All definitions related to the financial aid section appear at the end
of the Definitions document.
Items preceded by an asterisk (*) represent definitions agreed to among publishers which do not appear on the CDS document but may be present on individual publishers’ surveys.
*Academic advisement: Plan under which each student is assigned to a faculty
member or a trained adviser, who, through regular meetings, helps the student
plan and implement immediate and long-term academic and vocational goals.
Accelerated program: Completion of a college program of study in fewer than
the usual number of years, most often by attending summer sessions
and carrying
extra courses during the regular academic term.
Admitted student: Applicant who is offered admission to a
degree-granting program
at your institution.
*Adult student services: Admission assistance, support,
orientation, and other
services expressly for adults who have started college for the first time, or
who are re-entering after a lapse of a few years.
American Indian or Alaska native: A person having origins in any
of the original
peoples of North America and who maintains cultural identification
through tribal
affiliation or community recognition.
Applicant (first-time, first year): An individual who has
fulfilled the institution’s
requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of
the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of
the following
actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application
withdrawn (by applicant or institution).
Application fee: That amount of money that an institution charges
for processing
a student’s application for acceptance. This amount is not
creditable toward
tuition and required fees, nor is it refundable if the student is
not admitted
to the institution.
Asian or Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the
original peoples
of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or Pacific Islands.
This includes people from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine
Islands, American
Samoa, India, and Vietnam.
Associate degree: An award that normally requires at least two but less than
four years of full-time equivalent college work.
Bachelor’s degree: An award (baccalaureate or equivalent
degree, as determined
by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education) that normally requires
at least four years but not more than five years of full-time
equivalent college-level
work. This includes ALL bachelor’s degrees conferred in a
five-year cooperative
(work-study plan) program. (A cooperative plan provides for alternate class
attendance and employment in business, industry, or government;
thus, it allows
students to combine actual work experience with their college studies.) Also,
it includes bachelor’s degrees in which the normal four years
of work are
completed in three years.
Black, non-Hispanic: A person having origins in any of the black
racial groups
of Africa (except those of Hispanic origin).
Board (charges): Assume average cost for 19 meals per week or the
maximum meal
plan.
Books and supplies (costs): Average cost of books and supplies. Do
not include
unusual costs for special groups of students (e.g., engineering or
art majors),
unless they constitute the majority of students at your institution.
Calendar system: The method by which an institution structures most of its
courses for the academic year.
*Career and placement services: A range of services, including (often) the
following: coordination of visits of employers to campus; aptitude
and vocational
testing; interest inventories, personal counseling; help in resume writing,
interviewing, launching the job search; listings for those students desiring
employment and those seeking permanent positions; establishment of
a permanent
reference folder; career resource materials.
Carnegie units: One year of study or the equivalent in a secondary
school subject.
Certificate: See Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma.
Class rank: The relative numerical position of a student in his or
her graduating
class, calculated by the high school on the basis of grade-point
average, whether
weighted or unweighted.
College-preparatory program: Courses in academic subjects (English, history
and social studies, foreign languages, mathematics, science, and
the arts) that
stress preparation for college or university study.
Common Application: The standard application form distributed by
the National
Association of Secondary School Principals for a large number of
private colleges
who are members of the Common Application Group.
*Community service program: Referral center for students wishing to perform
volunteer work in the community or participate in volunteer
activities coordinated
by academic departments.
Commuter: A student who lives off campus in housing that is not
owned by, operated
by, or affiliated with the college. This category includes students
who commute
from home and students who have moved to the area to attend college.
Contact hour: A unit of measure that represents an hour of
scheduled instruction
given to students. Also referred to as clock hour.
Continuous basis (for program enrollment): A calendar system classification
that is used by institutions that enroll students at any time
during the academic
year. For example, a cosmetology school or a word processing school
might allow
students to enroll and begin studies at various times, with no
requirement that
classes begin on a certain date.
Cooperative housing: College-owned, -operated, or -affiliated
housing in which
students share room and board expenses and participate in household chores to
reduce living expenses.
Cooperative (work-study plan) program: A program that provides for alternate
class attendance and employment in business, industry, or government.
*Counseling service: Activities designed to assist students in making plans
and decisions related to their education, career, or personal
development.
