OMB Approval No: 1840-0525
Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX
Student Support Services Program
Annual Performance Report Instructions
2009–2010
WHAT IS THIS PACKAGE?
This package contains the instructions needed to prepare the annual performance report for the Student Support Services (SSS) Program. The Department of Education (Department) uses the information provided in the performance report to assess a grantee’s progress in meeting its approved goals and objectives and to determine a grantee’s prior experience points in accordance with the SSS program regulations (34 CFR Part 646).
2. WHAT ARE THE LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY AUTHORITIES TO COLLECT THIS INFORMATION?
Title IV, Section 402D, of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; the program regulations in 34 CFR Part 646; and 34 CFR Sections 75.590 and 75.720 of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR).
3. WHO MUST FILE THIS REPORT?
All grantees funded under the SSS Program must submit an annual performance report as a condition of the grant award.
4. WHAT PERIOD OF TIME IS COVERED IN THE REPORT?
The individual participant information provided in the report should cover the 12-month academic year of the grantee institution that most closely aligns with the 12-month budget year for the grant that is found in Block 6 of the Grant Award Notification. The 2009-10 academic year is roughly August/September 2009 through August 2010.
5. WHAT INFORMATION MUST BE SUBMITTED?
The report consists of two sections, and all grantees will be required to complete both sections: Section I (Project Identification, Certification and Warning information) and individual participant data in accordance with Section III - Record Structure for Participants. For the 2009-10 reporting period no grantee will be required to provide the project’s standardized objectives because this information has already been provided in a previous reporting period. Although the 2009-10 SSS APR data including the standardized objectives as provided by your project will not be used to assess prior experience points, a grantee will be able to view and print their previously reported project objectives at the time the data is submitted. In order to administer the Student Support Services Program, including tracking and evaluating participant progress, the Department needs to collect personal information on participants in the program.
6. WHEN MUST THE REPORT BE FILED?
The annual performance report (APR) must be submitted via the Web within 90 days after the end of each 12-month budget period. For the 2009–2010 project year, the due date for submitting the report is November 30, 2010.
7. HOW MAY THE REPORT BE SUBMITTED?
All SSS grantees must complete the APR online using the Web application. In addition, a grantee must fax a signed copy of Section I of the report form that certifies that the information submitted electronically is readily verifiable and the information reported is accurate and complete.
Because the APR requests personal and confidential information on project participants, the secured Web site meets the Department of Education’s data security standards for sensitive data, including improved password and site access procedures. Further, to ensure that the data is accessible only to authorized individuals and protected from unauthorized uses, a grantee must submit the participant level data via the Web application; under no circumstances should a grantee transmit the data to the Department or the APR Help Desk via e-mail.
The Web application and instructions for completing and submitting the report online will be available by October 1, 2010, at the following Web address:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/triostudsupp/report.html
The Web application that SSS grantees must use to submit the annual performance report has the following features:
A Web form for completing Sections I, and III, online.
Access to the grantee’s previous year’s APR data. A grantee may choose to download from the secured Web site its prior year’s APR data, without the participants’ social security numbers, as a comma-delimited file (CSV) or as an Excel (XLS) spreadsheet.
Functionality to upload a file with the individual participant records (Section III) to the Web application using a CSV or XLS file format.
Functionality to view/delete/add participant data online.
Online data field validations and error checks. In order for a grantee to be able to submit the APR, all sections of the APR must pass the first level of data field validations. Following the initial submission of the participant data, additional data quality checks will be run. If any errors or data inconsistencies are found, the grantee will be informed of needed corrections and the due date for resubmitting the Section III data.
A print button to make a hard copy of the information entered online for Section I.
Functionality to download an electronic file with the individual participant records (Section III).
A submit button to send the entire report to the Department.
An e-mail confirmation that the report has been submitted (a valid e-mail address must be provided in Section I).
A project will receive confirmation that the report has been successfully submitted, if the person entering the performance report data provided a valid e-mail address in Section I. After the report has been submitted, a confirmation will be automatically sent to the e-mail address provided. If you do not receive an e-mail confirmation, contact the APR Help Desk.
