Items preceded by an asterisk
(*) represent definitions agreed
to among publishers which do
not appear on the CDS document
but may be present on individual
publishers’ surveys. Common
Data Set Definitions All definitions
related to the financial aid
section appear at the end of
the Definitions document.
Items preceded by an asterisk (*) represent definitions agreed
to among publishers which do not appear on the CDS document but
may be present on individual publishers’ surveys.
*Academic advisement: Plan under
which each student is assigned to a faculty member or a trained
adviser, who, through regular meetings, helps the student plan
and implement immediate and long-term academic and vocational goals.
Accelerated program: Completion of
a college program of study in fewer than the usual number of years,
most often by attending summer sessions and carrying extra courses
during the regular academic term.
Admitted student: Applicant who is
offered admission to a degree-granting program at your institution.
*Adult student services: Admission
assistance, support, orientation, and other services expressly
for adults who have started college for the first time, or who
are re-entering after a lapse of a few years.
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
affiliation or community recognition.
Applicant (first-time, first year):
An individual who has fulfilled the institution’s requirements
to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of
the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of
the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting
list, or application withdrawn (by applicant or institution).
Application fee: That amount of money
that an institution charges for processing a student’s application
for acceptance. This amount is not creditable toward tuition and
required fees, nor is it refundable if the student is not admitted
to the institution.
Asian or Pacific Islander: A person
having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East,
Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or Pacific Islands. This
includes people from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands,
American Samoa, India, and Vietnam.
Associate degree: An award that normally
requires at least two but less than four years of full-time equivalent
college work.
Bachelor’s degree: An award (baccalaureate
or equivalent degree, as determined by the Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Education) that normally requires at least four years
but not more than five years of full-time equivalent college-level
work. This includes ALL bachelor’s degrees conferred in a five-year
cooperative (work-study plan) program. (A cooperative plan provides
for alternate class attendance and employment in business, industry,
or government; thus, it allows students to combine actual work
experience with their college studies.) Also, it includes bachelor’s
degrees in which the normal four years of work are completed in
three years.
Black, non-Hispanic: A person having
origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa (except those
of Hispanic origin).
Board (charges): Assume average cost
for 19 meals per week or 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 institution structures most of its courses for the academic
year.
*Career and placement services: A
range of services, including (often) the following: coordination
of visits of employers to campus; aptitude and vocational testing;
interest inventories, personal counseling; help in resume writing,
interviewing, launching the job search; listings for those students
desiring employment and those seeking permanent positions; establishment
of a permanent reference folder; career resource materials.
Carnegie units: One year of study
or the equivalent in a secondary school subject.
Certificate: See Postsecondary award,
certificate, or diploma.
Class rank: The relative numerical
position of a student in his or her graduating class, calculated
by the high school on the basis 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 or university study.
Common Application: The standard
application form distributed by the National Association of Secondary
School Principals for a large number of private colleges who are
members of the Common Application Group.
*Community service program: Referral
center for students wishing to perform volunteer work in the community
or participate in volunteer activities coordinated by academic
departments.
Commuter: A student who lives off
campus in housing that is not owned by, operated by, or affiliated
with the college. This category includes students who commute from
home and students who have moved to the area to attend college.
Contact hour: A unit of measure that
represents an hour of scheduled instruction given to students.
Also referred to as clock hour.
Continuous basis (for program enrollment):
A calendar system classification that is used by institutions that
enroll students at any time during the academic year. For example,
a cosmetology school or a word processing school might allow students
to enroll and begin studies at various times, with no requirement
that classes begin on a certain date.
Cooperative housing: College-owned,
-operated, or -affiliated housing in which students share room
and board expenses and participate in household chores to reduce
living expenses.
Cooperative (work-study plan) program:
A program that provides for alternate class attendance and employment
in business, industry, or government.
*Counseling service: Activities designed
to assist students in making plans and decisions related to their
education, career, or personal development.
Credit: Recognition of attendance
or performance in an instructional activity (course or program)
that can be applied by a recipient 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 a degree, diploma, certificate, or other
formal award.
Credit hour: A unit of measure representing
an hour (50 minutes) of instruction over a 15-week period in a
semester or trimester system or a 10-week period in a quarter system.
It is applied toward the total number of hours needed for completing
the requirements of a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal
award.
Cross-registration: A system whereby
students enrolled at one institution may take courses at another
institution without having to apply to the second institution.
Deferred admission: The practice
of permitting admitted students to postpone enrollment, usually
for a period of one academic term or one year.
Degree: An award conferred by a college,
university, or other postsecondary education institution as official
recognition for the successful completion of a program of studies.
