---
title: Higher Education Glossary
description: A higher education glossary providing definitions for commonly used terms.
---

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# [Higher Education Glossary](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary)

 Written by [ReUp](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/author/reup) | Oct 18, 2024 1:37:42 PM

 

Click on the appropriate letter to jump to definitions.

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| [A](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#A) | B | [C](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#C) | [D](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#D) | [E](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#E) | [F](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#F) | [G](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#G) | [H](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#H) | [I](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#I) | [J](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#J) | K | [L](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#L) | [M](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#M) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [N](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#N) | [O](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#O) | [P](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#P) | Q | [R](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#R) | [S](https://blog.reupeducation.com/product/higher-education-glossary?hs_amp=true#S) | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

 

### **A**

**Academic Year**: One complete school year at the same school or two complete half-years at different schools. For schools with a year-round program, nine months is considered an academic year. Academic years start in the fall term and end at the end of the summer term.

**Acceleration of Loan Repayment**: The demand for immediate repayment of the entire outstanding balance of a loan.

**Aid for Military Personnel**: Money offered by the federal government and nonprofit organizations for college to veterans, future military personnel, active-duty personnel, or those related to veterans or active-duty personnel.

**Alternative Documentation of Income (ADOI)**: Proof of all current income provided when applying for an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan, especially when not providing a federal tax return or tax transcript.

**Annual Taxable Income**: The amount of income used to determine tax liability in a given year, including wages, salaries, bonuses, tips, investment income, and unearned income.

**Award Year**: The academic year for which financial aid funds a student’s education.

### **C**

**Capitalization of Loan Interest**: The addition of unpaid accrued interest to the principal balance of a loan, increasing monthly payments over time.

**Cookies (Web Technology)**: Bits of data transferred to a computer's hard drive by a website for purposes such as determining personal preferences.

**Credit**: The amount of money one is able to borrow for purchasing goods and services, subject to repayment agreements.

### D

**Debt Collection**: The pursuit of payments for loan debts due by borrowers.

**Debt Consolidation**: A method of debt refinancing involving taking out one loan to pay off others.

**Debt Recovery Entity**: An entity recovering unpaid debt from borrowers who have defaulted on their loans. Also known as collections.

**Defaulted Federal Student Loan Charges**: Expenses charged on defaulted federal student loans that are added to the outstanding principal balance.

**Defaulted Student Loan**: Occurs when a loan isn't repaid per the promissory note, often after 270 days, leading to legal consequences and loss of federal student aid eligibility.

**Deferment of Loan Payments**: Temporary postponement of loan payments under specific conditions, during which interest doesn’t accrue on subsidized loans.

**Direct Loan Program**: Federal student loan program where eligible students borrow directly from the U.S. Department of Education.

**Direct PLUS Loans**: Federal loans for graduate or professional students and parents of dependent undergraduates to help cover education expenses.

**Direct Subsidized Loan**: A federal student loan with the government paying interest while the borrower is in an in-school, grace, or deferment period.

**Discretionary Income**: The difference between annual income and a percentage of the poverty guideline, used in certain loan repayment plans and rehabilitation.

### E

**Early Action in College Admissions**: A non-binding college admission policy allowing early application and admission notice without a binding agreement.

**Early Decision in College Admissions**: A binding college admission policy where applicants commit to attending if accepted.

**Educational Service Agency**: A regional public multiservice agency authorized to develop, manage, and provide services or programs to local education agencies.

**Eligible Program**: A program of organized instruction leading to an academic, professional, or vocational degree or certificate.

**Emancipated Minor**: Someone legally deemed an adult by a court in their state, considered independent for FAFSA® reporting.

**Endorser for Direct PLUS Loan**: Someone agreeing to repay the loan if the borrower defaults. Not the student for whom the parent obtains the loan.

**Endorser Code for Direct PLUS Loan**: Used to complete a Direct PLUS Loan addendum to the Master Promissory Note.

**Enrollment Status**: Reported by the school, indicating whether a student is or was full-time, half-time, etc.

**Entrance Counseling**: Mandatory counseling that explains borrower rights and obligations for first-time Direct Loan borrowers.

**Exit Counseling**: Required counseling that provides important information for federal student loan borrowers preparing to repay their loans.

**Extended Repayment Plan**: Allows repayment over an extended period, up to 25 years, with specific eligibility requirements.

### F

**Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program**: A program that worked with private lenders, ended in 2010, replaced by the Direct Loan Program.

**Federal Student Aid**: Assistance from the government in the form of grants, loans, and work-study for college or career school at both the undergraduate and graduate educational levels.

**Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)**: A grant for undergraduates demonstrating exceptional financial need.

