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withdrawn (by applicant or institution).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
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.