ACT - A standardized college admission test. It features four main sections: English, math, reading and science — and an optional essay section.
Admission Tests - Also known as college entrance exams, these are tests designed to measure students’ skills and help colleges evaluate how ready students are for college-level work. The ACT and the College Board’s SAT are two standardized admission tests used in the United States. The word "standardized" means that the test measures the same thing in the same way for everyone who takes it.
Articulation Agreement - An agreement between two-year and four-year colleges that makes it easier to transfer credits between them. It spells out which courses count for degree credit and the grades you need to earn to get credit.
Billable Costs – Those costs that are billed directly by the institution to the family. Billable costs include tuition and fees, as well as room and board for students living on campus housing and taking meals on campus. Billable costs are sometimes referred to as direct costs
Campus Based Programs – Federal Loan, Federal Work Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and Perkins loans are the three kinds of federally funded financial aid programs that are administered by colleges and universities
Candidates Reply Date Agreement (CRDA) - An agreement many colleges follow that gives applicants until May 1 to accept or decline offers of admission. This agreement gives students time to get responses from most of the colleges they have applied to before deciding on one.
Class Rank - A measurement of how your academic achievement compares with that of other students in your grade. This number is usually determined by using a weighted GPA that takes into account both your grades and the difficulty of the courses you’ve taken.
College Application Essay - An essay that a college requires students to write and submit as part of their application. Some colleges offer applicants specific questions to answer, while others simply ask applicants to write about themselves. Colleges may refer to this as a “personal statement.”
College Credit - What you get when you successfully complete a college-level course. You need a certain number of credits to graduate with a degree. Colleges may also grant credit for scores on exams, such as those offered by College Board’s AP Program® and CLEP.
Common Application - A standard application form accepted by all colleges that are members of the Common Application association. You can fill out this application once and submit it to any one — or several — of the 475-plus colleges that accept it.
Cost of Attendance – This figure is determined for each college by totaling the costs for tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, personal expenses and travel
CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE – A fully online data collection and need-analysis service required by many colleges, universities and private scholarship programs in addition to the FAFSA. CSS/PROFILE is used in awarding private financial aid funds. Students pay a fee to register for the CSS/PROFILE and have reports sent to institutions and programs that use it
Deferred Admission - Permission from a college that has accepted you to postpone enrolling in the college. The postponement is usually for up to one year.
Early Action (EA) - An option to submit your applications before the regular deadlines. When you apply early action, you get admission decisions from colleges earlier than usual. Early action plans are not binding, which means that you do not have to enroll in a college if you are accepted early action. Some colleges have an early action option called EA II, which has a later application deadline than their regular EA plan.
Early Decision (ED) - An option to submit an application to your first-choice college before the regular deadline. When you apply early decision, you get an admission decision earlier than usual. Early decision plans are binding. You agree to enroll in the college immediately if admitted and offered a financial aid package that meets your needs. Some colleges have an early decision option called ED II, which has a later application deadline than their regular ED plan.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) – The amount of money that a family is expected to contribute toward the student’s cost of attendance. This number is the result of completing a FAFSA
Federal Methodology – The method used for calculating EFC based on the FAFSA
Federal Pell Grant – A Federally sponsored and administered program that provides grants based on exceptional need to undergraduate students. Congress annually sets the dollar range for grants
Financial Aid - Money given or loaned to you to help pay for college. Financial aid can come from federal and state governments, colleges, and private organizations.
Financial Aid Award Letter – A notice from a college or other financial aid sponsor that tells the student how much aid is being offered. The award letter also usually explains how a student’s financial need was determined, describes the contents of the financial aid package, and outlines any conditions attached to the award
Gift Aid – Financial aid such as a grant or scholarship offered by the government and colleges
Grade Point Average (GPA) - A number that shows overall academic performance. It’s computed by assigning a point value to each grade you earn. See also Weighted Grade Point Average.
Grants – Gift aid based on financial aid
Institutional Methodology – Another method for calculating a family’s expected contribution based on the completion of a CSS/Financial Aid Profile. This amount is used for awarding financial aid from funds under the college’s control
Legacy Applicant - A college applicant with a relative (usually a parent or grandparent) who graduated from that college. Some colleges give preference to legacy applicants (also called “legacies”).
Need Aware – Colleges that take financial need and its ability to satisfy it when making admission decisions
Need-Blind Admission - A policy of making admission decisions without considering the financial circumstances of applicants. Colleges that use this policy may not offer enough financial aid to meet a student’s full need.
Non-Need Based Aid – Tuition discounts to attract certain students to a college
Open Admission - A policy of accepting any high school graduate, no matter what his or her grades are, until all spaces in the incoming class are filled. Almost all two-year community colleges have an open-admission policy. However, a college with a general open-admission policy may have admission requirements for certain programs.
Placement Tests - Tests that measure the academic skills needed for college-level work. They cover reading, writing, math and sometimes other subjects. Placement test results help determine what courses you are ready for and whether you would benefit from remedial classes.
