Free College at MCC

Important Announcement:

The deadline to file a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal for Summer 2025 is Friday, July 18, 2025.

To remain eligible for financial aid, students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. Satisfactory Academic Progress is the measure of a student's progress toward the completion of a course of study (degree/certificate) according to federal and state regulations, as well as standards set by Middlesex Community College (MCC).

The Financial Aid Office reviews students academic progress status at least once per academic year. Active students who apply for financial aid are notified if their status is unsatisfactory. These notifications are sent by email and appear on the student's MyMCC portal.

These notifications provide instructions for the financial aid academic progress appeal process. More information can be found at https://intranet.middlesex.edu/financialaid/policy.html. Questions can be addressed to the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@middlesex.edu

Recipients of all financial aid programs, including student loans, are subject to these standards for renewal of their financial aid eligibility. Academic Progress is based on all terms of enrollment, whether or not financial aid was received.

• Satisfactory academic progress evaluation is based on cumulative MCC coursework as appearing on the student's official academic transcript, as well as all accepted transfer credits that apply to a student's program of study.
• The review of academic progress will take place at the conclusion of each academic year for all students enrolled in degree programs. Students enrolled in certificate programs and non-standard term certificate students will be reviewed following each enrollment period.
• Enrollment in college courses does not mean you are meeting financial aid academic progress rules.

There are three standards of progress. A student must maintain all three standards to continue to receive financial aid:

1. Grade point average (GPA): Students must meet a minimum cumulative grade point average based on their total attempted credits, as follows.

1-12 attempted credits require a minimum GPA of 1.7
13-24 attempted credits requires a minimum GPA of 1.8
Above 24 attempted credits requires a minimum GPA of 2.0

2. Completion Rate Percentage: All students must successfully complete at least 2/3 (66.67%) of their attempted credits, including transfer credits, as appearing on their official academic transcript. To be counted as successfully completed or earned credits, students must receive a grade of A, B, C, or D or P (Pass).

Example: The total number of credits attempted is 48 credits. You must successfully complete at least 32 credits (48 credits X 66.67% = 32 credits)

3. Maximum Time Frame Requirement: Students must complete their educational program of study within a time frame no longer than 150% of the published length of the educational program, as measured by credits attempted and including transfer credits. For example, an associate's degree with a published program length of 64 credits must be completed within 96 attempted credits. A certificate program with a published program length of 27 credits must be completed within 40 attempted credits.

Once a student’s total attempted credits, for current and previous majors, plus remaining required credits for the current major, exceed the maximum time frame, they have lost academic eligibility for financial aid. Financial aid eligibility can only be regained by a successful appeal that includes a strict academic completion plan to fulfill graduation requirements.

Successful Academic Completion Plans (ACP) should demonstrate:

• A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better. If not, the cGPA must be at least a 1.7 with a clear direction to raise it to a 2.0 to meet graduation requirements with minimal course repeats
• An academic map to graduation in four semesters or less
• The student is admitted to and following the curriculum of the program of study from which they intend to graduate. ACPs cannot be approved for students taking prerequisite courses to fulfill admission requirements for a future major.
• All developmental (pre-college) courses have been completed; the student has the necessary prerequisite Math and English courses to take college-level courses.

Once a student has reached the maximum time frame, financial aid academic probation will be granted only one time. Failure to meet probation requirements will result in the loss of any future financial aid. Financial aid will not be available for additional programs of study after the completion of a degree while on academic probation for the maximum time frame.

Students are notified by mail and through the College's web portal of their academic progress status.

