Admission Index
A number calculated using students’ ACT or SAT scores, and grade point average or rank in class. A percentage of accepted students at each public college and university in Colorado must have a specific Admissions Index or higher. The Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) sets the Admission Index requirements, and they vary by college or university.
Associate Degree
A degree granted by most two-year colleges and some four-year colleges at the end of two years of study. A student may earn the Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree, depending on the course of study.
Award Letter
An official document issued by a school’s financial aid office that lists all of the financial aid awarded to the student. This letter provides details on their analysis of the student’s financial need and the breakdown of the financial aid package according to amount, source, and type of aid. The award letter will include the terms and conditions for the financial aid and information about the cost of attendance.
Bachelor’s Degree
A degree granted for undergraduate college programs, concentrated in a specific field, usually requiring four years of study. (Also called a baccalaureate degree).
Candidates Reply Date
At most schools, May 1 st is the date by which accepted applicants must indicate their intention to enroll. By use of a common reply date, students may evaluate all notices of admission and financial aid awards before deciding on any one college.
College Board
An organization that sponsors the SAT, the Achievement Tests (SAT II), the Advance Placement Tests, and the Financial Aid form (FAF).
College in Colorado (CollegeInColorado.org)
A free website that helps to plan, apply, and pay for college.
COF (College Opportunity Fund)
Created by the Colorado Legislature, COF provides a stipend to eligible undergraduate students. The stipend pays a portion of total in-state tuition when a student attends a Colorado public institution or a participating private institution.
Common Application
A form produced by a consortium of approximately 100 colleges that may be filled out and sent to member colleges instead of submitting each school’s individual application.
Deferred Admission
A program that allows students to postpone enrollment – usually for no more than one year after acceptance to a college or university.
Early Action
A program with earlier deadlines and earlier notification dates that the regular admissions process. Students who apply to an early action program do not commit to attending the school if admitted, unlike an early decision program. Ivy League schools do not allow students to apply to more than one Ivy League School early action.
Early Admission
A program in which colleges or universities admit outstanding students before the usual admissions date. This can also mean the admission of students before they complete high school.
Early Decision
Many colleges offer this plan to applicants who are sure they want to attend the college. This college should clearly be the applicant’s first choice. Traditionally, the deadline for early decision applications has been November 1 st or 15 th. Colleges then render a decision by mid-December. Some colleges also have a second round of early decision (usually in January or February). These later plans have the advantage of giving students more time to think through their decision. However, it is common that students will not be informed of their financial aid package at the time they are admitted. Therefore, if financial aid is a significant issue in choosing a college, applying early decision is NOT to the students advantage.
If accepted under this plan, the student is under strong ethical obligation to attend the college and to withdraw or forego applications to all other colleges. Some colleges exchange lists of students accepted under this program.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
The amount of money that the family is expected to contribute to the student’s education, as determined by a need analysis formula approved by Congress. The EFC includes the parent contribution and the student contribution, and depends on the student’s dependency status, family status, number of family members on school, taxable and non-taxable income and assets.
Federal Direct Loan Program
Low-interest subsidized and unsubsidized educational loans made by the federal government to students and parents through the schools. (Also know as Stafford / Ford Loans)
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The form that students must file in order to be considered for federal aid programs. There is no fee to apply for federal student aid.
Grant
A type of financial aid based on financial need that the student does not have to repay.
Junior College
Another term for two-year college.
Major
The field of study in which a student specializes.
Merit-Based
Financial aid that is merit-based depends on academic, artistic, or athletic merit or some other criteria, and does not depend on the existence of financial need. Merit-based awards look at grades, test scores, hobbies, and special talents to determine eligibility for scholarships.
Minor
A series of courses within a field of study concentrating in a particular subject area. Minors allow students to diversify their courses of study.
NCAA Clearinghouse
Prospective student-athletes at Division I or II institutions have certain responsibilities to attend to before the may participate. Information concerning who needs to register with the Clearinghouse and what documents should be submitted can be found in The Guide for College-Bound Student-Athletes at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net or by calling 800-638-3731.
Need-Blind Admissions Policy
An admission policy which does not take into consideration a student’s ability to pay when reviewing his or her application. Schools that are not need-blind may reject students who cannot pay.
