Blueprint for Success

Word

Definition

Academic Year

Usually this refers to the September-June school year, but it can also refer to a July-June calendar.

Accreditation

The act of granting credit or recognition (especially with respect to educational institution that maintains suitable standards)

Add/Drop Period

Occurring at the beginning of the semester, this is a time period during which the student may make changes schedule changes without any academic or financial consequences.

Advisor:

A member of the college faculty or staff who assists students with planning semester schedules as well as their overall programs of study. Advisors may also help with career planning.

Associate’s Degree

It may take 2-5 years to achieve an Associate’s degree. In order to complete an Associate’s degree, you will need to complete 60 or more credits

Bachelor or Baccalaureate Degree

Often called a four-year degree program, a Bachelor’s degree is granted for completion of a course of study usually requiring 120-128 semester credits. You cannot get a bachelor’s degree at a two-year community college; however, you may be able to put your credits from your Associate’s degree towards a Bachelor’s degree.

Certificate

These vary in length, but often they are the quickest route to a credential. At most community colleges, you will need 20-30 credits to complete a certificate.

Competency

In “competency-based” courses or instructional programs, students must demonstrate certain skills and abilities (instead of just earning passing grades in classes) before moving from one level to the next or earning the final degree.

COA

(Cost Of Attendance)-Expected cost of attending a particular school.

CLEP

The College Level Examination Program is a group of standardized tests that assess college-level knowledge in several subject areas that are administered at more than 1,700 colleges and universities across the United States created by the College Board

Credit

A unit of measure for college work. Generally speaking, one credit hour represents one hour of classroom attendance each week for one semester.

Dean

An academic administrator or official at a school, college, or university, especially one with responsibility for students or faculty.

Degree

A rank conferred by a college or university and earned by a student who has successfully completed specified courses and requirements.

Dependent Student

Student who are reliant on parents for financial support and who do not apart from their parents.

Department

An organizational unit within a college or university, offering courses dealing with a particular field of knowledge, for example: the English Department

Elective

A course that is not required for a particular instructional program. Many programs require a certain number of elective credits.

EFC

Expected Family Contribution: The amount the federal government determines your family should be able to contribute to your education.

Final Exam / Final Exam Week

Final exams are held the last week of each semester for credit students. Normal class schedules often vary during this week.

Financial Aid Package

Generally a combination of grants, scholarships, loan’s and work-study, this is the total amount of financial aid you receive to help pay for college costs.

Full-time student

Generally refers to those students taking at least 12 credits per semester

Grants

A form of financial aid that does not have to be repaid!

Higher Education

Generally refers to 2 and 4-year colleges and universities.

Independent Student

For financial aid purposes, these are students who are not reliant of parents for financial support and live apart from their parents.

Independent Study

An arrangement that allows a student to earn college credit through individual study and research, usually planned with and supervised by a faculty member.

Internship

A supervised short-term apprenticeship or temporary job in a real-world setting closely related to a student’s related field of study. The student may or may not be paid, but earns college credit for work experience.

Loans

A form of financial aid that must be repaid with interest.

Loan Forgiveness

A program in which a borrower’s loans are paid off in exchange for paid work under conditions (duration, location, job description, etc) set by the institution that sponsored the loan.

Matriculation

The process of a student declaring his/her intention to pursue a particular degree or certificate at a specific college or university.

Major

Specialization in one academic discipline or field of study.

Part-time Student

Generally refers to those students who are not taking a full course load, but who are taking at least 6 credits per semester. 

Pell Grant

A federal grant program to assist low-income students in attending institutions of higher education.

Practicum

A course that includes job-related activities and stress the practical application of theory in a field of study.

Prerequisite

A course that must be completed or a skill that must be demonstrated before a student can enroll in a more advanced course.

Scholarships

A form of financial aid that does not have to be repaid and is typically based on outstanding personal performance in an area such as academics, music, or athletics.

Syllabus

An outline plan for a particular class, including textbook requirements, class meeting dates, reading assignments, examination dates, and the instructor’s grading standards, etc.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition is a student’s basic payment towards the cost of instruction at a college or university. Most institutions also charge fees for laboratory equipment and materials, computer use, parking, and other miscellaneous costs.

Work-study

A type of financial aid which pays students to work part-time, often on campus, during the academic year.