Glossary

Application for Approval to Participate in Federal Student Financial Aid Programs

U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, Program Compliance, School Eligibility Channel, School Participation Management Division

Glossary

For additional help in filling out the Electronic Application, refer to the Help Document

Words and phrases used in the "Application for Approval to Participate in Federal Student Financial Aid Programs"

[A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z]

-A-

Ability-to-Benefit Student

A student who has neither a high school diploma nor its recognized equivalent (such as a GED) but who passed an independently administered test approved by the U.S. Secretary of Education that indicates the student can benefit from postsecondary education or training.

Academic Year

If the program is offered in credit hours, a time period of at least 30 instructional weeks during which a full-time undergraduate student is expected to complete:

         at least 24 semester or trimester credit hours or 36 quarter credit hours at an institution using those credit hours

or

If the program is offered in clock hours, a time period of at least 26 instructional weeks during which a full-time undergraduate student is expected to complete:

         at least 900 clock hours of instruction at an institution using clock hours.

Accrediting Agency

An agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a reliable authority for evaluating the educational quality of programs offered by postsecondary institutions.

Administrative Capability

A requirement an institution must meet to participate in federal student financial aid programs. Administrative capability covers specific areas in an institution's management of its federal student financial aid programs. For further information, refer to 34 CFR 668.16

Associate Degree

A degree awarded by a postsecondary institution to a student who has successfully completed at least two years of academic study in an academic or occupational field of study. Associate degrees include, but are not limited to, the following:

         Associate of Arts (A.A.),

         Applied Associate of Science (A.A.S.),

         Associate of Occupational Science (A.O.S),

and

         Associate of Science (A.S.).

Award Year

The time period beginning July 1 of one calendar year through June 30 of the following calendar year.

-B-

Bachelors Degree

A degree awarded by a postsecondary institution to a student who has completed at least four academic years of college-level work in an academic or occupation-specific field of study. Bachelor's degrees include, but are not limited to, the following:

         Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

and

         Bachelor of Science (BS).

-C-

CEO

Chief executive officer

Certified English Translation

An accurate translation acceptable to the U.S. Secretary of Education that is approved or authorized, in writing, by the President/CEO or other official of the school.

CFR

See Code of Federal Regulations.

CIP Codes

See Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Codes

Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)

Codes A manual published by ED listing codes, titles, and descriptions of educational programs that institutions and states use for reporting and analyzing data.

Clock Hour

The period of time consisting of:

         a 50-minute to 60-minute class, lecture, or recitation in a 60-minute period;

or

         a 50-minute to 60-minute faculty-supervised laboratory, shop training, or internship in a 60-minute period;

or

         60 minutes of preparation in a program of study by correspondence.

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

A compilation of published federal regulations that appeared in the Federal Register. Regulations implementing federal student financial aid programs are found in Title 34 CFR.

Correspondence Course or Program

A "home study" course provided by an institution to students who are not physically attending classes. If a program is part correspondence course and part residential, it is considered to be a correspondence course. Some correspondence programs require a period of residential training.

Credit Hour

A semester, trimester, or quarter credit hour.

-D-

"Dear Colleagues" letter (DCL)

Information and guidance provided to the student financial aid community by the U.S. Department of Education in a letter format.

 

Direct Assessment

A program that in lieu of credit hours or clock hours as a measure of student learning, uses direct assessment of student learning or recognizes the direct assessment of student learning by others. For further information refer to the General Provisions 34 CFR 668.10.

Doctoral Degree

Any of numerous academic degrees awarded by universities and some colleges on completion of advanced graduate or professional studies in the humanities, the social sciences, the behavioral sciences, or the pure sciences beyond the master's level. Doctoral degrees include, but are not limited to, the following:

         Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.),

         Doctor of Theology (Th.D.),

         Doctor of Engineering (Eng.D.),

and

         Doctor Education (Ed.D.),

See also Professional Degree.

Doing Business As

The name, if different from the official name of an institution, under which an institution holds itself out to the public.

-E-

ED

An abbreviated way of referring to the U.S. Department of Education.

Educational Program

A postsecondary course of study that generally leads to an academic or professional degree, vocational certificate, or other recognized educational credential. The U.S. Secretary of Education considers that a postsecondary institutions is not providing an "educational program" if the institution itself does not provide the program's instruction (including a course of independent study) but merely gives credit for one or more of the following: instruction provided by other institutions or organizations, or other accomplishments (such as "life experience").

English Translation

See Certified English Translation.

Equivalent Degree

An educational credential that the U.S. Secretary of Education determines is the equivalent of an associate degree, bachelor's degree, or professional degree and that requires at least two academic years of study.

Ext.

An abbreviated way of referring to a telephone or fax extension.