Priority Date or Deadline - The date by which your application — whether it’s for college admission, student housing or financial aid — must be received to be given the strongest consideration.
Professional Judgment – The authority of a school’s financial aid administrator to make adjustments to the data elements on the FAFSA, based on supporting facts and documentation. This authority is also regulated by governmental requirements and guidelines subject to strict compliance audits
Registrar - The college official who registers students. The registrar may also be responsible for keeping permanent records and maintaining your student file.
Rolling Admission - An admission policy of considering each application as soon as all required information (such as high school records and test scores) has been received, rather than setting an application deadline and reviewing applications in a batch. Colleges that use a rolling admission policy usually notify applicants of admission decisions quickly.
SAT - The College Board’s standardized college admission test. It features three main sections: math, reading and writing, which includes a written essay.
SAT Subject Tests - Hour-long, content-based college admission tests that allow you to showcase achievement in specific subject areas: English, history, math, science and languages. Some colleges use Subject Tests to place students into the appropriate courses as well as in admission decisions. Based on your performance on the test(s), you could potentially fulfill basic requirements or earn credit for introductory-level courses.
Sophomore Standing - The status of a second-year student. A college may grant sophomore standing to an incoming freshman if he or she has earned college credits through courses, exams or other programs.
Subsidized Loan – A need based Stafford loan on which the government pays the interest while the student is in college
Transcript - The official record of your course work at a school or college. Your high school transcript is usually required for college admission and for some financial aid packages.
Transfer Student - A student who enrolls in a college after having attended another college.
Undergraduate - A college student who is working toward an associate or a bachelor's degree.
Universal College Application - A standard application form accepted by all colleges that are Universal College Application members. You can fill out this application once and submit it to any one — or several — of the 44 colleges that accept it.
Unsubsidized Loan – Non need based student loan on which interest accrues while the student is in college
Unmet Financial Need – The difference between the Cost of Attendance and the Expected Family Contribution. This is the amount on which financial aid and loans are based
Waiting List - The list of applicants who may be admitted to a college if space becomes available. Colleges wait to hear if all the students they accepted decide to attend. If students don’t enroll and there are empty spots, a college may fill them with students who are on the waiting list.
Weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) - A grade point average that’s calculated using a system that assigns a higher point value to grades in more-difficult classes. For example, some high schools assign the value of 5.0 (instead of the standard 4.0) for an A earned in an AP class.
Work Study – A federal program that provides campus based employment for those with the greatest financial need.
Admission Tests - Also known as college entrance exams, these are tests designed to measure students’ skills and help colleges evaluate how ready students are for college-level work. The ACT and the College Board’s SAT are two standardized admission tests used in the United States. The word "standardized" means that the test measures the same thing in the same way for everyone who takes it.
Articulation Agreement - An agreement between two-year and four-year colleges that makes it easier to transfer credits between them. It spells out which courses count for degree credit and the grades you need to earn to get credit.
Billable Costs – Those costs that are billed directly by the institution to the family. Billable costs include tuition and fees, as well as room and board for students living on campus housing and taking meals on campus. Billable costs are sometimes referred to as direct costs
Campus Based Programs – Federal Loan, Federal Work Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and Perkins loans are the three kinds of federally funded financial aid programs that are administered by colleges and universities
Candidates Reply Date Agreement (CRDA) - An agreement many colleges follow that gives applicants until May 1 to accept or decline offers of admission. This agreement gives students time to get responses from most of the colleges they have applied to before deciding on one.
Class Rank - A measurement of how your academic achievement compares with that of other students in your grade. This number is usually determined by using a weighted GPA that takes into account both your grades and the difficulty of the courses you’ve taken.
College Application Essay - An essay that a college requires students to write and submit as part of their application. Some colleges offer applicants specific questions to answer, while others simply ask applicants to write about themselves. Colleges may refer to this as a “personal statement.”
College Credit - What you get when you successfully complete a college-level course. You need a certain number of credits to graduate with a degree. Colleges may also grant credit for scores on exams, such as those offered by College Board’s AP Program® and CLEP.
Common Application - A standard application form accepted by all colleges that are members of the Common Application association. You can fill out this application once and submit it to any one — or several — of the 475-plus colleges that accept it.
Cost of Attendance – This figure is determined for each college by totaling the costs for tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, personal expenses and travel
CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE – A fully online data collection and need-analysis service required by many colleges, universities and private scholarship programs in addition to the FAFSA. CSS/PROFILE is used in awarding private financial aid funds. Students pay a fee to register for the CSS/PROFILE and have reports sent to institutions and programs that use it
Deferred Admission - Permission from a college that has accepted you to postpone enrolling in the college. The postponement is usually for up to one year.
Early Action (EA) - An option to submit your applications before the regular deadlines. When you apply early action, you get admission decisions from colleges earlier than usual. Early action plans are not binding, which means that you do not have to enroll in a college if you are accepted early action. Some colleges have an early action option called EA II, which has a later application deadline than their regular EA plan.
