Policy Name: FN – Never Attended
Policy Number: 3135-1-01
Policy Owner/Dept: Academics
Effective Date: 8/17/2026
Last Review:
Next Review: 3/10/2031
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to comply with federal regulations regarding Title IV Federal Financial Aid disbursement as it relates to student attendance. The Never Attended (FN) grade serves to ensure appropriate adjustments to student financial aid awards by verifying enrollment status and allowing recalculation prior to fund disbursement. The FN grade also serves as notification to student support that the student’s academic success is at risk and intervention is warranted.
The College must return the funds as soon as possible, and no later than 30 days from the date it becomes aware that the student did not begin attendance. If payment is made to a student who is later found to have never attended, it is considered an overpayment and the College is liable for that payment and the return of those funds.
Definitions
FN – Never Attended – used at the end of the course’s add/drop period when a student has never attended or demonstrated academic activity in an online course.
Academic Attendance and Academically Related Activities
The Federal Student Aid Handbook identifies the following parameters regarding academic attendance and academically related activities in relation to Title IV funding.
Academically related activities include but are not limited to:
- Physically attending class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students;
- Submitting an academic assignment;
- Taking an exam, completing an interactive tutorial, or participating in a computer-assisted instruction;
- Attending a study group that is assigned by the college;
- Participating in an online discussion about academic matters;
- Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course.
Examples that are not considered evidence or proof of academic activities or academic engagement with the college include but are not limited to:
- Living in institutional housing;
- Participating in the school’s meal plan;
- Logging in to an online class without active participation;
- Participating in counseling or advising.
The Federal Student Aid Handbook specifically states that documenting that a student logged into an online class is not sufficient to demonstrate academic attendance. The College must demonstrate student participation in class or via other academic activities.
Examples of online academically related activities may include but are not limited to:
- Participation in an academically relevant online discussion;
- Contact (to include email) with the faculty member to ask a course-related question;
- Student submission of an academic assignment;
- Student submission of an exam;
- Documented student interaction in an interactive tutorial or computer-assisted instruction (third-party software);
- Posting in an online study group assigned by the instructor/institution.
- A grade of FN is posted for any student who has not attended class during the first seven (7) calendar days of the course’s start. In a class that is not in-person, the student must have demonstrated participation by completing an academically relevant task as defined in the definitions section of this policy.
Students are responsible for attending and actively participating in their courses within the first seven (7) calendar days of each course’s start. Attendance or participation in one course does not qualify as proof of attendance or participation in other courses.
A grade of FN may prevent all or some of a student’s financial aid award from applying to a course, and/or may force a recalculation of financial aid awarded before the posting of an FN grade.
An FN grade is final but does not affect a student’s grade point average. Posting a grade of FN restricts student access to any content for that course, including electronic access to the Learning Management System.
Removal of an FN grade is at the discretion of the instructor. Faculty have the authority and right to uphold a grade of FN and are under no obligation to reinstate a student if the student has met the conditions for a grade of FN. If a student does not agree with an issued grade, the student may appeal the grade using the criteria outlined in the College’s Grade Appeal policy.
Procedure
- Class lists are reviewed by faculty to determine if registered students are attending class.
- Faculty verifies student attendance and academic activity for FN consideration
- Faculty must enter a grade of FN for any student who has never attended the class after the class’s add/drop period.
- Student support is notified via an FN report and follows up with the student.
- NTC Records drops and backdates course registration for students identified as “Never Attended” in all semester courses.
- The student must obtain faculty approval to be reinstated in their courses after being either removed from all their courses or assigned an FN.
| Group/Individual | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Student |
Attend and actively participate in all courses. Financially liable to pay back Financial Aid payments disbursed for courses the student in not attending. |
| Faculty | Review class list after add/drop period, up to 7th day of course to enter FN grades for students that have never attended |
| Registrar | |
| Financial Aid | |
| Academic Dean (or EVP?) |