Application for Approval to Participate in Federal Student Financial Aid Programs

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

School Participation Management Division

Glossary

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

Words and phrases used in the "Application for Approval to Participate in Federal 

Student Financial Aid Programs"

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

-AAbility-to-Benefit Student

A student who has neither a high school diploma nor its recognized equivalent (such as a GED) 

but who passed an independently administered test approved by the U.S. Secretary of Education 

that indicates the student can benefit from postsecondary education or training. 

Academic Year

If the program is offered in credit hours, a time period of at least 30 instructional weeks during 

which a full-time undergraduate student is expected to complete:

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

using those credit hours

or

If the program is offered in clock hours, a time period of at least 26 instructional weeks during 

which a full-time undergraduate student is expected to complete:

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

Accrediting Agency 

An agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a reliable authority for evaluating the 

educational quality of programs offered by postsecondary institutions. 

Administrative Capability

A requirement an institution must meet to participate in federal student financial aid programs. 

Administrative capability covers specific areas in an institution's management of its federal 

student financial aid programs. For further information, refer to 34 CFR 668.16 

Associate Degree

A degree awarded by a postsecondary institution to a student who has successfully completed at 

least two years of academic study in an academic or occupational field of study. Associate 

degrees include, but are not limited to, the following: 

 Associate of Arts (A.A.), 

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

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

and

 Associate of Science (A.S.).

Award Year

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

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year. 

-BBachelors Degree

A degree awarded by a postsecondary institution to a student who has completed at least four 

academic years of college-level work in an academic or occupation-specific field of study. 

Bachelor's degrees include, but are not limited to, the following: 

 Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) 

and

 Bachelor of Science (BS). 

-CCEO 

Chief executive officer 

Certified English Translation 

An accurate translation acceptable to the U.S. Secretary of Education that is approved or 

authorized, in writing, by the President/CEO or other official of the school. 

CFR 

See Code of Federal Regulations. 

CIP Codes 

See Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Codes 

Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 

Codes A manual published by ED listing codes, titles, and descriptions of educational programs 

that institutions and states use for reporting and analyzing data. 

Clock Hour 

The period of time consisting of: 

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

or 

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

60-minute period; 

or 

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

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 

A compilation of published federal regulations that appeared in the Federal Register. Regulations 

implementing federal student financial aid programs are found in Title 34 CFR. 

Correspondence Course or Program 

A "home study" course provided by an institution to students who are not physically attending 

classes. If a program is part correspondence course and part residential, it is considered to be a 

correspondence course. Some correspondence programs require a period of residential training. 

Credit Hour 

A semester, trimester, or quarter credit hour. 

-D-

"Dear Colleagues" letter (DCL)

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Information and guidance provided to the student financial aid community by the U.S. 

Department of Education in a letter format. 

Direct Assessment 

A program that in lieu of credit hours or clock hours as a measure of student learning, uses direct 

assessment of student learning or recognizes the direct assessment of student learning by others.

For further information refer to the General Provisions 34 CFR 668.10.

Doctoral Degree 

Any of numerous academic degrees awarded by universities and some colleges on completion of 

advanced graduate or professional studies in the humanities, the social sciences, the behavioral 

sciences, or the pure sciences beyond the master's level. Doctoral degrees include, but are not 

limited to, the following: 

 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), 

 Doctor of Theology (Th.D.), 

 Doctor of Engineering (Eng.D.),

and

 Doctor Education (Ed.D.), 

See also Professional Degree. 

Doing Business As

The name, if different from the official name of an institution, under which an institution holds 

itself out to the public. 

-EED

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

Educational Program 

A postsecondary course of study that generally leads to an academic or professional degree, 

vocational certificate, or other recognized educational credential. The U.S. Secretary of Education 

considers that a postsecondary institutions is not providing an "educational program" if the 

institution itself does not provide the program's instruction (including a course of independent 

study) but merely gives credit for one or more of the following: instruction provided by other 

institutions or organizations, or other accomplishments (such as "life experience"). 

English Translation 

See Certified English Translation.

Equivalent Degree 

An educational credential that the U.S. Secretary of Education determines is the equivalent of an 

associate degree, bachelor's degree, or professional degree and that requires at least two academic 

years of study. 

Ext. 

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

-FFederal Student Financial Aid Programs

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Student financial aid programs authorized under Title IV or the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 

amended (HEA). The programs include: 

 the Federal Pell Grant Program, 

 the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, 

 the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, 

 the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Program,

 the Federal College Work Study (FCWS) Program,

and

 the Federal Perkins Loan Program.