Degree-seeking students: Students
enrolled in courses for credit who are recognized by the institution
as seeking a degree or formal award. At the undergraduate level,
this is intended to include students enrolled in vocational or
occupational programs.
Differs by program (calendar system):
A calendar system classification that is used by institutions that
have occupational/vocational programs of varying length. These
schools may enroll 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 in January, April, and October.
Diploma: See Postsecondary award,
certificate, or diploma.
Distance learning: An option for
earning course credit at off-campus locations via cable television,
internet, satellite classes, videotapes, correspondence courses,
or other means.
Doctoral degree: The highest award
a student can earn for graduate study. The doctoral degree classification
includes such degrees as Doctor of Education, Doctor of Juridical
Science, Doctor of Public Health, and the Doctor of Philosophy
degree in any field such as agronomy, food technology, education,
engineering, public administration, ophthalmology, or radiology.
For the Doctor of Public Health degree, the prior degree is generally
earned in the closely related field of medicine or in sanitary
engineering.
Double major: Program in which students
may complete two undergraduate programs of study simultaneously.
Dual enrollment: A program through
which high school students may enroll in college courses while
still enrolled in high school. Students are not required to apply
for admission to the college in order to participate.
Early action plan: An admission plan
that allows students to apply and be notified of an admission decision
well in advance of the regular notification dates. If admitted,
the candidate is not committed to enroll; the student may reply
to the offer under the college’s regular reply policy.
Early admission: A policy under which
students who have not completed 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 apply and be notified of an admission decision
(and financial aid offer if applicable) well in advance of the
regular notification date. Applicants agree to accept an offer
of admission and, if admitted, to withdraw their applications from
other colleges. There are three possible decisions for early decision
applicants: admitted, denied, or not admitted but forwarded for
consideration with the regular applicant pool, without prejudice.
English as a Second Language (ESL):
A course of study designed specifically for students whose native
language is not English.
Exchange student program-domestic:
Any arrangement between a student and a college that permits study
for a semester or more at another college in the United States
without extending the amount of time required for a degree. See
also Study abroad.
External degree program: A program
of study in which students earn credits toward a degree through
independent study, college courses, proficiency examinations, and
personal experience. External degree programs require minimal or
no classroom attendance.
Extracurricular activities (as admission
factor): Special consideration in the admissions process
given for participation in both school and nonschool-related
activities of interest to the college, such as clubs, hobbies,
student government, athletics, performing arts, etc.
First professional certificate (postdegree):
An award that requires completion of an organized program of study
designed for persons who have completed the first professional
degree. Examples could be refresher courses or additional units
of study in a specialty or subspecialty.
First professional degree: An award
in one of the following fields: Chiropractic (DC, DCM), dentistry
(DDS, DMD), medicine (MD), optometry (OD), osteopathic medicine
(DO), rabbinical and Talmudic studies (MHL, Rav), Pharmacy (BPharm,
PharmD), podiatry (PodD, DP, DPM), veterinary medicine (DVM), law
(LLB, JD), divinity/ministry (BD, MDiv).
First-time student: A student attending
any institution for the first time at the level enrolled. Includes
students enrolled in the fall term who attended a postsecondary
institution for the first time at the same level in the prior summer
term. Also includes students who entered with advanced standing
(college credit earned before graduation from high school).
First-time, first-year (freshman) student:
A student attending any institution for the first time at the undergraduate
level. Includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended
college for the first time in the prior summer term. Also includes
students who entered with advanced standing (college credits earned
before graduation from high school).
First-year student: A student who
has completed less than the equivalent of 1 full year of undergraduate
work; that is, less than 30 semester hours (in a 120-hour degree
program) or less than 900 contact hours.
Freshman: A first-year undergraduate
student.
*Freshman/new student orientation:
Orientation addressing the academic, social, emotional, and intellectual
issues involved in beginning college. May be a few hours or a few
days in length; at some colleges, there is a fee.
Full-time student (undergraduate):
A student enrolled for 12 or more semester credits, 12 or more
quarter credits, or 24 or more contact hours a week each term.
Geographical residence (as admission factor):
Special consideration in the admission process given to students
from a particular region, state, or country of residence.
Grade-point average (academic high school
GPA): The sum of grade points a student has earned in
secondary school divided by the number of courses taken. The
most common system of assigning numbers to grades counts four
points for an A, three points for a B, two points 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. Weighting gives students
additional points for their grades in advanced or honors courses.
Graduate student: A student who holds
a bachelor’s or first professional degree, or equivalent, and is
taking courses at the post-baccalaureate level.
*Health services: Free or low cost
on-campus primary and preventive health care available to students.
