| Faculty |
The teachers, professors, and instructors
who teach at schools. |
| FAFSA |
See Free Application For Federal
Student Aid. |
| FAQ |
Acronym for “Frequently Asked Questions” |
| Federal Pell Grant |
A college federal financial aid
grant program. Students apply by filling out the FAFSA. |
| Federal Perkins Student Loan |
A low interest loan for students
who show financial need. It must be repaid after graduation.
Students apply by filling out the FAFSA. |
| Federal PLUS (Parent Loans for
Undergraduate Students) and/or Federal Direct PLUS |
Financial aid processed through
a bank, other lending agency, or college or university to help
pay for college. These loans must be repaid with interest and
are not deferred. |
| Federal Stafford Loan and Direct
Ford Loan |
Student financial aid processed
through a bank and/or a college. A student must be enrolled
in a college degree program at least part time to receive a
Stafford Loan. Loans must be paid back with interest after
a student leaves school. This was formerly college Guaranteed
Student Loan; it requires a completed FAFSA. |
| Federal Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grant (SEOG) |
Federal grant for students with
exceptional need. Apply by filling out a FAFSA. |
| Federal Unsubsidized Stafford/Direct
Unsubsidized Ford Loan |
Similar to a Federal Stafford Loan,
except interest is paid by the student during college. |
| Fee |
Money charged by a college for
services provided to a student. Fees are often charged for
lab materials and recreational facilities. |
| Final Exams |
Tests of exercises given at the
end of a term that are often comprehensive; that is, they may
include all material covered during the semester. The schedule
of final exam dates and times for each term is included in the
Schedule of Classes. |
| Finals Week |
Time at the end of the semester
when classes do not meet and finals tests are given. |
| Financial Aid |
Federal, state, college, and private
programs help students pay for college costs. Financial aid
can be in the form of grants, loans, or college work-study programs.
Grants are often described as “free money” and are awarded to
you by the state and federal governments based on criteria you
must meet. |
| Financial Aid Counselor |
A college staff member who helps
students and parents fill out financial aid forms and processes
financial aid money. |
| Fiscal/Business Office |
Also known as the Cashier’s Office
or Business Office. Students may pay tuition and fees, course
fees, and other encumbrances owed the college at this Office. |
| Fraternity |
A group of people sharing a common
interest. Academic or business fraternities may be coeducational.
Social fraternities are usually for men only. See Greek
Organizations, Rush, Sorority. |
| Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) |
The required application for federal,
state, and institutional financial aid. Students must file
their application between January 1 and March 1 of the year
the student plans to attend college. |
| Full-time Student |
A student who carries a minimum
number of credits or hours to be considered “full-time” by a
college. The number of credits considered to be a full-time
load can vary from college to college. |
| General
Education Requirements |
Many colleges require students
to take a variety of classes in different academic areas. For
example, they may require a certain number of courses in science,
foreign language, and math. |
| General Educational Development
Test (GED Tests) |
Tests which measure the knowledge
and skills usually learned in high school. A person who passes
the GED test has the equivalent of a high school diploma. |
| Gift Aid |
Financial aid which is not repaid,
such as grants and scholarships. |
| Grade Point |
The numerical value of grade multiplied
by the credit hours for a course (A=4 points; B=3 points; C=2
points; D=1 point). If, for example, a student earn and A in
English 101 (3 credit hours), then the student earns 12 points:
A=4 points x 3 (credit hours)= 12 points. |
| Grade Point Average |
Generally called GPA, grade point
average is determined by dividing the total number of grade
points earned by the total number of credit hours attempted.
