan (ICAP) to maintain good standing.

As a condition of approval, you will need to schedule an appointment with your Academic Advisor to develop your ICAP, then submit it to the Financial Aid Office through the StudentForms portal. If you do not submit your ICAP by the posted deadline, your appeal may be denied.

FCC does not use one-semester probation statuses without academic plans. Your academic plan details the semesters you need to successfully meet SAP standards, or to graduate if you cannot meet SAP standards before then.

The Financial Aid Office does not limit the number of times you may appeal. Subsequent appeals require new documented circumstances for consideration.

Denied Appeal

If you are suspended or denied, you cannot receive federal or state aid. While working to meet the minimum SAP standards, consider these alternative payment options:

Enroll in a payment plan and pay your balance out of pocket
Apply for external scholarships or FCC Foundation scholarships
Apply for a private student loans

Visit Financial Aid for Payment Options

College Resources

Navigate your college journey with confidence using our comprehensive suite of student resources to maintain or regain your financial aid eligibility. Explore the links below to connect with the tools and communities designed to help you thrive both inside and outside the classroom.

Visit FCC Student Resources

Disclaimers

Submitting an appeal does not guarantee approval. SAP appeal decisions are based on the professional judgment of the staff member reviewing your appeal.

If you are age 18 or older, any information you disclose in a SAP appeal regarding prior childhood abuse or neglect must be reported to local law enforcement authorities under state law, even if the events occurred many years ago. College employees are also required by law to report disclosures of current childhood abuse or neglect to local law enforcement authorities if you are under age 18.

Frederick Community College is required to adhere to the Title IX Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures.

Read the Title IX Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures

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