High school diploma or recognized equivalent:
A document certifying the successful completion of a prescribed
secondary school program of studies, or the attainment of satisfactory
scores on the Tests of General Educational Development (GED), or
another state-specified examination.
Hispanic: A person of Mexican, Puerto
Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture
or origin, regardless of race.
Honors program: Any special program
for very able students offering the opportunity for educational
enrichment, independent study, acceleration, or some combination
of these.
Independent study: Academic work
chosen or designed by the student with the approval of the department
concerned, under an instructor’s supervision, and usually undertaken
outside of the regular classroom structure.
In-state tuition: The tuition charged
by institutions to those students who meet the state’s or institution’s
residency requirements.
International student: See Nonresident
alien.
Internship: Any short-term, supervised
work experience usually related to a student’s major field, for
which the student earns academic credit. The work can be full-
or part-time, on- or off-campus, paid or unpaid.
*Learning center: Center offering
assistance through tutors, workshops, computer programs, or audiovisual
equipment in reading, writing, math, and skills such as taking
notes, managing time, taking tests.
*Legal services: Free or low cost
legal advice for a range of issues (personal and other).
Liberal arts/career combination:
Program in which a student earns undergraduate degrees in two separate
fields, one in a liberal arts 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 successful completion of a program of study of at least the
full-time equivalent of one but not more than two academic years
of work beyond the bachelor’s degree.
Minority affiliation (as admission factor):
Special consideration in the admission process for members of designated
racial/ethnic minority groups.
*Minority student center: Center
with programs, activities, and/or services intended to enhance
the college experience of students of color.
Nonresident alien: A person who is
not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this
country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right
to remain indefinitely.
*On-campus day care: Licensed day
care for students’ children (usually age 3 and up); usually for
a fee.
Open admission: Admission policy
under which virtually all secondary school graduates or students
with GED equivalency diplomas are admitted without regard to academic
record, test scores, or other qualifications.
Other expenses (costs): Include average
costs for clothing, laundry, entertainment, medical (if not a required
fee), and furnishings.
Out-of-state tuition: The tuition
charged by institutions to those students who do not meet the institution’s
or state’s residency requirements.
Part-time student (undergraduate):
A student enrolled for fewer than 12 credits per semester or quarter,
or fewer than 24 contact hours a week each term.
*Personal counseling: One-on-one
or group counseling with trained professionals for students who
want to explore personal, educational, or vocational issues.
Post-baccalaureate certificate: An
award that requires completion of an organized program of study
requiring 18 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s; designed for persons
who have completed a baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements
of academic degrees carrying the title of master.
Post-master’s certificate: An award
that requires completion of an organized program of study of 24
credit hours beyond the master’s degree but does not meet the requirements
of academic degrees at the doctoral level.
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— Less Than 1 Academic Year: Requires completion
of an organized program of study at the postsecondary level (below
the baccalaureate degree) in less than 1 academic year (2 semesters
or 3 quarters) or in less than 900 contact hours by a student enrolled
full-time.
At Least 1 But Less Than 2 Academic Years: Requires completion of an organized
program of study at the postsecondary level (below the baccalaureate degree)
in at least 1 but less than 2 full-time equivalent academic years, or designed
for completion in at least 30 but less than 60 credit hours, or in at least
900 but less than 1,800 contact hours.
At Least 2 But Less Than 4 Academic Years: Requires completion of an organized
program of study at the postsecondary level (below the baccalaureate degree)
in at least 2 but less than 4 full-time equivalent academic years, or designed
for completion in at least 60 but less than 120 credit hours, or in at least
1,800 but less than 3,600 contact hours.
Private institution: An educational
institution controlled by a private individual(s) or by a nongovernmental
agency, usually supported primarily by other than public funds,
and operated by other than 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 in which the individual(s) or agency in control
receives no compensation, other than wages, rent, or other expenses
for the assumption of risk. These include both independent nonprofit
schools and those affiliated with a religious organization.
Proprietary institution: See Private
for-profit institution.
Public institution: An educational
institution whose programs and activities are operated by publicly
elected or appointed school officials, and which is supported primarily
by public funds.
Quarter calendar system: A calendar
system in which the academic year consists of three sessions called
quarters of about 12 weeks each. The range may be from 10 to 15
weeks. There may be an additional quarter in the summer.
Race/ethnicity: Category used to
describe groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or
belong in the eyes of the community. The categories do not denote
scientific definitions of anthropological origins. A person may
be counted in only one group.
Race/ethnicity unknown: Category
used to classify students or employees whose race/ethnicity is
not known and whom institutions are unable to place in one of the
specified racial/ethnic categories.
Religious affiliation/commitment (as admission
factor): Special consideration given in the admission
process for affiliation with a certain church or faith/religion,
commitment to a religious vocation, or observance of certain
religious tenets/lifestyle.
