eAPP Glossary

Application for Approval to Participate in Federal Student Financial Aid
Programs
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid,
Program Compliance, School Eligibility Service Group

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.),
•
Associate of Applied 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 year.

-BBachelor’s 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 (B.S.).

-CCEO

Chief executive officer
Certified English Translation

CFR

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.

See Code of Federal Regulations.
CIP Codes
See Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Codes
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)
ED listing of 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 Colleague" letter (DCL)
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
institution 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
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, and its ability to manage those resources.
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 Federation for
Medical Education (WFME) and the Foundation for Advancement of
International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER).
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
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 full-time 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 on behalf of the Office of
Postsecondary Education (OPE) within the U.S. Department of Education to an
institution that has been approved as eligible 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, and does not lead to a graduate degree. 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. While this is not considered an eligible program under 34 C.F.R. 668.8,
this designation is used to allow an institution without undergraduate programs
to be Pell Grant eligible as students with a bachelor’s degree may qualify for
Pell Grant funding for this program under 34 C.F.R. 690.6(c) in addition to
Direct Loan funding under 34 C.F.R. 685.200(f)(7).
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.

-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).

-V-

No entries

-WWe/Us/Our
Here this refers to the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

-XNo entries

-YYou/Yours
Here this refers to the Institution completing the document.

-ZNo entries
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