If for any reason, and prior to the deadline date, you need to revise your performance report data after it has been submitted, please contact the APR Help Desk as soon as possible but prior to November 30, 2010.
8. WHO MAY BE CONTACTED FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE SUBMISSION OF THE PERFORMANCE REPORT?
Please contact your program specialist directly if you have questions regarding the performance report requirements. A state listing of program specialists and contact information is available at the Web address provided above.
If you have technical problems accessing the Web site or using the Web application, please contact the APR Help Desk at (703) 846-8248 or via e-mail at: [email protected].
To begin completing this report online, from the Department’s Web page click on:
2. Once at the contractor's Web site (entitled "SSS Online, Program Year 2009-10"), you will need to register; you may do so well in advance of actual submittal of reports. So as to allow time to resolve any problems that might occur with registration, we ask you to register as early as possible.
To register, click on "First Time User? Register Here," you will then enter the project director's first and last names and e-mail address and the project's PR award number (found on the Grant Award Notification). If this information matches the data that the Department currently has on file, a user ID and temporary password will be sent to the e-mail address on file. If discrepancies exist, you will be directed to a "Registration Failed" page; if necessary, your program specialist and the Help Desk will be sent an e-mail message requesting verification of data on the project. Verification will occur within 24 hours if the program specialist can readily confirm a change in project director or e-mail address; if the program specialist has no prior knowledge of the change, it may take longer. Once the Help Desk has received verification from the program specialist, you will be notified to continue with registration.
3. Once you have your user ID and temporary password, you may enter them on the site in the top box of the left side of the page; click "Log in." You will be guided to select a new password and then to log in again.
Your new password must be at least eight characters, and include combinations of the following:
at least one English uppercase character (A-Z)
at least one English lowercase character (a-z)
at least one numeric number (0-9)
at least one non-alphanumeric special character (e.g.: !, @, #, $, &, *, %, /, +, -)
After three failed attempts to access the Web site, you will be locked out and must call the Help Desk to obtain access. If you forget your password, a "forgot password" link is available or you may call or e-mail the Help Desk for assistance (see telephone number and e-mail address for Help Desk below).
4. Follow the instructions for completing and submitting the report via the World Wide Web.
Student Support Services Program
Specific Instructions for Completing the Performance Report
For 2009-10
SECTION I -- PROJECT IDENTIFICATION, CERTIFICATION, AND WARNING
Identification
Many of the data fields in this section are pre-populated. Please review these fields, including the project director's e-mail address, and revise and update these fields as needed. Also, please provide information for any fields that are not pre-populated. You may change the data in all fields except for the project's PR Award Number, the Grantee Name, and the Report Period.
Certification
You must fax a signed copy of Section I of the report form that certifies that the information submitted electronically is accurate, complete, and readily verifiable to the best of your knowledge. Section I must be signed by both the project director and the certifying representative at the grantee institution and faxed to (703) 832-1360. With the exception of Section I of the report, do not fax a paper copy of the performance report.
Warnings
Any person who knowingly makes a false statement or misrepresentation on this report is subject to penalties, which may include fines, imprisonment, or both, under the United States Criminal Code and 20 U.S.C. 1097.
Further, Federal funds or other benefits may be withheld under these programs unless this report is completed and filed as required by existing law (20 U.S.C. 1231a) and regulations (34 CFR 75.590 and 75.720).
SECTION III: RECORD STRUCTURE FOR PARTICIPANTS
(1) Who should be included on the annual data file?
A project should use the SSS Program’s regulatory definition of a project participant in 34 CFR 646.7(c) to determine which current-year project participants should be included on the data file.
Participant means an individual who –
Is determined to be eligible to participate in the project under 34 CFR 646.3; and
Received project services the grantee has determined to be sufficient to increase the individual’s chances for success in a postsecondary educational program.
Since the Department needs to be able to track the academic progress of SSS participants from one academic year to the next, this performance report needs to follow the 12-month academic year of the grantee institution instead of the 12-month budget/project year for the grant. For example, the 2009-2010 academic year is generally August/September 2009 through August 2010 while the budget/project year for SSS grants is September 1, 2009, through August 31, 2010. As such, three possible scenarios are described below:
Scenario #1: The grantee institution’s fall term begins in August/September 2010 and the new participants for the 2010-11 academic year were enrolled during the summer of 2010, but significant project services began at the beginning of the fall term 2010. These SSS participants should not be included on the 2009-10 APR; they should be reported as “new” participants on the 2010-11 APR.