**Federal Work-Study**: A program providing the opportunity to get funding from part-time jobs for students with financial need.

**Financial Aid**: Money to help fund college or career school.

**Forbearance**: Temporarily stops or reduces monthly student loan payments. Contact the loan servicer to request forbearance.

**FSA ID**: A username and password for accessing the U.S. Department of Education’s online systems, serving as a legal signature.

### G

**Graduate or Professional Student**: Pursuing education beyond an undergraduate degree.

**Graduated Repayment Plan**: A repayment plan with lower payments initially, increasing every two years over a period.

**Graduation Rate**: The percentage of students completing their degree or certificate within 150% of the published program length.

**Grant**: A monetary gift for higher education, often based on financial need and not requiring repayment.

**Gross Income**: Total annual income before deductions and taxes.

**Guaranty Agency**: A state or private non-profit agency assisting in administering the FFEL Program, insuring federal loans and collecting defaulted loans.

### H

**Half-Time Enrollment**: An enrollment status for students enrolled in half of the expected credits for a full course load.

**Head of Household for Tax Purposes**: A tax filing status for individuals providing more than half the cost of keeping up their home.

**Homeless Individual Eligibility**: Special considerations for federal student aid eligibility for homeless individuals.

### I

**Independent Student (2023–24)**: A student considered independent on the FAFSA® based on specific criteria.

**Interest on Loans**: The cost of borrowing money, added to the loan balance.

**Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant (IASG)**: A grant for students who lost a parent or guardian in military service in Iraq or Afghanistan.

### J

**Job Placement Rate**: The percentage of graduates employed in their field within a specified period.

**Judgment Lien and Federal Student Aid**: Legal claims impacting federal student aid eligibility.

### L

**Legal Guardianship**: A court-authorized designation allowing someone to care for an individual, qualifying them as an independent student.

**Lender**: The organization that made the loan, such as the borrower’s school, bank, or credit union.

**Litigation in Student Loans**: The process of bringing or contesting legal actions related to student loans.

**Loan**: Borrowed money that must be repaid with interest.

**Loan Discharge**: The removal of a borrower’s obligation to repay some or all of a loan under specific circumstances.

**Loan Eligibility Criteria**: Requirements students must meet to qualify for a specific loan program.

**Loan Rehabilitation**: A process to remove the default status of a student loan through consecutive, on-time payments.

**Loan Repayment**: The act of repaying borrowed money, usually in monthly installments.

### M

**Master Promissory Note (MPN)**: A legal document containing borrower rights and conditions for loan repayment.

**Merit-Based Aid**: Financial aid based on a student's skill or ability.

### N

**No Outstanding Loan Balance Requirement**: No outstanding balance on a Direct Loan or FFEL Program loan when receiving a new loan.

**Non-Tenure-Track Employment**: Work performed by adjunct, contingent, or part-time faculty at institutions of higher education.

### O

**Offset**: A reduction or stoppage of a payment (e.g., income tax refund) to pay off a delinquent debt.

**Ombudsman Group**: A group dedicated to helping resolve disputes related to federal student aid programs and institutions.

**Out-of-State Student**: A student attending a college or career school outside their state of legal residence.

### P

**Partial Financial Hardship**: An eligibility requirement under certain loan repayment plans.

**Pay As You Earn Plan**: A repayment plan with monthly payments based on discretionary income.

**Payroll Deductions**: Amounts withheld from a paycheck by an employer.

**Pell Grant**: The largest federal grant program for undergraduates, assisting those from low-income households.

**Perkins Loan**: A subsidized loan available until Sept. 30, 2017, for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.

**PLUS Credit Counseling**: Counseling for understanding obligations associated with borrowing a PLUS loan.

**Postbaccalaureate Teacher Certification Program**: A program enabling those with a bachelor's degree to earn teacher certification.

**Prepaid Tuition Plan**: A plan letting individuals lock in future tuition rates at current prices.

**Principal of the Loan**: The sum of money lent on which interest is paid.

**Proprietary School**: A private, for-profit school providing education and training.

**Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Help Tool**: This tool assists in understanding the requirements of the PSLF Program, employer eligibility, qualifying loans, and necessary actions.

**PSLF Program**: Forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments (10 years) under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer.

### R

**Regular Student**: Enrolled or accepted for enrollment at an institution for the purpose of obtaining a degree, certificate, or other recognized education credential.

**Retention Rate**: The percentage of students returning for subsequent academic years.

**Room and Board Costs**: The costs associated with housing and meals while attending an educational institution.

### S

**Satisfactory Academic Progress**: Standards set by schools to ensure students progress academically while receiving

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