Credit: Recognition of attendance or performance in an
instructional activity
(course or program) that can be applied by a recipient toward the
requirements
for a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.
Credit course: A course that, if successfully completed, can be
applied toward
the number of courses required for achieving a degree, diploma, certificate,
or other formal award.
Credit hour: A unit of measure representing an hour (50 minutes)
of instruction
over a 15-week period in a semester or trimester system or a 10-week period
in a quarter system. It is applied toward the total number of hours
needed for
completing the requirements of a degree, diploma, certificate, or
other formal
award.
Cross-registration: A system whereby students enrolled at one
institution may
take courses at another institution without having to apply to the
second institution.
Deferred admission: The practice of permitting admitted students to postpone
enrollment, usually for a period of one academic term or one year.
Degree: An award conferred by a college, university, or other postsecondary
education institution as official recognition for the successful completion
of a program of studies.
Degree-seeking students: Students enrolled in courses for credit
who are recognized
by the institution as seeking a degree or formal award. At the undergraduate
level, this is intended to include students enrolled in vocational
or occupational
programs.
Differs by program (calendar system): A calendar system classification that
is used by institutions that have occupational/vocational programs of varying
length. These schools may enroll students at specific times depending on the
program desired. For example, a school might offer a two-month
program in January,
March, May, September, and November; and a three-month program in
January, April,
and October.
Diploma: See Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma.
Distance learning: An option for earning course credit at
off-campus locations
via cable television, internet, satellite classes, videotapes, correspondence
courses, or other means.
Doctoral degree: The highest award a student can earn for graduate
study. The
doctoral degree classification includes such degrees as Doctor of Education,
Doctor of Juridical Science, Doctor of Public Health, and the
Doctor of Philosophy
degree in any field such as agronomy, food technology, education,
engineering,
public administration, ophthalmology, or radiology. For the Doctor of Public
Health degree, the prior degree is generally earned in the closely
related field
of medicine or in sanitary engineering.
Double major: Program in which students may complete two
undergraduate programs
of study simultaneously.
Dual enrollment: A program through which high school students may enroll in
college courses while still enrolled in high school. Students are
not required
to apply for admission to the college in order to participate.
Early action plan: An admission plan that allows students to apply
and be notified
of an admission decision well in advance of the regular notification dates.
If admitted, the candidate is not committed to enroll; the student may reply
to the offer under the college’s regular reply policy.
Early admission: A policy under which students who have not completed high
school are admitted and enroll full time in college, usually after completion
of their junior year.
Early decision plan: A plan that permits students to apply and be notified
of an admission decision (and financial aid offer if applicable)
well in advance
of the regular notification date. Applicants agree to accept an
offer of admission
and, if admitted, to withdraw their applications from other colleges. There
are three possible decisions for early decision applicants: admitted, denied,
or not admitted but forwarded for consideration with the regular
applicant pool,
without prejudice.
English as a Second Language (ESL): A course of study designed specifically
for students whose native language is not English.
Exchange student program-domestic: Any arrangement between a student and a
college that permits study for a semester or more at another college in the
United States without extending the amount of time required for a degree. See
also Study abroad.
External degree program: A program of study in which students earn credits
toward a degree through independent study, college courses,
proficiency examinations,
and personal experience. External degree programs require minimal
or no classroom
attendance.
Extracurricular activities (as admission factor): Special consideration in
the admissions process given for participation in both school and
nonschool-related
activities of interest to the college, such as clubs, hobbies,
student government,
athletics, performing arts, etc.
First professional certificate (postdegree): An award that
requires completion
of an organized program of study designed for persons who have completed the
first professional degree. Examples could be refresher courses or additional
units of study in a specialty or subspecialty.
First professional degree: An award in one of the following
fields: Chiropractic
(DC, DCM), dentistry (DDS, DMD), medicine (MD), optometry (OD), osteopathic
medicine (DO), rabbinical and Talmudic studies (MHL, Rav), Pharmacy (BPharm,
PharmD), podiatry (PodD, DP, DPM), veterinary medicine (DVM), law (LLB, JD),
divinity/ministry (BD, MDiv).