Scenario #2: The SSS student was enrolled at the grantee institution for the first time during the 2010 summer term and/or participated in a formal summer academic program offered by the SSS project for new SSS participants. These individuals should be included on the 2009-10 APR and reported as a “new participant (summer only).” Refer to the instructions below for field #16 (student cohort year) and field #15 (participant status).
Scenario #3: The SSS student was accepted for enrollment at the grantee institution and received significant pre-enrollment services (i.e., academic advising, assistance with class selection and registration, orientation workshops, financial aid advising) from the project during the summer prior to enrolling at the institution. This may include transfer students. These individuals should be included on the 2009-10 APR and reported as “New Participant (for summer session only);” these students are part of the subsequent year’s cohort (i.e., 2010-11).
A project must track the progress of prior-year participants for as long as they are enrolled at the grantee institution. To ensure that the data collected on prior-year participants is accurate and complete, there are two categories of prior-year participants:
Prior-year participants still enrolled at the grantee institution; and
Prior-year participants not enrolled at the grantee institution.
Definitions for prior-year participants are included in the section “Definitions that Apply.”
Please note that your data file must include all prior-year participants still enrolled at your institution during the project year and all those individuals who were either served by the project or enrolled at the institution during the previous project year (PY 2008–09) and did not return to your institution in PY 2009–10. This will enable the Department of Education to more accurately report on student outcomes, particularly the persistence rates of SSS participants.
For prior year participants not enrolled, the grantee should provide updated information on these prior-year participants. Specifically, the grantee must update the following data fields (#14, #17, #22, #27, and #28).
(2) What are the data fields?
The SSS APR contains 32 data fields. Two of the fields are file identifiers; the remaining fields are of two types: those data fields that, except in unusual situations, will not need to be updated annually; and those data fields that must be reviewed annually and updated, as needed. They are:
File Identifiers:
#1 PR/Award Number
#2 Batch Year
Fields that do not need to be updated annually
#3 Social Security Number
#4 Student’s Last Name
#5 Student’s First Name
#6 Student’s Middle Initial
#7 Student’s Date of Birth
#8 Gender
#9 Race/Ethnicity
#10 Eligibility
#11 First Enrollment Date (at grantee institution)
#12 Date of First Service
#13 Academic Need (at initial selection)
#16 Student Cohort Year
#18 College Grade Level (entry into project)
#24 GPA Scale
Fields that need to be reviewed and updated annually, as needed.
The asterisk (*) indicates fields for which a grantee may select the option “Not applicable (prior-year participants no longer enrolled).”
#14 Date of Last Project Service
#15 Participant Status
#17 Enrollment Status (at end of reporting year) *
#19 College Grade Level (at end of the 2009-10 reporting year)
#20 Persistence/Graduation Status (at end of 2009-10 academic year)
#21 Persistence Status (at the beginning of the 2010-11 academic year)
#22 Reasons for Withdrawal/Not Returning
#23 Transfers
#25 Cumulative GPA *
#26 Academic Standing *
#27 Undergraduate Degree/Certificate Completed at Grantee Institution
#28 Date of Undergraduate Degree
#29 Amount of Financial Aid Needed *
#30 Amount of Financial Aid Package *
#31 Amount of SSS Grant Aid Awarded *
#32 Summer Bridge (new participants only) *
Further, to ensure consistency in the data reporting, for each of the following fields, the information provided should be as of the end of the academic year being reported (i.e., as of the end of the summer term 2010 for the 2009-10 academic year).
#19 College Grade Level (at end of the 2009-10 reporting year)
#20 Persistence/Graduation Status (at end of 2009-10 academic year)
#22 Reasons for Withdrawal/Not Returning
#23 Transfers
#25 Cumulative GPA
#26 Academic Standing
#27 Undergraduate Degree/Certificate Completed at Grantee Institution
#28 Date of Undergraduate Degree
(3) How should the date fields be formatted (fields #7, #11, #12, #14 and 28)?
