*Academic advisement: plan under which each student isassigned to a faculty member or a trained adviser, who, throughregular meetings, helps the student plan and implement immediate andlong-term academic and vocational goals.
Accelerated program: Completion of a college program ofstudy in fewer than the usual number of years, most often byattending summer sessions and carrying extra courses during theregular academic term.
Admitted student: Applicant who is offered admission to adegree-granting program at your institution.
*Adult student services: admission assistance, support,orientation, and other services expressly for adults who have startedcollege for the first time, or who are re-entering after a lapse of afew years.
American Indian or Alaska native: A person having originsin any of the original peoples of North America and who maintainscultural identification through tribal affiliation or communityrecognition.
Applicant (first-time, first year): An individual who hasfulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered foradmission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, ifany) and who has been notified of one of the following actions:admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or applicationwithdrawn (by applicant or institution).
Application fee: That amount of money that an institutioncharges for processing a student's application for acceptance. Thisamount is not creditable toward tuition and required fees, noris it refundable if the student is not admitted to theinstitution.
Asian or Pacific Islander: A person having origins in anyof the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the IndianSubcontinent, or Pacific Islands. This includes people from China,Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, American Samoa, India, andVietnam.
Associate's degree: An award that normally requires atleast two but less than four years of full-time equivalent collegework.
Bachelor's degree: An award (baccalaureate or equivalentdegree, as determined by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education)that normally requires at least four years but not more thanfive years of full-time equivalent college-level work. This includesALL bachelor's degrees conferred in a five-year cooperative(work-study plan) program. A cooperative plan provides for alternateclass attendance and employment in business, industry, or government;thus, it allows students to combine actual work experience with theircollege studies. Also, it includes bachelor's degrees in which thenormal four years of work are completed in three years.
Black, non-Hispanic: A person having origins in any of theblack racial groups of Africa (except those of Hispanic origin).
Board (charges): Assume average cost for 19 meals per weekor 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 institutionstructures most of its courses for the academic year.
*Career and placement services: a range of services,including (often) the following: coordination of visits of employersto campus; aptitude and vocational testing; interest inventories,personal counseling; help in resume writing, interviewing, launchingthe job search; listings for those desiring students employment andthose seeking permanent positions; establishment of a permanentreference folder; career resource materials
Carnegie units: One year of study or the equivalent in asecondary school subject.
Certificate: See Postsecondary award, certificate, ordiploma.
Class rank: The relative numerical position of a student inhis or her graduating class, calculated by the high school on thebasis 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 oruniversity study.
Common Application: The standard application formdistributed by the National Association of Secondary SchoolPrincipals for a large number of private colleges who are members ofthe Common Application Group.
*Community service program - referral center for studentswishing to perform volunteer work in the community or volunteeractivities coordinated by academic departments.
Commuter: A student who lives off campus in housing that isnot owned by, operated by, or affiliated with the college. Thiscategory includes students who commute from home and students whohave moved to the area to attend college.
Contact hour: A unit of measure that represents an hour ofscheduled instruction given to students. Also referred to as clockhour.
Continuous basis (for program enrollment): A calendarsystem classification that is used by institutions that enrollstudents at any time during the academic year. For example, acosmetology school or a word processing school might allow studentsto enroll and begin studies at various times, with no requirementthat classes begin on a certain date.
Cooperative (work-study plan) program: A program thatprovides for alternate class attendance and employment in business,industry, or government.
Cooperative housing: College-owned, -operated, or-affiliated housing in which students share room and board expensesand participate in household chores to reduce living expenses.
*Counseling service: Activities designed to assist studentsin making plans and decisions related to their education, career, orpersonal development.
Credit: Recognition of attendance or performance in aninstructional activity (course or program) that can be applied by arecipient 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 adegree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.
Credit hour: A unit of measure representing an hour (50minutes) of instruction over a 15-week period in a semester ortrimester system or a 10-week period in a quarter system. It isapplied toward the total number of hours needed for completing therequirements of a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formalaward.
Cross-registration: A system whereby students enrolled atone institution may take courses at another institution withouthaving to apply to the second institution.
Deferred admission: The practice of permitting admittedstudents to postpone enrollment, usually for a period of one academicterm or one year.
Degree: An award conferred by a college, university, orother postsecondary education institution as official recognition forthe successful completion of a program of studies.