First-time student: A student attending any institution for the first time
at the level enrolled. Includes students enrolled in the fall term
who attended
a postsecondary institution for the first time at the same level in the prior
summer term. Also includes students who entered with advanced
standing (college
credit earned before graduation from high school).
First-time, first-year (freshman) student: A student attending any
institution
for the first time at the undergraduate level. Includes students enrolled in
the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior
summer term.
Also includes students who entered with advanced standing (college
credits earned
before graduation from high school).
First-year student: A student who has completed less than the equivalent of
1 full year of undergraduate work; that is, less than 30 semester hours (in
a 120-hour degree program) or less than 900 contact hours.
Freshman: A first-year undergraduate student.
*Freshman/new student orientation: Orientation addressing the
academic, social,
emotional, and intellectual issues involved in beginning college.
May be a few
hours or a few days in length; at some colleges, there is a fee.
Full-time student (undergraduate): A student enrolled for 12 or
more semester
credits, 12 or more quarter credits, or 24 or more contact hours a week each
term.
Geographical residence (as admission factor): Special consideration in the
admission process given to students from a particular region,
state, or country
of residence.
Grade-point average (academic high school GPA): The sum of grade
points a student
has earned in secondary school divided by the number of courses
taken. The most
common system of assigning numbers to grades counts four points for
an A, three
points for a B, two points for a C, one point for a D, and no points for an
E or F. Unweighted GPA’s assign the same weight to each course. Weighting
gives students additional points for their grades in advanced or honors courses.
Graduate student: A student who holds a bachelor’s or first
professional
degree, or equivalent, and is taking courses at the
post-baccalaureate level.
*Health services: Free or low cost on-campus primary and preventive health
care available to students.
High school diploma or recognized equivalent: A document
certifying the successful
completion of a prescribed secondary school program of studies, or
the attainment
of satisfactory scores on the Tests of General Educational Development (GED),
or another state-specified examination.
Hispanic: A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or
South American,
or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
Honors program: Any special program for very able students
offering the opportunity
for educational enrichment, independent study, acceleration, or
some combination
of these.
Independent study: Academic work chosen or designed by the student with the
approval of the department concerned, under an instructor’s supervision,
and usually undertaken outside of the regular classroom structure.
In-state tuition: The tuition charged by institutions to those students who
meet the state’s or institution’s residency requirements.
International student: See Nonresident alien.
Internship: Any short-term, supervised work experience usually related to a
student’s major field, for which the student earns academic credit. The
work can be full- or part-time, on- or off-campus, paid or unpaid.
*Learning center: Center offering assistance through tutors,
workshops, computer
programs, or audiovisual equipment in reading, writing, math, and skills such
as taking notes, managing time, taking tests.
*Legal services: Free or low cost legal advice for a range of
issues (personal
and other).
Liberal arts/career combination: Program in which a student earns
undergraduate
degrees in two separate fields, one in a liberal arts major and the other in
a professional or specialized major, whether on campus or through
cross-registration.
Master’s degree: An award that requires the successful completion of a
program of study of at least the full-time equivalent of one but
not more than
two academic years of work beyond the bachelor’s degree.
Minority affiliation (as admission factor): Special consideration
in the admission
process for members of designated racial/ethnic minority groups.
*Minority student center: Center with programs, activities, and/or services intended to enhance the college experience of students of color.
Nonresident alien: A person who is not a citizen or national of the
United States
and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have
the right to remain indefinitely.
*On-campus day care: Licensed day care for students’ children (usually
age 3 and up); usually for a fee.
Open admission: Admission policy under which virtually all secondary school
graduates or students with GED equivalency diplomas are admitted
without regard
to academic record, test scores, or other qualifications.
Other expenses (costs): Include average costs for clothing,
laundry, entertainment,
medical (if not a required fee), and furnishings.
Out-of-state tuition: The tuition charged by institutions to those students
who do not meet the institution’s or state’s residency
requirements.
Part-time student (undergraduate): A student enrolled for fewer
than 12 credits
per semester or quarter, or fewer than 24 contact hours a week each term.
*Personal counseling: One-on-one or group counseling with trained
professionals
for students who want to explore personal, educational, or
vocational issues.