-F-

Federal Student Financial Aid Programs

Student financial aid programs authorized under Title IV or the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). The programs include:

         the Federal Pell Grant Program,

         the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program,

         the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program,

         the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Program,

        the Federal College Work Study (FCWS) Program,

and

         the Federal Perkins Loan Program.

The last three programs are known as "campus-based programs."

Financial Responsibility

Measures of an institution's financial resources as shown in its financial statement audit.

First Professional Degree

See Professional Degree.

Foreign Graduate Medical School

A foreign institution listed as a medical school in the most current edition of the World Directory of Medical Schools published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Foreign Institution

An institution not located in a state. See also State.

-G-

No entries

-H-

HEA

See Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA)

Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA)

The statute that authorizes federal student financial aid programs and most of the other federal higher education programs that U.S. Department of Education administers. The statute's most current version is the official version of the law. See also Federal Student Financial Aid Programs.

-I-

Incarcerated Student

A student serving a criminal sentence in a federal, state, or local penitentiary, prison, jail, or other correctional facility. A student is not considered incarcerated if he or she is in a halfway house or home detention or sentenced to serve weekends only.

 

Ineligible Institution

An institution that has not been certified for participation in the Title IV programs.

 

IRS

U.S. Internal Revenue Service

-J,K,L-

No entries

-M-

Master's Degree

A degree awarded by a graduate school or department to a person who has completed the full-time equivalent of at least one but not more than two years of work beyond the baccalaureate level. Master's degrees include, but are not limited to, the following:

         Master of Arts (M.A.),

         Master of Science (M.S.),

and

         Master of Social Work (M.S.W.),

-N-

No entries

-O-

OPE ID

See OPE Identification (OPE ID) Number.

OPE Identification (OPE ID) Number

An 8-digit identification number assigned by the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) within the U.S. Department of Education to an institution that has been approved to participate in federal student financial aid programs.

Organization

An entity that is not an institution of higher education.

Our/We/Us

Here this refers to the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

-P-

Post-baccalaureate teacher certification program

A post-baccalaureate teacher certification or licensure program that consists of the courses required by a state to receive a professional certification or licensing credential necessary for employment as a teacher in an elementary or secondary school in that state. Note: The school cannot also offer a bachelor’s degree in education and the student must be pursuing an initial teacher certification or licensing credential within a state.

PPA

See Program Participation Agreement (PPA)

Professional Degree

A degree awarded by an institution to an entry-level professional in certain occupational fields. Although sometimes called doctoral degrees, professional degrees differ from research doctorates in that they do not include a required component of original research or a demonstration of expertise in a field beyond what is required to qualify for basic licensing examinations. Professional degrees may be awarded in such fields a chiropractic, dentistry, divinity/ministry, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, podiatry, rabbinical and talmudic studies, and veterinary medicine.

Program Participation Agreement (PPA)

The contract between an institution and ED that allows the institution to participate in federal student financial aid programs.

-Q-

Quarter Credit Hour

A way of measuring credit in higher education in which one quarter credit hour represents one hour of classroom instruction per week and two hours of outside preparation for that classroom hour during the course of a quarter academic term. A quarter academic term is usually 10 to 13 weeks long.

-R-

Regular Student

A person enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible program at an eligible postsecondary institution for the purpose of obtaining a degree or certificate offered by that institution.

-S-

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

A measure of whether a student is progressing adequately toward completion of his or her course of study. It is determined in terms of grade point average and course completions.

Semester Credit Hour

A way of measuring credit in which one semester credit hour represents one hour of classroom instruction per week and two hours of outside preparation for that classroom hour during the course of a semester academic term. A semester academic term usually is 13 to 17 weeks long.

SSN

Social Security number

State

A state of the union (of the United States of America), American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of the Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. See also Foreign Institution.

Student

See Regular Student.

-T-

TIN

See Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)

Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)

A 9-digit identification number that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assigns to an institution for federal tax purposes.

Telecommunications Course

A course offered primarily by television, audio, or computer transmission, including open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave or satellite, audio conferencing, computer conferencing, or videocassette or videodiscs. The term does not include a course that is delivered by videocassettes or videodisc recordings unless that same course is delivered to students physically attending classes at the institution during the same award year. See also Correspondence Course or Program.

Translation

See Certified English Translation

Trimester Credit Hour

A way measuring credit in higher education in which one trimester credit hour represents one hour of classroom instruction per week and two hours of outside preparation for that classroom hour during the course of a trimester academic term. A trimester academic term usually is 13 to 17 weeks long.

Two-Academic-Year Transfer Program.

A formal education program of two academic years that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor's degree.

-U-

Us/We/Our

Here this refers to the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

-V-

No entries

-W-

We/Us/Our

Here this refers to the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

-X-

No entries

-Y-

You/Yours

Here this refers to the Institution completing the document.

-Z-

No entries

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