Early Decision (ED) - An option to submit an application to your first-choice college before the regular deadline. When you apply early decision, you get an admission decision earlier than usual. Early decision plans are binding. You agree to enroll in the college immediately if admitted and offered a financial aid package that meets your needs. Some colleges have an early decision option called ED II, which has a later application deadline than their regular ED plan.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) – The amount of money that a family is expected to contribute toward the student’s cost of attendance. This number is the result of completing a FAFSA
Federal Methodology – The method used for calculating EFC based on the FAFSA
Federal Pell Grant – A Federally sponsored and administered program that provides grants based on exceptional need to undergraduate students. Congress annually sets the dollar range for grants
Financial Aid - Money given or loaned to you to help pay for college. Financial aid can come from federal and state governments, colleges, and private organizations.
Financial Aid Award Letter – A notice from a college or other financial aid sponsor that tells the student how much aid is being offered. The award letter also usually explains how a student’s financial need was determined, describes the contents of the financial aid package, and outlines any conditions attached to the award
Gift Aid – Financial aid such as a grant or scholarship offered by the government and colleges
Grade Point Average (GPA) - A number that shows overall academic performance. It’s computed by assigning a point value to each grade you earn. See also Weighted Grade Point Average.
Grants – Gift aid based on financial aid
Institutional Methodology – Another method for calculating a family’s expected contribution based on the completion of a CSS/Financial Aid Profile. This amount is used for awarding financial aid from funds under the college’s control
Legacy Applicant - A college applicant with a relative (usually a parent or grandparent) who graduated from that college. Some colleges give preference to legacy applicants (also called “legacies”).
Need Aware – Colleges that take financial need and its ability to satisfy it when making admission decisions
Need-Blind Admission - A policy of making admission decisions without considering the financial circumstances of applicants. Colleges that use this policy may not offer enough financial aid to meet a student’s full need.
Non-Need Based Aid – Tuition discounts to attract certain students to a college
Open Admission - A policy of accepting any high school graduate, no matter what his or her grades are, until all spaces in the incoming class are filled. Almost all two-year community colleges have an open-admission policy. However, a college with a general open-admission policy may have admission requirements for certain programs.
Placement Tests - Tests that measure the academic skills needed for college-level work. They cover reading, writing, math and sometimes other subjects. Placement test results help determine what courses you are ready for and whether you would benefit from remedial classes.
Priority Date or Deadline - The date by which your application — whether it’s for college admission, student housing or financial aid — must be received to be given the strongest consideration.
Professional Judgment – The authority of a school’s financial aid administrator to make adjustments to the data elements on the FAFSA, based on supporting facts and documentation. This authority is also regulated by governmental requirements and guidelines subject to strict compliance audits
Registrar - The college official who registers students. The registrar may also be responsible for keeping permanent records and maintaining your student file.
Rolling Admission - An admission policy of considering each application as soon as all required information (such as high school records and test scores) has been received, rather than setting an application deadline and reviewing applications in a batch. Colleges that use a rolling admission policy usually notify applicants of admission decisions quickly.
SAT - The College Board’s standardized college admission test. It features three main sections: math, reading and writing, which includes a written essay.
SAT Subject Tests - Hour-long, content-based college admission tests that allow you to showcase achievement in specific subject areas: English, history, math, science and languages. Some colleges use Subject Tests to place students into the appropriate courses as well as in admission decisions. Based on your performance on the test(s), you could potentially fulfill basic requirements or earn credit for introductory-level courses.
Sophomore Standing - The status of a second-year student. A college may grant sophomore standing to an incoming freshman if he or she has earned college credits through courses, exams or other programs.
Subsidized Loan – A need based Stafford loan on which the government pays the interest while the student is in college
Transcript - The official record of your course work at a school or college. Your high school transcript is usually required for college admission and for some financial aid packages.
Transfer Student - A student who enrolls in a college after having attended another college.
Undergraduate - A college student who is working toward an associate or a bachelor's degree.
Universal College Application - A standard application form accepted by all colleges that are Universal College Application members. You can fill out this application once and submit it to any one — or several — of the 44 colleges that accept it.
Unsubsidized Loan – Non need based student loan on which interest accrues while the student is in college
Unmet Financial Need – The difference between the Cost of Attendance and the Expected Family Contribution. This is the amount on which financial aid and loans are based
Waiting List - The list of applicants who may be admitted to a college if space becomes available. Colleges wait to hear if all the students they accepted decide to attend. If students don’t enroll and there are empty spots, a college may fill them with students who are on the waiting list.
Weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) - A grade point average that’s calculated using a system that assigns a higher point value to grades in more-difficult classes. For example, some high schools assign the value of 5.0 (instead of the standard 4.0) for an A earned in an AP class.
Work Study – A federal program that provides campus based employment for those with the greatest financial need.