Academic Probation

• When an academic progress appeal is approved, a student is placed on financial aid academic probation for one semester. Students are notified of this status by email to their MCC email address.
• The academic probation email outlines semester academic probation requirements. At the end of the probation semester, the student’s academic record will be reviewed again.
• If the student is meeting minimum standards of academic progress after the semester review, the student regains academic eligibility for financial aid without probation. This continues until the next scheduled academic progress review.
• If not yet met the minimum standards of academic progress, but the student meets semester probation requirements, academic probation will continue for the next semester, under the same academic plan requirements. If academic probation can be continued, but the student fails to enroll for more than two semesters, a new appeal must be submitted upon re-entry.
• If not yet met the minimum standards of academic progress and the student fails to meet semester probation requirements, academic probation is lost for future semesters. The student loses future financial aid.
• A student can submit a new academic progress appeal after failing to meet academic probation requirements. However, subsequent appeals must provide specific extenuating circumstances with documentation and specific academic success strategies.
• If an appeal is approved for academic probation and the student fails to enroll in the probation semester (does not register or drops all classes), academic probation is withdrawn. The student must submit a new appeal upon re-entry.

The following are considered when evaluating a student's SAP:

ESL courses do not count in the maximum time frame calculation (unless they fulfill a Humanities requirement) but do count towards the GPA and annual completion rate percentage.

Developmental courses do not count in the maximum time frame calculation but do count towards the GPA and annual completion rate percentage. Students may receive financial aid for up to thirty (30) credits of developmental coursework. Any developmental courses beyond the 30 credit total will count toward the maximum time frame total credits.

Repeated courses are counted in attempted credits and, if successfully completed, earned credits. A student is allowed to repeat a passed course only once and receive financial aid. If you transfer a course to Middlesex from another school, you can retake the course one time while at Middlesex and receive financial aid.

Withdrawals (W) and incompletes (I or IP), or failures (F) are counted in the attempted hours but are not successfully completed or earned.

Late grades are reviewed at the next scheduled academic progress review. An academic progress appeal must be submitted for late grades to be considered before the next scheduled review. For instance, if an Incomplete grade is changed to a passing grade that improves the student's academic record, but the change is made after the academic progress review is complete, only an academic progress appeal can prompt a “non-scheduled” review.

Transfer courses, including credits received during consortium study, and applicable to the program of study, are not counted in the calculation of the GPA but are counted as attempted credits and earned credits. These credits will be used in calculating the maximum time frame as well as the cumulative credit completion rate.

Courses taken via consortium agreements with other colleges cannot be considered while a student is on academic probation. All courses must be taken at Middlesex Community College while on financial aid academic probation.

Audited courses are not considered credits attempted or earned.

Dual Enrollment courses are college-level courses. They are counted in attempted and earned credits and cumulative GPA.

Fresh Start is an MCC policy that allows students who have not been enrolled in courses at MCC for at least three years an opportunity to establish a new academic record upon returning to the college. Fresh Start is an academic amnesty program. Per federal regulations, all attempted and completed credits on a student’s transcript must be considered in every financial aid academic progress calculation, without regard to academic amnesty. While Fresh Start may improve a student’s cumulative grade point average, it will worsen the completion rate percentage. Further, since it excludes both passing and failing grades from a specific timeframe, a student may need to retake courses for which they already received passing grades.
Because Fresh Start increases the number of courses needed to graduate, it may prevent the approval of an academic completion plan.

Program Changes: Changes to a student’s program of study can affect the Maximum Time Frame Requirement for financial aid eligibility, as all attempted credits—including transfer credits and credits from previously completed credentials at Middlesex Community College—must be included in the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) calculation. If a maximum time frame appeal is required, all applicable attempted and earned credits that can be applied to the new program will be evaluated through an academic completion plan review. Additionally, students who already hold an Associate’s degree or higher are not eligible to receive financial aid for a Liberal Studies degree as an additional degree program.

 

Warning Status: Students in certificate or nonstandard term programs who initially fail any one of the standards of academic progress, excluding the maximum time frame, can be placed on Financial Aid Warning for one semester or payment period. Students remain eligible for financial aid while in this warning status, without filing an appeal letter. Students will be required to improve academically and meet the minimum standards of this federal policy at the end of the warning period. Failure to meet the minimum requirements of this policy will result in suspension of aid eligibility. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the academic resources available at MCC such as the Academic Support Center, Student Access and Support Services, and Student Success Office.