For example, 45 grade points divided by 15 credit hours earned
= 3.0 GPA. |
| Graduate |
A person who receives a certificate,
degree, or diploma from a school. |
| Graduate Student |
A student who has received a bachelor’s
degree and is working on an advanced degree such as a master’s
or doctoral degree. |
| Grant |
Financial aid based on student
need; it is not repaid. Grants are often described as
“free money" and are awarded to you by the state and federal
governments based on criteria you must meet. |
| GRE |
Graduate Record Examination |
| Greek Organizations |
Social organizations named by Greek
letters which students can join. These organizations often
engage in social and charity events. Members of Greek organizations
frequently live together in a “Greek House.” See Rush, Fraternity,
Sorority. |
| Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) |
See Federal Stafford Loan. |
| Higher
Education |
See Postsecondary Education. |
| Hours |
Hours, credit hours and credits
are terms used interchangeably. |
| Housing |
Living arrangements for students
at colleges or private secondary schools. |
| Humanities |
The branches of learning concerned
with human thought and relations, especially literature, philosophy,
fine arts, and history. |
| Identification
Card (ID) |
Card issued to identify a student.
ID’s are often required for borrowing library books or for admission
into school-sponsored activities. |
| Incomplete |
A student doing satisfactory work,
but forced by illness or other emergency to miss the final exam
or a major assignment, arranges with the instructor to receive
an incomplete (I). The student will contract with the instructor
to complete the work, and to have the “I” changed to the appropriate
grade. Arrangements should be made before the semester ends. |
| Independent College |
A college or other school which
is not supported by a state. Some independent colleges have
a religious affiliation or are single sex schools. |
| Independent Study |
Studying a subject for credit but
not in an organized class. Examples are correspondence courses,
video or computer instruction, and student-instructor meetings.
See Correspondence Course. |
| Individualized Major |
See Student-designed Major. |
| Informational Interview |
An interview to find out about
a job or career, such as the training needed for it and the
responsibilities of it. |
| INS |
Immigration and Naturalization
Service. An agency of the Department of Justice which administers
and enforces immigration related provisions and statutes within
the United States. Outside the United States these provisions
and statutes are enforced by consular posts of the Department
of State. |
| Institution |
An established organization; in
the education field, it is a school, college, or university. |
| Instructor |
Teacher faculty member. |
| Intercollegiate |
Any competition or activity taking
place between different colleges. |
| Interdisciplinary |
Programs or courses using knowledge
from two or more academic areas. |
| Interest Inventory |
An exercise or set of exercises
used to identify possible areas of career fit. |
| Internship |
Class credit given to students
who work at jobs on or off campus. The jobs give them practical
experience in their major. |
| Intramural Sports |
Athletic activities between a school’s
students. |
| ISEEK |
Acronym for “Internet System for
Education and Employment Knowledge.” ISEEK is an external site that facilitates
career exploration and employment searches within Minnesota
by offering resources in several categories. |
| Liberal
Arts |
A school or course of study which
focuses on developing students’ general knowledge and reasoning
ability instead of a specific career; the result is often considered
to be a well-rounded, general education in the arts and sciences. |
| Load |
Also called academic load. The
total number of credit hours taken in a term. Twelve credit
hours is considered a full-time load. |
| Loan |
Financial aid that must be repaid
with interest after a student leaves school. |
| Lower Division |
Normally freshman- and sophomore-level
courses offered by a college. Community colleges offer ONLY
lower division courses. Four-year institutions offer lower
division courses and upper division courses, which are junior-level
and senior-level courses. |
| Major |
Subject areas such as anthropology,
economics, or geology in which students take many classes; an
area of interest in which students earn a degree. |
| Master’s Degree |
An advanced college degree earned
after a bachelor’s degree, usually taking two years to complete. |
| Matriculated Student |
A matriculated student has been
accepted for admission to the college, has registered in a curriculum
and is pursuing courses toward a degree or certificate. |
| Mentor |
A mature person who gives advice
and help. |
| Minnesota General Education
Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) |
A collaborative effort among all
two and four year public colleges and universities in Minnesota
to help students transfer their coursework in general education.
60 credits are required in ten goal areas. These courses are
also used in the general education portion of the AA, AS, AAS,
diploma and certificate programs. |
| Minor |
An area of interest studied at
the same time as a major. It is rarely in the same department
as a major and requires fewer classes than a major. |
| MnLINK |
The Minnesota Library
Information Network (MnLINK) is a statewide virtual library
that electronically links you to Minnesota's rich library resources.
See MnLINK’s web site at www.mnlink.org |
| MnSCU |
Abbreviation for Minnesota
State Colleges and Universities. |
