A
AAAAD Administrative Actions and Appeals Division
AACS Association of Accredited Cosmetology Schools
AAI Adjusted Available Income
ACA Administrative Cost Allowance
ACCSC Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges (formerly ACCSCT)
ACD Area Case Director
ACH/EFT Automated Clearinghouse/Electronic Funds Transfer
ACICS Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools
ACN Audit Control Number
ACT American College Testing
AGI Adjusted Gross Income
Al Available Income
AICPA American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
ANN Training Announcement “Dear Colleague” Letters
AOS Application Ordering System
APA Asset Protection Allowance
APC Adjusted Parents’ Contribution
APSCU Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (formerly Career College Association – CCA)
ATB Ability to Benefit
ATI Available Taxable Income
AVG Application and Verification Guide
AY Academic Year or Award Year
B
BBAY Borrower-Based Academic Year
BDR Borrower Defense to Repayment
C
CB Campus-based programs and campus- based “Dear Colleague” Letter Identifier (no longer in effect after Jan 2013)
CBE Competency-Based Education
CBO Congressional Budget Office
CCA Career College Association (effective June 2010, APSCU)
CCRAA College Cost Reduction & Access Act – 2007
CDR Cohort Default Rate
CEO Chief Executive Officer
CFL Current Funding Level
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CIP Classification of Instructional Programs
CIS Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly Immigration and Naturalization Service – INS)
COA Cost of Attendance
COD Common Origination and Disbursement: A Federal Student Aid system which contains award and payment information for FSA grants and Direct Loans
COHEAO Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations
CPA Certified Public Accountant
CPS Central Processing System
CR Credit
CS Community Service
CSL Community Service Learning Program (formerly a separate program, but its functions are now part of the FWS Program)
CSS College Scholarship Service
CTI Contribution from Taxable Income
CTL Case Team Leader
CTP Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary programs
D
DCL Dear Colleague Letter
DCS Debt Collection Service
DHS Department of Homeland Security
DHS-SAVE Department of Homeland Security-Systematic Alien Verification Entitlement
DL Direct Loan
DLB Direct Loan Bulletin
DLQAP Direct Loan Quality Assurance Program
DNW Discretionary Net Worth
DOD Date of Determination
DOMA Defense of Marriage Act
DPA Destination Point Administrator
DR Debit
DRN Data Release Number
DRT Data Retrieval Tool
DRAP Default Reduction Assistance Program
E
EA Employment Allowance
EAC Electronic Access Code
EADA Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act of 1994
eAPP Electronic Application to Participate in Title IV
EASI (Project) Easy Access for Students and Institutions
ECOA Equal Credit Opportunity Act
ECAR Eligibility & Certification Approval Report
eCB Electronic Campus Based website
ECASLA Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act
ECPP Eligible Career Pathway Program
eCDR Electronic Cohort Default Rate
ED U.S. Department of Education
EDCAPS ED Central Automated Processing System
EDE Electronic Data Exchange
EFA Estimated Financial Assistance
EFC Expected Family Contribution
EFC Extended Foster Care
EFT Electronic Funds Transfer (See also ACH/EFT)
EIN Entity Identification Number
EPPD Electronic Pell Payment Data
EPPPD Electronic Processed Pell Payment Data
EPI Electronic Payment Information
ESL English as a Second Language
ESOA Electronic Statement of Account
e-Z Audit Electronic Compliance Audit and Financial Statement submission
F
FAA Financial Aid Administrator
FAD Final Audit Determination
FADHPS Financial Assistance for Disadvantaged Health Professions Students
FADL Final Audit Determination Letter
FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid
FAO Financial Aid Office or Financial Aid Officer
FC Family Contribution (a former term for the Expected Family Contribution (EFC))
FCC Federal Capital Contribution
FEDWIRE (Automated FEDWIRE) U.S. Treasury Financial Communication System / Deposit Message Retrieval System, or Federal Reserve Communications System (not the U.S. Treasury wire transfer system)
FEMA Federal Emergency Management
FERPA Family Education Rights and Privacy Act
FFEL Federal Family Education Loan (no new loans are issued, but old ones are still being collected)
FFY Federal Fiscal Year
FISAP The Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate in Campus-Based Programs (FSEOG, FWS, and Federal Perkins Loan Programs)
FISL Federal Insured Student Loan (no new loans are issued, but old ones are still being collected)
FO Fiscal Officer
FOIA Freedom of Information Act
FPL Federal Perkins Loan (program ended 9/30/17)
FPRDL Final Program Review Determination Letter
FROE Final Report of Expenditures
FS Financial Services (within ED, formerly called Accounting and Financial Management Services (AFMS) and Financial Management Service (FMS))
FSA Federal Student Aid
FSA ID Federal Student Aid Identification
FSAIC Federal Student Aid Information Center
FSEOG Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
FT Full Time
FWS Federal Work-Study [formerly College Work-Study (CWS) Program]
FY Fiscal Year
G
G Guaranty Agency “Dear Colleague” Letter Identifier
G5 replaces GAPS (Grant Administration & Payment System)
GA Guaranty Agency
GAAP Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
GAGAS Generally Accepted Government Accounting Standards
GAO Government Accountability Office
GE Gainful Employment
GED General Education Development Certificate
GEN General “Dear Colleague” Letter Identifier
GPA Grade Point Average
GPO Government Printing Office
GSL A Guaranteed Student Loan [formerly referred to as a specific type of loan, now renamed Federal Stafford Loan; also formerly used as a general term for the Stafford, SLS, PLUS, and Consolidation Loan Programs, now renamed the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL Program)]
H
HCERA Healthcare and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010
HEA Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended
HEAL Health Education Assistance Loan
HEERF Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
HEOA Higher Education Opportunity Act – 2008
HERA Higher Education Reconciliation Act – 2005
HEROES Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students
HHS US Department of Health and Human Services
HiSet High School Equivalency Test
HPSL Health Professions Student Loan Program
I
IRA Individual Retirement Account
IRS Internal Revenue Service
ISIR Institutional Student Information Record
J
We can’t think of anything that starts with the letter “J” in the financial aid world, but if you can, let us know!
