orientation, students often learn how
to register for classes; how to use the
and other school services; how to pay
tuition and fees; and how to take care of
other important details.
Prerequisite: A course that a student
must successfully complete before
enrolling in another class or a certain
class rank (e.g. sophomore status)
required to take a class. For example,
English 101 may be a prerequisite for
English 201. Also known as “pre-req” or
“pr.”
Registrar’s Office or Records
Office:
often coordinates the course scheduling
and class registration process.
Resident Advisor (RA) and Resident
Director (RD): An RA is a student who
lives in the residence halls, maintains
the rules and assists students. An RD
is a professional staff member who
oversees the residence hall, including
all RAs.
Room and board: Refers to charges
applied to a student’s account for living
on campus or eating in the dining halls.
“Room” applies to the cost of housing
(living in the dorms) and “board” refers
to the cost of meal or dining plans.
ROTC:
Corps. In this program, the military pays
a student’s tuition or other expenses.
The student takes part in summer
training while in college, and commits to
military service after college.
SAR: Student Aid Report: This
report summarizes the information
entered on your FAFSA form, and
shows the amount of your Expected
Family Contribution.
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Satisfactory academic progress:
A set of minimum expectations
that indicates a student is making
degree in a timely manner. If a student
does not meet this minimum level of
progress, he or she may lose eligibility
Scholarships: These funds are
given to, or earned by, students and
are to be used for tuition. There are
numerous public and private sources
for scholarships. Some are given based
on need, some on merit or skill. Others
can receive the scholarship.
Semester: A way of dividing the
school year into two main sessions,
usually fall and spring. Semesters can
vary in length, but often are 16 weeks.
Students usually complete classes
within one semester — although some
courses may span multiple semesters.
Also known as “terms.”
Student affairs:
institution that helps students develop
and grow through experiences outside
often manage housing and residential
facilities and activities, dining services,
career services, student organizations,
student life, wellness and recreation.
Student affairs might also include the
Syllabus: A document provided by
class, that sets forth the expectations
for the semester and includes important
details about the class. Syllabi often
include a course schedule, grading
and contact information, and required
materials and textbooks.
Transcript:
of college courses a student has
completed and grades earned. Upon
graduation, your transcript documents
the title of the degree you completed
and any academic honors you earned.
Transfer: If you have completed
college-level coursework at another
institution, you may be able to transfer
your credits to a new institution and
count these credits toward your general
education requirements or degree.
However, it is up to your new college
whether to accept transfer credits. Talk
to your admissions counselor if you
have credits you’d like to transfer.
Tuition and fees: This refers to the
cost of the education provided by an
institution. It does not include other
expenses, such as room and board or
the purchase of books. Tuition and fees
are typically paid by semester.
Undeclared or undecided major:
Students who are unsure which degree
program they wish to study can enroll
in college and begin taking general
education classes as an undeclared/
undecided or general studies major.
Students with undeclared majors may
be required to take special classes
or workshops aimed at helping them
determine their career interests.
Withdraw: You may withdraw from
classes up until a certain point each
semester. However, if you withdraw from
a class after the “add/drop deadline”
you will receive a “w” or withdraw
mark on your transcript. Too many
“w”s can impact your ability to meet
the satisfactory academic progress
Work-study: This program allows
students to defray part of their tuition
and school expenses by working part
time on campus.
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