Please review carefully the Valid Field Content column to ensure that the data submitted is in the correct format. All date fields should be formatted as follows: 2 digits for month; 2 digits for day; 2 digits for century; and 2 digits for year. Also, please include slashes between the month, day and year. For example, a participant’s birth date of January 1, 1982, would be formatted as follows: 01/01/1982. To ensure that the date is properly imported, always use the zero before one-digit months and days and insert slashes.
Once the grantee has successfully logged in to the SSS APR Web application, this field will be pre-populated for each participant record.
Field #2 Batch Year (pre-populated)
The four-digit year will be pre-populated. The Batch Year designates the budget period that is the subject of this report. The Batch Year changes with each annual submission of individual participant records. The Department designates the Batch Year as the beginning year of the 12-month budget period. This may or may not be the same as the school year or academic year designations for some institutions. The Batch Year was chosen because TRIO projects are current-year funded, (e.g., Federal Fiscal Year 2009 funds were used to support PY 2009-2010). Thus, the data file for Batch Year 2009 would include information on both project participants served and prior participants tracked during PY 2009-2010.
These fields are self-explanatory. For definitions of the race/ethnicity categories, refer to the “Definitions that Apply” section of these instructions. Please pay special attention to the required formatting for each field.
Provide the date the individual first enrolled at the grantee institution. The enrollment date is the date when the participant has completed the registration requirements, paid their tuition and fees and attends first day of classes at the grantee institution. If you do not know the exact date, use 15 for the day and use your best estimate for the month.
Since a student accepted for enrollment at the grantee institution may receive services from the SSS project, the school enrollment date may be after the project entry date and/or the date of first service.
Field #12 Date of First Service (previously Project Entry Date)
Beginning with students served for the first time in 2005-06 (new participants only), you should provide the date of first service, instead of the project entry date. For continuing and prior-year participants served before 2005-06, you do not need to change the date previously reported (i.e., project entry date).
If you do not know the exact date, use 15 for the day and use your best estimate for the month.
Provide the date of last project service for all prior-year participants – those prior participants still enrolled at the grantee institutions, those prior participants no longer enrolled, and those participants who are reentries but not receiving project services at the grantee institution -- for current year participants who have graduated or withdrawn from the institution. It would be best to use the date the participant last attended a SSS activity or received a service from the project. If the date is not available, you may use the date the project dropped the student from its list of active participants. For those students who stay in the program until graduation, the date of last project service would be the college graduation date. Insert “88/88/8888” (Not applicable) in this field for an individual still participating in the SSS project at the end of the reporting year (or the beginning of the next academic year).
Field
#15 Participant Status
For each participant record, the grantee must review the options available and select or update this field as appropriate. The participant status options include:
New participant
Continuing participant
Prior-year participant still enrolled at grantee institution
Prior-year participant not enrolled at grantee institution
New participant (for summer session only)
Reentry (received project services)
Reentry (did not receive project services)
The two reentry categories are applicable only to students who left the institution and subsequently reentered the institution and received project services or reentered the institution but did not receive project services in the 2009-10 reporting year.
Field # 16 Student Cohort Year
Select, from the list provided, the cohort year that coincides with the academic year the student entered the SSS project.
A “new” participant served only during the 2010 summer session and not previously enrolled in postsecondary education would be in the 2010-11 cohort (option “12”). Option “12” should only be used for an individual served by the project for the first time in the 2010 summer session preceding the participant’s first academic year (i.e., 2010-11) at the grantee institution.
A student enrolled at the grantee institution prior to the summer 2010 but who received services from the SSS project for the first time during the summer 2010 would be in the 2009-10 cohort (option “11”).
All other new participants served for the first time in the 2009-10 reporting period would be in the 2009-10 cohort (option “11”).
To determine a participant’s enrollment status, use the sum of the credit or clock hours a student was enrolled in at the end of each academic term during the reporting year (i.e., sum of credits or clock hours enrolled in at the end of the fall, spring, and summer terms). Do not count the credit or clock hours the student officially dropped during any of the terms in the calculation of enrollment status. Please note that the enrollment status is based on the number of hours a student ENROLLED in not the number of hours the student earned. If a student received an “Incomplete” or failed the course, those hours should be included in the number of hours a student enrolled. Courses that are audited are not counted towards the number of hours enrolled.
