Glossary A-M

A

Ability to Benefit (ATB) Student: An institution may admit a mature student 30 years of age or having worked and supported themselves for 10 years or more that does not have a high school diploma. The ATB student may be enrolled on probation with administration approval for 4 courses or one semester of classes determined … Read more

B

Bachelor Credit Freshman: A lower level undergraduate student enrolled in a university parallel/college transfer or baccalaureate degree program, generally one who has completed no more than thirty semester credit hours. Remedial students should be included if no separate category for remedial students is provided. Bachelor Credit Sophomore: A lower undergraduate student enrolled in a university-parallel/college … Read more

C

Census Date: A census date is a day when a specified count is made: In this application, it is the time during an academic term when a count of enrolled students is made for reporting. By definition, a census date must be arbitrary to some extent and must reflect the anticipated use of the statistics … Read more

D

Degree: An award conferred by a college, university, or other postsecondary educational institution as official recognition for the successful completion of a program of studies. (Source: IPEDS). Any credential awarded which is generally taken to signify satisfactory completion of the requirements of an academic, educational, or professional program of study beyond the level of a … Read more

F

Fair Consumer Practices: Means honesty, fairness, and complete disclosure to students in the areas of recruitment, admissions, student financial assistance, obligations to repay student loans, placement assistance and job placement rates, advertising, refund policies, the meaning and recognition of different types of accreditation, and the transferability and recognition of the college’s credits to other colleges … Read more

G

General Education Or Liberal Arts Courses: Those courses designed to place emphasis on cognitive development rather than on vocational objective, and may include courses such as English, history, philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, sociology, foreign languages, humanities, mathematics, chemistry, biology, and psychology, when such courses are not specifically designed to contribute toward a non-academic program. … Read more

H

Headcount Student: A student enrolled for more than zero credit hours in courses offered for degree or certificate credit or a student who meets the criteria for classification as a remedial student. Hearing Impaired: Any person whose hearing loss is sufficiently severe to adversely affect their educational performance. High School Diploma or Recognized Equivalent: A … Read more

I

In-State Student: A student who is a legal resident of the state in which they attend school. Institute: Any educational entity which confers or offers to confer a degree or which furnishes or offers to furnish instruction leading toward, or prerequisite to, academic credit or a degree beyond the secondary level. The term includes any … Read more

L

Learning Management System (LMS): Includes content management, communication tools, instructional tools, grade book and assessment features. License: A regular license or temporary license, as provided by rule. Local Educational Agency (LEA): A public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative control of or direction of, or to … Read more

M

Master 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. (Source: IPEDS) Military Installations: One or more buildings or sites owned or operated by the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, … Read more