Degree-seeking students: Students enrolled in courses forcredit who are recognized by the institution as seeking a degree orformal award. At the undergraduate level, this is intended to includestudents enrolled in vocational or occupational programs.
Differs by program (calendar system): A calendar systemclassification that is used by institutions that haveoccupational/vocational programs of varying length. These schools mayenroll 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 inJanuary, April, and October.
Diploma: See Postsecondary award, certificate, ordiploma.
Distance learning: An option for earning course credit atoff-campus locations via cable television, internet, satelliteclasses, videotapes, correspondence courses, or other means.
Doctoral degree: The highest award a student can earn forgraduate study. The doctoral degree classification includes suchdegrees as Doctor of Education, Doctor of Juridical Science, Doctorof Public Health, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in any fieldsuch as agronomy, food technology, education, engineering, publicadministration, ophthalmology, or radiology. For the Doctor of PublicHealth degree, the prior degree is generally earned in the closelyrelated field of medicine or in sanitary engineering.
Double major: Program in which students may complete twoundergraduate programs of study simultaneously.
Dual enrollment: A program through which high schoolstudents may enroll in college courses while still enrolled in highschool. Students are not required to apply for admission to yourcollege in order to participate.
Early action plan: An admission plan that allows studentsto apply and be notified of an admission decision well in advance ofthe regular notification dates. If admitted, the candidate is notcommitted to enroll; the student may reply to the offer under thecollege's regular reply policy.
Early admission: A policy under which students who have notcompleted 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 applyand be notified of an admission decision (and financial aid offer ifapplicable) well in advance of the regular notification date.Applicants agree to accept an offer of admission and, if admitted, towithdraw their applications from other colleges. There are threepossible decisions for early decision applicants: admitted, denied,or not admitted but forwarded for consideration with the regularapplicant pool, without prejudice.
English as a Second Language (ESL): A course of studydesigned specifically for students whose native language is notEnglish.
Exchange student program-domestic: Any arrangement betweena student and a college that permits study for a semester or more atanother college in the United States without extending theamount of time required for a degree. See also Studyabroad.
External degree program: A program of study in whichstudents earn credits toward a degree through independent study,college courses, proficiency examinations, and personal experience.External degree programs require minimal or no classroomattendance.
Extracurricular activities (as admission factor): Specialconsideration in the admissions process given for participation inboth school and nonschool-related activities of interest to thecollege, such as clubs, hobbies, student government, athletics,performing arts, etc.
First professional certificate (postdegree): An award thatrequires completion of an organized program of study designed forpersons who have completed the first professional degree. Examplescould be refresher courses or additional units of study in aspecialty or subspecialty.
First professional degree: An award in one of the followingfields: Chiropractic (DC, DCM), dentistry (DDS, DMD), medicine (MD),optometry (OD), osteopathic medicine (DO), rabbinical and Talmudicstudies (MHL, Rav), Pharmacy (B.Pharm, Pharm.D), podiatry (PodD, DP,DPM), veterinary medicine (DVM), law (LLB, JD), divinity/ministry(BD, MDiv).
First-time student: A student attending any institution forthe first time at the level enrolled. Includes students enrolled inthe fall term who attended a postsecondary institution for the firsttime at the same level in the prior summer term. Also includesstudents who entered with advanced standing (college credit earnedbefore graduation from high school).
First-time, first-year (freshman) student: A studentattending any institution for the first time at the undergraduatelevel. Includes students enrolled in the fall term who attendedcollege for the first time in the prior summer term. Also includesstudents who entered with advanced standing (college credits earnedbefore graduation from high school).
First-year student: A student who has completed less thanthe equivalent of 1 full year of undergraduate work; that is, lessthan 30 semester hours (in a 120-hour degree program) or less than900 contact hours.
Freshman: A first-year undergraduate student.
*Freshman/new student orientation - orientation addressingthe academic, social, emotional, and intellectual issues involved inbeginning college. May be a few hours or a few days in length; atsome colleges, there is a fee.
Full-time student (undergraduate): A student enrolled for12 or more semester credits, or 12 or more quarter credits, or 24 ormore contact hours a week each term.
Geographical residence (as admission factor): Specialconsideration in the admission process given to students from aparticular region, state, or country of residence.
