Financial Aid
A yearly application students complete to determine their eligibility for federal financial aid and other aid programs to help pay for college.
What is FAFSA?
A person, staff, or school administrator who helps a student plan a course of study.
What is an academic counselor/advisor?
A degree given to a student in a specific area of study usually after four to five years of study.
What is a bachelor’s degree?
How many University of California (UC) campuses are there?
What are 9?
A student whose parent or guardian did not complete a four-year college or university degree.
What is a first-generation college student?
A program that allows for a college student to apply for university-affiliated part-time jobs to earn money to pay for expenses related to their education.
What is Work-Study?
This type of college is an affordable option for a 2-year degree or as a transfer path to a 4-year university.
What is Community College?
A degree generally requires two years of full-time study at a community college, junior college, or university.
What is an associate degree?
How many California State Universities (CSU) are there?
What are 23?
This refers to when a college course taught by a college professor is offered at their high school therefore completing high school and college credit.
What is Dual Enrollment?
What is the main difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans?
What is accured interest?
The process of going from a two-year college to a four-year college or university.
What is tranferring?
A student who is enrolled in college who has not yet decided and/or declared a major.
What is Undecided or Undeclared?
Application system that hubs over 400 colleges and universities, predominantly private and out-of-state schools. May request letters of recommendation.
What is the Common Application?
A university system consisting of four 10-week sessions in the fall, winter, spring, and summer. The average full-time student takes 3-4 courses per term, or 9-12 credits.
What is a quarter system?
The reduction of financial aid packages by college or university when receiving private scholarship dollars.
What is Scholarship Displacement?
An increase in the length of time given to someone to complete a project or fulfill an obligation. Usually required to be requested at least 48 hours in advance.
What is an extension?
A secondary focus meant to add to the value to the student’s major. A minor consists of the lower-level courses required for a major in the same discipline.
What is a minor?
A college or university where you clearly meet the admission requirements: minimum GPA, test scores, etc.
What is a “safety" school?
This refers to when a high school student enrolls in a college course at the college campus and receives credit from their high school.
What is Concurrent Enrollment?
An application used to apply for state financial aid, primarily for students who are undocumented, under Temporary Protected Status or U-Visa holders.
What is CA Dream Act Application (CADAA)?
A program that provides admission, academic, and financial support services to historically underserved students throughout California.
What is the Educational Opportunity Program?
To drop a class after the add/drop grace period, usually a fee is paid, or it is noted on your transcript.
What is to withdraw?
An offer in which the admissions officer or committee decides to give the applicant a chance to enroll in the institution only if space is available in the incoming class after fully admitted students have responded to their offers to enroll.
What is a waitlist?
The rate at which students remain enrolled as members of the college or university community and persist toward graduation.
What is student retention / retention rate?