Three examples follow:
Scenario 1: A student is enrolled for 9 credit hours (three-quarter time) for 3 semesters (fall, spring, and summer) enrolling for a total of 27 credit hours for the academic year. Since full-time status is 24 credits for the academic year, the student would be reported as a full-time student.
Scenario 2: A student is enrolled for 9 credit hours in the fall semester and 15 credits in the spring semester enrolling for a total of 24 credits. Since full-time status is 24 credits for the academic year, the student would be reported as a full-time student.
Scenario 3: A student is enrolled for 9 credits in both the fall and spring semesters enrolling for a total of 18 credits. Since 18 credits equal three-quarters of the full-time equivalent, the student would be reported as a three-quarter time students for the reporting year.
In determining the student’s postsecondary grade level, use the criteria of the grantee institution regarding grade level classifications and academic standing. Most postsecondary institutions use credits earned and grade point average to determine the college grade level. Use codes 3, 4, 5, and 6 only for students who have the required number of credits and GPA to be classified at the institution as sophomore, junior, senior, and other undergraduate, respectively. For students who have earned college credits during high school or through placement testing but have not previously been enrolled in college, use option “1—1st year, never attended.” However, in determining these students college grade level at the end of the reporting year (field #19), count the earned credits in determining the end of the reporting year grade level.
For the Current College Grade Level, provide information on the individual’s grade level at the end of the 2009-2010 academic year for all new, continuing, and prior-year participants still enrolled at the grantee institution. For students who graduated or transferred or students who are prior-year participants no longer enrolled at the institution during 2009-2010 use “99” -- “Not Enrolled.” Use option “15” for participants who were served by the SSS project for the first time during the summer session preceding the participant’s first academic year at the grantee institution.
To ensure uniformity in reporting, two-year institutions should use first-year (freshman) and second-year (sophomores) to designate the college grade levels of their participants in fields #18 and #19.
Please provide the participant’s enrollment status as of the end of the 2009-2010 academic year. Select option “1” for students who received a certificate/diploma.
Use option “9” for a student who obtained a certificate or an associate’s degree at a four-year institution and is continuing to pursue an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree at that institution.
Field #21 Persistence Status (at the beginning of the 2010-11 academic year)
Field #21 provides the data needed to determine, on an annual basis, the extent to which the grantee has met its approved persistence objective for the reporting period. Since the persistence objective measures the persistence of SSS participants from one academic year to the next at the grantee institution, it is necessary to know whether participants served in the current reporting year (i.e., 2009-10) enrolled at the grantee institution for the first term in the next academic year (i.e., fall 2010). Field #21 may require grantees to collect data on the enrollment status of project participants after the end of the budget period (i.e., August 31, 2010) but before the due date for submitting the APR (i.e., November 30, 2010 for the 2009-10 APR.).
For students who are no longer enrolled at grantee institution because they received an associate’s degree and transferred to a four-year institution or transferred from a two-year to a four-year institution, select option “2— Not enrolled at grantee institution (graduated with an associate degree and transferred to a four-year institution or transferred from a two-year to a four-year institution).” Use option “3” for: (1) all other transfers; (2) students who received an associate degree and did not transfer to a four-year institution; (3) students who received a bachelor’s degree; and (4) students who are no longer enrolled at the grantee institution.
Please use the code that best describes the reason the participant withdrew from the grantee institution or did not return. Provide the requested information for all participants who withdrew/did not return during or at the end of the academic year being reported (i.e., 2009-10). Use option“8” (Not applicable) for students still enrolled, completed certificate/diploma program, graduated or transferred.
Field # 23 Transfers
Please indicate the scale used by the grantee institution to calculate grade point average. For institutions that do not use a numeric scale, please use “3” for “Other.”
In Field #25, please provide information on the cumulative grade point average of all current year SSS participants at the end of the 2009–2010 academic year. Use “9.999” -- Not applicable for prior-year participants.
For students who participated in a summer bridge program and where no GPA was calculated, leave this field blank.