Post-baccalaureate certificate: An award that requires completion
of an organized
program of study requiring 18 credit hours beyond the
bachelor’s; designed
for persons who have completed a baccalaureate degree but do not
meet the requirements
of academic degrees carrying the title of master.
Post-master’s certificate: An award that requires completion
of an organized
program of study of 24 credit hours beyond the master’s degree but does
not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.
Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma: Includes the following three IPEDS definitions for postsecondary awards, certificates, and diplomas of varying durations and credit/contact hour requirements:
Private institution: An educational institution controlled by a
private individual(s)
or by a nongovernmental agency, usually supported primarily by
other than public
funds, and operated by other than publicly elected or appointed
officials.
Private for-profit institution: A private institution in which the
individual(s)
or agency in control receives compensation, other than wages, rent, or other
expenses for the assumption of risk.
Private nonprofit institution: A private institution in which the
individual(s)
or agency in control receives no compensation, other than wages,
rent, or other
expenses for the assumption of risk. These include both independent nonprofit
schools and those affiliated with a religious organization.
Proprietary institution: See Private for-profit institution.
Public institution: An educational institution whose programs and activities
are operated by publicly elected or appointed school officials, and which is
supported primarily by public funds.
Quarter calendar system: A calendar system in which the academic
year consists
of three sessions called quarters of about 12 weeks each. The range
may be from
10 to 15 weeks. There may be an additional quarter in the summer.
Race/ethnicity: Category used to describe groups to which
individuals belong,
identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. The categories do not
denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. A person
may be counted
in only one group.
Race/ethnicity unknown: Category used to classify students or
employees whose
race/ethnicity is not known and whom institutions are unable to place in one
of the specified racial/ethnic categories.
Religious affiliation/commitment (as admission factor): Special
consideration
given in the admission process for affiliation with a certain
church or faith/religion,
commitment to a religious vocation, or observance of certain
religious tenets/lifestyle.
*Religious counseling: One-on-one or group counseling with trained
professionals
for students who want to explore religious problems or issues.
*Remedial services: Instructional courses designed for students deficient in
the general competencies necessary for a regular postsecondary curriculum and
educational setting.
Required fees: Fixed sum charged to students for items not covered
by tuition
and required of such a large proportion of all students that the student who
does NOT pay is the exception. Do not include application fees or
optional fees
such as lab fees or parking fees.
Resident alien or other eligible non-citizen: A person who is not a citizen
or national of the United States and who has been admitted as a
legal immigrant
for the purpose of obtaining permanent resident alien status (and who holds
either an alien registration card [Form I-551 or I-151], a Temporary Resident
Card [Form I-688], or an Arrival-Departure Record [Form I-94] with a notation
that conveys legal immigrant status, such as Section 207 Refugee, Section 208
Asylee, Conditional Entrant Parolee or Cuban-Haitian).
Room and board (charges)—on campus: Assume double occupancy
in institutional
housing and 19 meals per week (or maximum meal plan).
Secondary school record (as admission factor): Information maintained by the
secondary school that may include such things as the student's high school transcript,
class rank, GPA, adn teacher and counselor recommendations.
Semester calendar system: A calendar system that consists of two
semesters during
the academic year with about 16 weeks for each semester of instruction. There
may be an additional summer session.
Student-designed major: A program of study based on individual
interests, designed
with the assistance of an adviser.
Study abroad: Any arrangement by which a student completes part of
the college
program studying in another country. Can be at a campus abroad or through a
cooperative agreement with some other U.S. college or an
institution of another
country.
*Summer session: A summer session is shorter than a regular semester and not
considered part of the academic year. It is not the third term of
an institution
operating on a trimester system or the fourth term of an
institution operating
on a quarter calendar system. The institution may have 2 or more
sessions occurring
in the summer months. Some schools, such as vocational and beauty
schools, have
year-round classes with no separate summer session.
Talent/ability (as admission factor): Special consideration given
to students
with demonstrated talent/abilities in areas of interest to the
institution (e.g.,
sports, the arts, languages, etc.).
Teacher certification program: Program designed to prepare students to meet
the requirements for certification as teachers in elementary, middle/junior
high, and secondary schools.
Transfer applicant: An individual who has fulfilled the institution’s
requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of
the application fee, if any) and who has previously attended another college
or university and earned college-level credit.