Official Transcript
Most colleges will only accept a transcript that bears the high school seal and is mailed directly from the high school
Open Admission
Community Colleges generally offer open admission to their applicants. Students must only present a high school diploma and a final transcript to be admitted to the school.
Pell Grant
A federal award given to undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need to help pay for college. A Pell Grant does not have to be paid back.
Perkins Loan
A campus-administered program which provides low-interest loans (5%) to students with exceptionally high financial need.
PLUS Loan
Parents with good credit can borrow up to the full cost of education minus any other financial aid received by the student. According to the law, a financial aid form does not have to be filed to be eligible; however, many lenders require it.
Quarter System
A system which divides the academic year into four periods of approximately 12 weeks. The regular academic year has fall, winter, and spring terms; summer quarter is usually optional.
Regular Decision
Most colleges establish an application deadline by which all applications must be received. All students are then notified of the college’s decisions at a uniform response date, typically by April 1 st.
Renewable Scholarships
Scholarships that are awarded for more than one year. Usually students must maintain certain academic standards to be eligible for subsequent years of the award. Some renewable scholarships will require students to reapply for the scholarship each year; others will simply require a report on the students’ progress toward a degree.
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)
A college or university program operated with the Army, Navy, or Air Force. When students complete a ROTC program, they earn a Bachelor’s degree and an officer’s commission.
Rolling Admissions
Under this program a college considers a student’s application as soon as all the required credentials have been received. Notification of acceptance or rejection is mailed as soon as a decision is made. Colleges that follow this practice may make their admissions decisions continuously over several months, in contrast to the practice of other colleges who accumulate their applications until a deadline date and then announce all their decisions at the same time.
SAT Reasoning (the old SAT I)
Administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the Scholastic Assessment Test is a 3-hour standardized admissions exam measuring verbal and mathematical abilities. The verbal section of the test covers three areas: reading comprehension, sentence completion, and word analogy. The match section also covers three sections: arithmetic, geometry, and algebra.
SAT Subject (the old SAT II)
Also given by ETS, each SAT II is an hour-long exam measuring knowledge in a particular subject. Some schools may recommend or even require that students take the SAT Subject in addition to the SAT Reasoning.
Scholarship
A form of financial aid given to undergraduate students to help pay for their education. Most scholarships are restricted to paying all or part of tuition expenses, though some scholarships also cover room and board. Scholarships are a form of gift aid and do not have to be repaid. Many scholarships are restricted to students in specific courses of study or with academic, athletic, or artistic talent.
Semester System
A system that divides the regular academic year into two periods of approximately 18 weeks (fall and spring semesters). The summer term is shorter and usually is optional.
Service Academy
The US Air Force Academy, US Coast Guard Academy, US Merchant Marine Academy, US Military Academy, and US Naval Academy. Admissions are highly selective as students must be nominated by their Congressional Representative in order to apply.
Student Financial Report (SAR)
An SAR summarizes the information on a students’ FAFSA. It is sent to students after they file the FAFSA and it is required by the school’s financial aid office. The SAR also indicates Pell grant eligibility.
Subsidized Loan
Interest is paid by the federal government on subsidized loans until the repayment period begins and during authorized periods of deferment.
Tuition
The charge made by a college to cover the cost of teaching and instruction. Usually it is separate from other fees for special activities and programs.
Undergraduate Student
A college student who has not received an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree.
Unsubsidized Loan
Unlike subsidized loans, the federal government does not pay any interest on unsubsidized loans while the student is in school. The borrower is responsible for paying back the interest from the date the loan is disbursed.
Waiting List
In addition to accepting and rejecting applicants, many colleges place students on a waiting list for admission. As accepted applicants decide to attend other colleges, the school will offer their place to students from the waiting list.
Work-study
Federal monies given to colleges that they can use to pay students to work for them. Awards to students are need based and the student can only earn as much money as is awarded. Student might work in the cafeteria, bookstore, or the admissions office.
WUE – Western Undergraduate Exchange
A program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Through WUE, students in western states may enroll in many two-year and four-year college programs at a reduced tuition level: 150 percent of the institution’s regular resident tuition. WUE tuition is considerably less than nonresident tuition.