K
We can’t think of anything that starts with the letter “K” in the financial aid world, but if you can, let us know!
L
L FFEL Program ‘Dear Colleague” Letter Identifier for lenders
LAN Local Area Network
LD Limited Distribution ‘Dear Colleague” Letter Identifier
LDA Last Day of Attendance
LEA Local Education Authority
LEU Lifetime Eligibility Used
LOA Leave of Absence
LOE Level of Expenditure
LS&T Limitation, Suspension and Termination
M
MAP-21 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act
MDE Multiple Data Entry
MEP Maximum Eligibility Period
MPN Master Promissory Note
N
NACCAS National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences
NACUBO National Association of College and University Business Officers
NAS Need Analysis Servicer or Need Analysis System
NASFAA National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
NCHELP National Council of Higher Education Loan Programs
NCS National Computer Systems
NDEA National Defense Education Act
NDSL National Direct Student Loan Program or National Defense Student Loan Program
NPRM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
NRM Negotiated Rulemaking
NSF Insufficient Funds
NSLDS National Student Loan Data System
O
OCFO Office of the Chief Financial Officer
OCR Office for Civil Rights (within ED)
OGC Office of the General Counsel (within ED)
OIG Office of the Inspector General (within ED)
OMB Office of Management and Budget (Federal)
OPE Office of Postsecondary Education (within ED)
OPE ID Office of Postsecondary Education (within ED)
Identification (school’s identifier number on their ECAR/PPA)
OPM Office of Personnel Management
OSFA Office of Student Financial Assistance (within ED)
P
P Federal Pell Grant ‘Dear Colleague” Letter Identifier (no longer in effect after Jan 2013)
PAN Payee Account Number
PAYE Pay As You Earn
PC Parental Contribution or Personal Computer
PCA Parents’ Contribution from Assets or Pre-Claims Assistance
PDL Program Determination Letter
PEPS Postsecondary Education Participants System
PII Personally Identifiable Information
PIN Personal Identification Number
PJ Professional Judgment
P.L. Public Law
PLUS formerly an acronym for “Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students”. No longer an acronym; now refers to loans made to parents of undergraduate students, as well as loans made to independent graduate/professional students
PMS Payment Management System
PPA Program Participation Agreement
PRCN Program Review Control Number
PRDL Program Review Determination Letter
PSS Program Systems Service (within ED, formerly Division of Program Operations and Systems)
PT Part Time
PTAS Policy, Training, and Analysis Service (within ED)
Q
QA Quality Assurance
QAP Quality Assurance Program (within ED, formerly Institutional Quality Assurance Program) (QA Program ended 6/30/17 – however the DLQAP is still in effect)
QC Quality Control
QTP Qualified Tuition Program
R
REP Remaining Eligibility Period
REPAYE Revised Pay As You Earn
RIGA Regional Inspector General for Audit
RO Regional Office (within ED)
ROTC Reserve Officers Training Corps
S
SAFRA Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act
SAIG Student Aid Internet Gateway
SAP Satisfactory Academic Progress
SAR Student Aid Report
SC Student Contribution
SCA Student Contribution from Assets
SCP Scheduled Cash Payment
SEA State Education Authority
SFAP Student Financial Assistance Programs (within ED)
SG State (SSIG) ‘Dear Colleague” Letter Identifier
SIC Student’s Income Contribution
SLEU Subsidized Loan Eligibility Used
SLMA Student Loan Marketing Association, also known as “Sallie Mae”
SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly the Food Stamp Program)
SNT Simplified Needs Test
SPCA Supplemental Pre-Claims Assistance
SPT School Participation Team
SSA Social Security Administration
SSCR Student Status Confirmation Report (aka Enrollment Reporting)
SSI Social Security Income
SSIG State Student Incentive Grant
SSN Social Security Number
SULA Subsidized Usage Limit Applies (ended with 21-22 award year)
SUP Subsidized Usage Period
T
TA Technical Assistance
TANF Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (formerly AFDC)
TASC Test Assessing Secondary Completion
TC Total Contribution
TEACH Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education
TFA Two Factor Authentication
TFCS U.S. Treasury’s Financial Communications System (this is a method to request funds under ACH / EFT in ED / PMS)
TI Total Income
TIN Taxpayer Identification Number
TIV WAN Title IV Wide Area Network
TPID Training and Program Information Division (within ED)
TRIO HEA Federal outreach programs for disadvantaged students: Educational Opportunity Centers, Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound-Math /Science, Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement, Training Program for Special Programs Staff and Leadership Personnel and Student Support Services
U
U.S.C. United States Code (of law)
USCIS United States Citizenship Immigration Services
UEH Unusual Enrollment History
V
VA U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
VAWA Violence Against Women Act
VEAP Post-Vietnam Veterans Educational Assistance Program
VISTA Volunteers in Service to America
W
WAN Wide Area Network
WIA Workforce Investment Act
WIOA Workforce Investment Opportunity Act
WIC Women, Infants and Children Program
X
We can’t think of anything that starts with the letter “X” in the financial aid world, but if you can, let us know!
Y
We can’t think of anything that starts with the letter “Y” in the financial aid world, but if you can, let us know!
Z
We can’t think of anything that starts with the letter “Z” in the financial aid world, but if you can, let us know!