Grade-point average (academic high school GPA): The sum ofgrade points a student has earned in secondary school divided by thenumber of courses taken. The most common system of assigning numbersto grades counts four points for an A, three points for a B, twopoints 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. Weightinggives students additional points for their grades in advanced orhonors courses.
Graduate student: A student who holds a bachelor's orfirst professional degree, or equivalent, and is taking courses atthe post-baccalaureate level.
*Health services: free or low cost on-campus primary andpreventive health care available to students.
High school diploma or recognized equivalent: A documentcertifying the successful completion of a prescribed secondary schoolprogram of studies, or the attainment of satisfactory scores on theTests of General Educational Development (GED) or another statespecified examination.
Hispanic: A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Centralor South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless ofrace.
Honors program: Any special program for very able studentsoffering the opportunity for educational enrichment, independentstudy, acceleration, or some combination of these.
Independent study: Academic work chosen or designed by thestudent with the approval of the department concerned, under aninstructor's supervision, and usually undertaken outside of theregular classroom structure.
In-state tuition: The tuition charged by institutions tothose students who meet the state's or institution's residencyrequirements.
International student: See Nonresident alien.
Internship: Any short-term, supervised work experienceusually related to a student's major field, for which the studentearns academic credit. The work can be full or part time, on- oroff-campus, paid or unpaid.
*Learning center - center offering assistance throughtutors, workshops, computer programs or audiovisual equipment inreading, writing, math, and skills such as taking notes, managingtime, taking tests.
*Legal services : free or low cost legal advice for a rangeof issues (personal and other).
Liberal arts/career combination: Program in which a studentearns undergraduate degrees in two separate fields, one in a liberalarts 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 successfulcompletion of a program of study of at least the full-time equivalentof one but not more than two academic years of work beyond thebachelor's degree.
Minority affiliation (as admission factor): Specialconsideration in the admission process for members of designatedracial/ethnic minority groups.
*Minority student center - center with programs,activities, and/or services intended to enhance the collegeexperience of students of color.
Nonresident alien: A person who is not a citizen ornational of the United States and who is in this country on a visa ortemporary basis and does not have the right to remainindefinitely.
*On-campus day care - licensed day care for children ofstudents (usually 3 and up); usually for a fee.
Open admission: Admission policy under which virtually allsecondary school graduates or students with GED equivalency diplomasare admitted without regard to academic record, test scores, or otherqualifications.
Other expenses (costs): Include average costs for clothing,laundry, entertainment, medical (if not a required fee), andfurnishings.
Out-of-state tuition: The tuition charged by institutionsto those students who do not meet the institution's or state'sresidency requirements.
Part-time student (undergraduate): A student enrolled forless than 12 credits per semester or quarter, or less than 24 contacthours a week each term.
*Personal counseling - one-on-one or group counseling withtrained professionals for student who want to explore personal,educational, or vocational problems.
Post-master's certificate: An award that requirescompletion of an organized program of study of 24 credit hours beyondthe master's degree but does not meet the requirements of academicdegrees at the doctoral level.
Post-baccalaureate certificate: An award that requirescompletion of an organized program of study requiring 18 credit hoursbeyond the bachelor's; designed for persons who have completed abaccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academicdegrees carrying title of master.
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 controlledby a private individual(s) or by a nongovernmental agency, usuallysupported primarily by other than public funds, and operated by otherthan 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 inwhich the individual(s) or agency in control receives nocompensation, other than wages, rent, or other expenses for theassumption of risk. These include both independent nonprofit schoolsand those affiliated with a religious organization.
Proprietary institution: See Private nonprofitinstitution.
Public institution: An educational institution whoseprograms and activities are operated by publicly elected or appointedschool officials, and which is supported primarily by publicfunds.
Quarter calendar system: A calendar system in which theacademic year consists of three sessions called quarters of about 12weeks each. The range may be from 10 to 15 weeks. There may be anadditional quarter in the summer.
Race/ethnicity: Category used to describe groups to whichindividuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of thecommunity. The categories do not denote scientific definitions ofanthropological origins. A person may be counted in only onegroup.
Race/ethnicity unreported: Category used to classifystudents or employees whose race/ethnicity is not known and whominstitutions are unable to place in one of the specifiedracial/ethnic category.
Religious affiliation/commitment (as admission factor):Affiliation with a certain church or faith/religion, commitmentto a religious vocation, or observance of certain religioustenets/lifestyle.