Transfer student: A student entering the institution for the first time but
known to have previously attended a postsecondary institution at
the same level
(e.g., undergraduate). The student may transfer with or without credit.
Transportation (costs): Assume two round trips to student’s
hometown per
year for students in institutional housing or daily travel to and from your
institution for commuter students.
Trimester calendar system: An academic year consisting of 3 terms of about
15 weeks each.
Tuition: Amount of money charged to students for instructional
services. Tuition
may be charged per term, per course, or per credit.
*Tutoring: May range from one-on-one tutoring in specific subjects
to tutoring
in an area such as math, reading, or writing. Most tutors are
college students;
at some colleges, they are specially trained and certified.
Unit: a standard of measurement representing hours of academic instruction
(e.g., semester credit, quarter credit, contact hour).
Undergraduate: A student enrolled in a four- or five-year
bachelor’s degree
program, an associate degree program, or a vocational or technical
program below
the baccalaureate.
*Veteran’s counseling: Helps veterans and their dependents
obtain benefits
for their selected program and provides certifications to the Veteran’s
Administration. May also provide personal counseling on the transition from
the military to a civilian life.
*Visually impaired: Any person whose sight loss is not correctable
and is sufficiently
severe as to adversely affect educational performance.
Volunteer work (as admission factor): Special consideration given
to students
for activity done on a volunteer basis (e.g., tutoring, hospital
care, working
with the elderly or disabled) as a service to the community or the public in
general.
Wait list: List of students who meet the admission requirements
but will only
be offered a place in the class if space becomes available.
Weekend college: A program that allows students to take a complete course of
study and attend classes only on weekends.
White, non-Hispanic: A person having origins in any of the original peoples
of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East (except those of
Hispanic origin).
*Women’s center: Center with programs, academic activities,
and/or services
intended to promote an understanding of the evolving roles of women.
Work experience (as admission factor): Special consideration given
to students
who have been employed prior to application, whether for relevance to major,
demonstration of employment-related skills, or as explanation of
student’s
academic and extracurricular record.
Financial Aid Definitions
Financial aid applicant: Any applicant who submits any one of the
institutionally
required financial aid applications/forms, such as the FAFSA.
Indebtedness: Aggregate dollar amount borrowed through any loan
programs (federal,
state, subsidized, unsubsidized, private, etc.; excluding parent loans) while
the student was enrolled at an institution. Student loans co-signed
by a parent
are assumed to be the responsibility of the student and should be
included.
Institutional and external funds: Endowment, alumni, or external monies for
which the institution determines the recipient or the dollar amount
awarded.
Financial need: As determined by your institution using the
federal methodology
and/or your institution's own standards.
Need-based aid: College-funded or college-administered award from
institutional,
state, federal, or other sources for which a student must have financial need
to qualify. This includes both institutional and noninstitutional student aid
(grants, jobs, and loans).
Need-based scholarship or grant aid: Scholarships and grants from institutional,
state, federal,
or other sources for which a student must have financial need to qualify.
Need-based self-help aid: Loans and jobs from institutional, state, federal,
or other sources for which a student must demonstrate financial
need to qualify.
Non-need-based scholarship or grant aid: Scholarships and grants, gifts, or
merit-based aid from institutional, state, federal, or other sources (including
unrestricted funds or gifts and endowment income) awarded solely on the basis
of academic achievement, merit, or any other non-need-based reason. When
reporting questions
H1 and H2, non-need-based aid that is used to meet need should be counted
as need-based aid.
Note: Suggested order of precedence for counting non-need money as
need-based:
Non-need institutional grants
Non-need tuition waivers
Non-need athletic awards
Non-need federal grants
Non-need state grants
Non-need outside grants
Non-need student loans
Non-need parent loans
Non-need work
Non-need-based self-help aid: Loans and jobs from institutional,
state, or other
sources for which a student need not demonstrate financial need to
qualify.
Scholarships/grants from external sources: Monies received from
outside (private)
sources that the student brings with them (e.g., Kiwanis, National
Merit scholarships).
The institution may process paperwork to receive the dollars, but it has no
role in determining the recipient or the dollar amount awarded.
Work study and employment: Federal and state work study aid, and any employment packaged by your institution in financial aid awards.