Use your institution’s criteria for determining good academic standing. Provide information on the academic standing of all current year SSS participants at the end of the 2009-2010 academic year. Select “9” (Not applicable) for prior-year participants.
For Field #27, indicate the degree/certificate completed during the 2009-2010 academic year.
If a student is working on a second bachelor’s degree, please use option “5” (2nd Bachelor’s degree).
For a student enrolled in a dual degree program who has completed four-years of instruction, use option“6” to indicate the student has obtained the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, even though a bachelor’s degree was not awarded. This option is only applicable for students who have completed four years of instruction and are working towards a graduate degree.
For students still enrolled at the grantee institution but who have not yet completed their undergraduate program of study, use option “8.”
Use option “9” for current or prior-year participants who withdrew from the grantee institution prior to obtaining degree/certificate, did not return to grantee institution, or transferred without receiving a degree including students who transferred from a 2 year to a 4 year institution. Use option “0” (No response/Unknown) only for those students for which the degree/certificate status is unknown.
The participant record for a student who has received a certificate or diploma from a program that is less than two years should not be dropped if the participant continues to be enrolled in a degree program at the grantee institution.
Field # 28 Date of Undergraduate Degree
For current and prior-year participants who obtained a certificate or degree during the reporting period, provide the date the certificate or degree was awarded. If you do not know the exact date, use 15 for the day and use your best estimate for the month.
The participant record for a participant that has received a certificate or diploma from a program that is less than two years should not be dropped if the participant continues to be enrolled in a degree program at the grantee institution.
Fields #29-31 Financial Aid and Grant Aid Awarded
Complete these fields only for those project participants who were new or continuing participants during PY 2009-2010. Leave these fields blank for prior-year participants. Also, leave these fields blank for reentry participants who did not receive project services. Please do not enter a range of values or negative values.
In field #29, enter the amount of financial aid needed as determined by the financial aid office. Do not include the amount of the expected family contribution.
In field #30, indicate the amount of the financial aid package offered to the SSS participant inclusive of federal, state, local, private, institutional aid. Do not include the amount of SSS grant aid in this field, as you will be asked to provide this information in field #31.
In field #31, provide the amount of SSS grand aid awarded for the PY 2009-2010. For this reporting period, individual grant aid awards should not be less than the minimum Pell Grant award of $976 nor exceed the maximum Pell Grant award of $4,860. (This term is defined in the section on “Definitions that Apply.”)
Note: By subtracting the sum of fields #30 and #31 from the amount of financial aid needed in field #29, the amount of unmet need can/will be calculated.
Field #32 Summer Bridge Program
Consistent with research findings regarding the benefits of summer bridge programs for students transitioning from high school to postsecondary education, many SSS projects offer a structured summer academic and enrichment program for entering students. These programs may be funded with the SSS grant funds, with non-federal funds, or a combination of both.
If your project offered a summer bridge program, for all new participants served in 2009-10 indicate whether or not the student participated in the summer bridge program (select “1” for participated; select option “2” for participants who did not participate in a summer bridge program). Select option “7” if the project did not offer a summer bridge program. Select option “8” for continuing participants, and option “9” for all prior-year participants or reentry participants who did not receive project services.
DEFINITIONS THAT APPLY
Race/Ethnicity categories (field #9)
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 affiliations or community recognition.
Asian - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. This area includes, for example, China, India, Japan, Korea, and the Philippine Islands.
Black or African American - A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
Hispanic or Latino - A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
White - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii or other Pacific islands such as Samoa and Guam.
More than one race reported – A person of a multi-racial background.
Participant Eligibility (field #10)
Low-income individual means an individual whose family taxable income did not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level amount in the calendar year preceding the year in which the individual initially participated in the project. The poverty level amount is determined using 29-criteria of poverty established by the Bureau of the Census of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
First-generation college student means an individual neither of whose natural or adoptive parents received a baccalaureate degree; or a student who, prior to the age of 18, regularly resided with and received support from only one natural or adoptive parent and whose supporting parent did not receive a baccalaureate degree.
Individual with disabilities means a person who has a diagnosed physical or mental impairment that substantially limits that person’s ability to participate in the educational experiences and opportunities offered by the grantee institution.
