This Financial Aid Consortium Agreement is a written contract between two or more eligible institutions enabling a student to qualify for financial aid based on the combined course credits taken at the institutions simultaneously, for the purpose of completing a degree at Frederick Community College (FCC). Under such an agreement, students may take courses at a “host institution” and have those course credits count toward the degree or certificate at FCC, and the FCC Financial Aid Office will process all financial aid for the student.
The student’s "home institution" (FCC) is the institution that will grant the student’s degree or certificate. FCC will process, award, and disburse all financial aid. The “host institution” will be responsible for certifying the student’s enrollment status and the costs for tuition and fees.
Listed below are the guidelines that apply to students interested in participating in a consortium agreement with FCC as the degree granting/"home" institution:
1) Student must be degree-seeking at FCC.
2) Student must be enrolled in at least one course at FCC that is required for their listed FCC degree (student must be enrolled in at least 6 required credits total for Federal student loan eligibility).
3) Student must complete the attached FCC Financial Aid Consortium Agreement online form, including all requested forms and documents. These documents will be securely maintained in the student's FCC Financial Aid file.
4) All completed FCC Financial Aid Consortium Agreement forms are submitted to the financial aid office at the “host institution” by the FCC Office of Financial Aid before aid can be awarded.
5) Student must make payment arrangements with their “host institution”. Any refunds issued to the student by FCC can be used by the student as reimbursement of their payments made to the “host institution”.
6) A consortium agreement checklist item will be listed under the student’s To Do List in their PeopleSoft Student Center while processing is pending. Once the consortium agreement is completed and confirmed, the financial aid award will be posted in PeopleSoft (viewable under the Student’s PeopleSoft Student Center Financial Aid section).
7) Financial aid consortium agreements are term specific. A separate consortium agreement must be initiated for each term request.
8) At the conclusion of the consortium agreement semester/term, students must submit an Official Academic Transcript record from the “host institution” to FCC Registration & Records transfer evaluation. More information about this process may be found on the FCC website.
9) Student should contact the FCC Financial Aid Office at financialaid@frederick.edu before withdrawing from any courses under a consortium agreement, so that they can be made aware of potential financial aid implications. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards must be adhered to while utilizing a consortium agreement including Return of Title IV aid requirements. More information may be found here.
10) If a student is already enrolled full-time (at least 12 credits) in required coursework at FCC, an FCC financial aid consortium agreement is not needed.