*Religious counseling: One-on-one
or group counseling with trained professionals for students who
want to explore religious problems or issues.
*Remedial services: Instructional
courses designed for students deficient in the general competencies
necessary for a regular postsecondary curriculum and educational
setting.
Required fees: Fixed sum charged
to students for items not covered by tuition and required of such
a large proportion of all students that the student who does NOT
pay is the exception. Do not include application fees or optional
fees such as lab fees or parking fees.
Resident alien or other eligible non-citizen:
A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States
and who has been admitted as a legal immigrant for the purpose
of obtaining permanent resident alien status (and who holds either
an alien registration card [Form I-551 or I-151], a Temporary Resident
Card [Form I-688], or an Arrival-Departure Record [Form I-94] with
a notation that conveys legal immigrant status, such as Section
207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, Conditional Entrant Parolee or
Cuban-Haitian).
Room and board (charges)—on campus:
Assume double occupancy in institutional housing and 19 meals per
week (or maximum meal plan).
Secondary school record (as admission factor):
Information maintained by the secondary school that may include
such things as the student’s high school transcript, class rank,
GPA, and teacher and counselor recommendations.
Semester calendar system: A calendar
system that consists of two semesters during the academic year
with about 16 weeks for each semester of instruction. There may
be an additional summer session.
Student-designed major: A program
of study based on individual interests, designed with the assistance
of an adviser.
Study abroad: Any arrangement by
which a student completes part of the college program studying
in another country. Can be at a campus 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 a regular semester and not considered part of the
academic year. It is not the third term of an institution operating
on a trimester system or the fourth term of an institution operating
on a quarter calendar system. The institution may have 2 or more
sessions occurring in the summer months. Some schools, such as
vocational and beauty schools, have year-round classes with no
separate summer session.
Talent/ability (as admission factor):
Special consideration given to students with demonstrated talent/abilities
in areas of interest to the institution (e.g., sports, the arts,
languages, etc.).
Teacher certification program: Program
designed to prepare students to meet the requirements for certification
as teachers in elementary, middle/junior high, and secondary schools.
Transfer applicant: An individual
who has fulfilled the institution’s requirements to be considered
for admission (including payment or waiving of the application
fee, if any) and who has previously attended another college or
university and earned college-level credit.
Transfer student: A student entering
the institution for the first time but known to have previously
attended a postsecondary institution at the same level (e.g., undergraduate).
The student may transfer with or without credit.
Transportation (costs): Assume two
round trips to student’s hometown per year for students in institutional
housing or daily travel to and from your institution for commuter
students.
Trimester calendar system: An academic
year consisting of 3 terms of about 15 weeks each.
Tuition: Amount of money charged
to students for instructional services. Tuition may be charged
per term, per course, or per credit.
*Tutoring: May range from one-on-one
tutoring in specific subjects to tutoring in an area such as math,
reading, or writing. Most tutors are college students; at some
colleges, they are specially trained and certified.
Unit: a standard of measurement representing
hours of academic instruction (e.g., semester credit, quarter credit,
contact hour). Undergraduate: A student enrolled in a four- or
five-year bachelor’s degree program, an associate degree program,
or a vocational or technical program below the baccalaureate.
*Veteran’s counseling: Helps veterans
and their dependents obtain benefits for their selected program
and provides certifications to the Veteran’s Administration. May
also provide personal counseling on the transition from the military
to a civilian life.
*Visually impaired: Any person whose
sight loss is not correctable and is sufficiently severe as to
adversely affect educational performance.
Volunteer work (as admission factor):
Special consideration given to students for activity done on a
volunteer basis (e.g., tutoring, hospital care, working with the
elderly or disabled) as a service to the community or the public
in general.
Wait list: List of students who meet
the admission requirements but will only be offered a place in
the class if space becomes available.
Weekend college: A program that allows
students to take a complete course of study and attend classes
only on weekends.
White, non-Hispanic: A person having
origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa,
or the Middle East (except those of Hispanic origin).
*Women’s center: Center with programs,
academic activities, and/or services intended to promote an understanding
of the evolving roles of women.
Work experience (as admission factor):
Special consideration given to students who have been employed
prior to application, whether for relevance to major, demonstration
of employment-related skills, or as explanation of student’s academic
and extracurricular record.
Financial Aid Definitions
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. Student loans co-signed
by a parent are assumed to be the responsibility of the student
and should be included.
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 scholarship or grant 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 scholarship or grant 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
Non-need-based self-help aid: Loans
and jobs from institutional, state, or other sources for which
a student need not demonstrate financial need to qualify. 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.