Academic Need (field #13)
Predictive indicator is a composite variable for estimating the potential success of a student in college using a variety of factors that may include indicators such as high school GPA, SAT or ACT test scores, high school preparedness, etc.
Diagnostic tests include tests used for clinical purposes such as to determine learning disabilities as well as placement tests and study skills inventories.
Participant Status (field #15)
A new participant is an individual who was served by the SSS project for the first time in this reporting period (PY 2009-2010) and meets the definition of participant in 34 CFR 646.7(c) of the SSS program regulations.
A new participant--summer session only is an individual served by the SSS project for the first time during the summer session preceding the participant’s first academic year at the grantee institution (i.e., served during summer 2010 prior to the 2010-11 academic year). This student is thus part of the subsequent year’s cohort (i.e., 2010-11-option “12,” field #16). This definition does not include a student enrolled at the grantee institution prior to the summer session but who received services from the SSS project for the first time during the summer 2010. This individual would meet the definition of “new participant” (field #15, option “1,” and would be in the 2009-10 cohort (field #16, option “11”).
Note: A participant who is a “new participant—summer session only” (option “5”) on the 2009-10 APR should be coded as a “new participant” (option “1”) on the 2010-11 APR.
A continuing participant is an individual who was served by the SSS project in a prior reporting period and also received services in the 2009-10 reporting period.
A prior-year participant still enrolled at grantee institution is an individual served by the SSS project in a prior reporting period that was enrolled at the grantee institution during the current reporting period but did not receive project services on a continual basis during the reporting period. This definition includes a prior-year participant who received a certificate/diploma from a program that is less than two years and is pursuing an associate’s degree at the grantee institution. However, a prior-year participant that is pursuing a second or graduate degree at the grantee institution after attaining the first bachelor’s degree (grantees who are four-year institutions) or attained the associate’s degree and/or transferred to four-year institution (grantees who are two-year institutions) are not included in this definition.
A prior-year participant not enrolled at the grantee institution is an individual served by the SSS project in a prior reporting period who was enrolled at the grantee institution during the previous reporting period (2008-2009) but who was not enrolled at the grantee institution during current reporting period (2009-2010).
A reentry participant (receiving project services) is an individual who left the grantee institution in a previous reporting period, then reentered the institution and was served by the project in 2009-10.
A reentry participant (not receiving project services) is an individual who left the grantee institution in a previous reporting period, then reentered the institution and was not served by the project in 2009-10.
Note: The sum of the number of new, new summer session only, continuing, and reentry (receiving project services) participants should equal the total number of participants the project served during the 2009-2010 reporting period
Student Cohort Year (field #16)
For this field, the cohort is a group of students who started in the same project year. Please use the 12-month academic year as a guide for determining a participant’s cohort. An individual student is a member of the same cohort for reporting purposes even if that student leaves the program and returns (e.g., reentries). Further, a student remains in the same cohort group for each successive year.
Dual degree program is a program of study that awards an individual both the bachelor’s and a graduate degree upon successful completion of the program of study.
Undergraduate Degree/Certificate at Grantee Institution (field #27)
Equivalent of bachelor’s degree is to be used only for SSS participants enrolled in dual degree program that have completed four years of undergraduate study and are working towards a graduate degree.
SSS Grant Aid (field #31)
SSS grant aid is financial grant aid that a SSS project may award to current year participants in the project who are in their first two years of postsecondary education and who are receiving Federal Pell Grants. Grant aid may be awarded to students who have completed their first two years of postsecondary education and are receiving Federal Pell Grants, if the institution demonstrates that these students are at high-risk of dropping out and the financial needs of all its eligible first and second-year students have been met. For this reporting period, individual grant aid awards should not be less than the minimum Pell Grant award of $976 nor exceed the maximum Pell grant award of $4,860.
Summer Bridge Program (field #32)
Summer bridge program refers to a structured summer program to assist students transitioning from high school to postsecondary education and may include college courses and other academic and enrichment activities that should be described in the funded application.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | FY 2008-2009 Annual Performance Report Instructions for the Student Support Services Program (MS Word) |
| Author | Office of Postsecondary Education |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-02-02 |