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

Financial Responsibility 

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

First Professional Degree 

See Professional Degree.

Foreign Graduate Medical School

A foreign institution listed as a medical school in the most current edition of the World Directory 

of Medical Schools published by the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Foreign Institution

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

-GNo entries 

-HHEA 

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

Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) 

The statute that authorizes federal student financial aid programs and most of the other federal 

higher education programs that U.S. Department of Education administers. The statute's most 

current version is the official version of the law. See also Federal Student Financial Aid 

Programs.

-IIncarcerated Student 

A student serving a criminal sentence in a federal, state, or local penitentiary, prison, jail, or other 

correctional facility. A student is not considered incarcerated if he or she is in a halfway house or 

home detention or sentenced to serve weekends only. 

Ineligible Institution

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

IRS 

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U.S. Internal Revenue Service

-J,K,LNo entries 

-MMaster's Degree 

A degree awarded by a graduate school or department to a person who has completed the fulltime equivalent of at least one but not more than two years of work beyond the baccalaureate 

level. Master's degrees include, but are not limited to, the following: 

 Master of Arts (M.A.), 

 Master of Science (M.S.),

and

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

-NNo entries 

-OOPE ID 

See OPE Identification (OPE ID) Number.

OPE Identification (OPE ID) Number 

An 8-digit identification number assigned by the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) within 

the U.S. Department of Education to an institution that has been approved to participate in federal 

student financial aid programs. 

Organization

An entity that is not an institution of higher education.

Our/We/Us 

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

-PPost-baccalaureate teacher certification program

A post-baccalaureate teacher certification or licensure program that consists of the courses required by a 

state to receive a professional certification or licensing credential necessary for employment as a teacher in 

an elementary or secondary school in that state. Note: The school cannot also offer a bachelor’s degree in 

education and the student must be pursuing an initial teacher certification or licensing credential within a 

state.

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PPA 

See Program Participation Agreement (PPA)

Professional Degree

A degree awarded by an institution to an entry-level professional in certain occupational fields. 

Although sometimes called doctoral degrees, professional degrees differ from research doctorates 

in that they do not include a required component of original research or a demonstration of 

expertise in a field beyond what is required to qualify for basic licensing examinations. 

Professional degrees may be awarded in such fields a chiropractic, dentistry, divinity/ministry, 

law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, podiatry, rabbinical and talmudic 

studies, and veterinary medicine. 

Program Participation Agreement (PPA) 

The contract between an institution and ED that allows the institution to participate in federal 

student financial aid programs. 

-QQuarter Credit Hour 

A way of measuring credit in higher education in which one quarter credit hour represents one 

hour of classroom instruction per week and two hours of outside preparation for that classroom 

hour during the course of a quarter academic term. A quarter academic term is usually 10 to 13 

weeks long. 

-RRegular Student 

A person enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible program at an eligible postsecondary 

institution for the purpose of obtaining a degree or certificate offered by that institution. 

-SSatisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) 

A measure of whether a student is progressing adequately toward completion of his or her course 

of study. It is determined in terms of grade point average and course completions. 

Semester Credit Hour 

A way of measuring credit in which one semester credit hour represents one hour of classroom 

instruction per week and two hours of outside preparation for that classroom hour during the 

course of a semester academic term. A semester academic term usually is 13 to 17 weeks long. 

SSN 

Social Security number 

State 

A state of the union (of the United States of America), American Samoa, the Commonwealth of 

the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of the Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, 

the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall 

Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. See also Foreign Institution. 

Student 

See Regular Student.

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-TTIN 

See Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)

Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) 

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

institution for federal tax purposes. 

Telecommunications Course 

A course offered primarily by television, audio, or computer transmission, including open 

broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave or satellite, audio conferencing, computer 

conferencing, or videocassette or videodiscs. The term does not include a course that is delivered 

by videocassettes or videodisc recordings unless that same course is delivered to students 

physically attending classes at the institution during the same award year. See also 

Correspondence Course or Program.

Translation 

See Certified English Translation

Trimester Credit Hour 

A way measuring credit in higher education in which one trimester credit hour represents one 

hour of classroom instruction per week and two hours of outside preparation for that classroom 

hour during the course of a trimester academic term. A trimester academic term usually is 13 to 

17 weeks long. 

Two-Academic-Year Transfer Program. 

A formal education program of two academic years that is acceptable for full credit toward a 

bachelor's degree. 

-UUs/We/Our 

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

-VNo entries 

-WWe/Us/Our 

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

-XNo entries 

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-YYou/Yours 

Here this refers to the Institution completing the document. 

-ZNo entries 

Return to Index

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