*Religious counseling - one-on-one or group counseling withtrained professionals for student who want to religious problems orissues.
*Remedial services: Instructional courses designed forstudents deficient in the general competencies necessary for aregular postsecondary curriculum and educational setting.
Required fees: Fixed sum charged to students for items notcovered by tuition and required of such a large proportion of allstudents that the student who does NOT pay is the exception. Do notinclude application fees, registration fees, student activity, orhealth fees.
Resident alien or other eligible noncitizen: A person whois not a citizen or national of the United States and who has beenadmitted as a legal immigrant for the purpose of obtaining permanentresident alien status (and who holds either an alien registrationcard [Form I-551 or I-151], a Temporary Resident Card[Form I-688], or an Arrival-Departure Record [FormI-94] with a notation that conveys legal immigrant status, suchas Section 207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, Conditional EntrantParolee or Cuban-Haitian).
Room and board (charges)&emdash;on campus: Assume doubleoccupancy in institutional housing and 19 meals per week (or maximummeal plan).
Secondary school record (as admission factor): Informationmaintained by the secondary school that may include such things asthe student's high school transcript, class rank, GPA, and teacherand counselor recommendations.
Semester calendar system: A calendar system that consistsof two semesters during the academic year with about 16 weeks foreach semester of instruction. There may be an additional summersession.
Student-designed major. A program of study based onindividual interests, designed with the assistance of an adviser.
Study abroad: Any arrangement by which a student completespart of the college program studying in another county. Can be at acampus 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 aregular semester and not considered part of the academic year. It isnot the third term of an institution operating on a trimester systemor the fourth term of an institution operating on a quarter calendarsystem. The institution may have 2 or more sessions occurring in thesummer months. Some schools, such as vocational and beauty schools,have year-round classes with no separate summer session.
Talent/ability (as admission factor): Special considerationgiven to students with demonstrated talent/abilities in areas ofinterest to the institution (e.g., sports, the arts, languages,etc.)
Teacher certification program: Program designed to preparestudents to meet the requirements for certification as teachers inelementary and secondary schools.
Transfer applicant: an individual who has fulfilled theinstitution's requirements to be considered for admission (includingpayment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who haspreviously attended another college or university and earnedcollege-level credit.
Transfer student: a student entering the institution forthe first time but known to have previously attended a postsecondaryinstitution at the same level (e.g., undergraduate). The student maytransfer with or without credit.
Transportation (costs): Assume two round trips to student'shometown per year for students in institutional housing or dailytravel to and from your institution.
Trimester calendar system: An academic year consisting of3 terms of about 15 weeks each.
Tuition: Amount of money charged to students forinstructional services. Tuition may be charged per term, per course,or per credit.
*Tutoring - may range from one-on-one tutoring in specificsubjects to tutoring in an area such as math, reading, or writing.Most tutors are college students; at some colleges, they arespecially trained and certified.
Unit: a standard of measurement representing hours ofacademic instruction (e.g., semester credit, quarter credit, contacthour).
Undergraduate: A student enrolled in a four- or five-yearbachelor's degree program, an associate's degree program, or avocational or technical program below the baccalaureate.
*Veteran's counseling - helps veterans and their dependentsobtain benefits for their selected program and providescertifications to the Veteran's Administration. May also providepersonal counseling on the transition from the military to a civilianlife.
*Visually impaired: Any person whose sight loss issufficiently severe and not correctable, and adversely affectseducational performance.
Volunteer work (as admission factor): Special considerationgiven to students for activity done on a volunteer basis (e.g.,tutoring, hospital care, working with the elderly or disabled) as aservice to the community or the public in general.
Wait list: List of students who meet the admissionrequirements but will only be offered a place in the class if spacebecomes available.
Weekend college: A program that allows students to take acomplete course of study and attend classes only on weekends.
White, non-Hispanic: A person having origins in any of theoriginal peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East (exceptthose of Hispanic origin).
*Women's center - center with programs, academicactivities, and/or services intended to promote an understanding ofthe evolving roles of women.
Work experience (as admission factor): Specialconsideration given to students who have been employed prior toapplication, whether for relevance to major, demonstration ofemployment-related skills, or as explanation of student's academicand extracurricular record.
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.
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 gift 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 gift 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
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.