- Academic
Advisement: a meeting between a student and an advisor
to discuss career plans, program of study or class selections
prior to registration.
-
Academic
Accommodations:
changes in the delivery of course material and/or in the
assessment of knowledge that assist students in meeting
the standards of the course. Students are eligible for
accommodations based on the documentation of their disability.
A few examples of accommodations include notetakers, recorded
textbooks, time extensions on course assignments, extended
test time, sign language interpreter, and the use of assistive
technology during class and exams.
-
ACT:
a test published by American College Testing which measures
a student's aptitude in mathematical and verbal comprehension
and problem solving. Some four-year colleges in Virginia
require students to take this test and submit their test
scores when they apply for admission. Some colleges accept
this test or the SAT (see below for explanation of SAT).
Most students take the ACT or the SAT during their junior
or senior year of high school. For additional information,
see www.act.org
-
Admissions
Counselor: a person working in a college Admission
and a college Admission and Registration Department who
assists students preparing application materials.
-
Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA):
a civil rights law stating that public institutions cannot
discriminate on the basis of disability. It helps to implement
and enforce Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
and also outlines additional protections for people with
disabilities.
-
ASSET
or COMPASS:
tests that measure a student's ability in math and English.
Either the ASSET or COMPASS test is given to students
who apply to a technical or community college. The test
results are used to determine the student's placement
in English and math. The results do not determine admission
status. It is recommended that students complete the test
just prior to or directly following high school graduation.
Students must contact the testing office available on
each college campus to arrange for a test time. The student
through contacting the Disability Services Office arranges
accommodations for the test. For additional information,
see www.act.org/asset
or www.act.org/compass
-
Assistive
or Adaptive Technology: equipment that promotes capability
in handling a wider range of activities with greater independence
for students with disabilities. Examples would be large
print displays on computer screens for a student with
a visual impairment; computer voice output for a student
with a reading disability and variations of the standard
keyboard for a student with a mobility impairment.
-
Audit:
enrolling in a class on an audit basis means the class
would not count for credit or grade point average. In
some cases the audit fee is less than the tuition rate.
Registration for audit may require the permission of the
instructor.
-
B.A.
or B.S.:
B.A. stands for "Bachelor of Arts", and B.S.
stands for "Bachelor of Science". These college
degrees can be earned at four-year colleges and usually
take four years to complete. Some colleges only grant
B.A.s and others only grant B.S.s it depends on the kinds
of courses offered at the particular college.
-
Blue
Book:
a booklet with a blue cover that contains lined paper
for writing essay test answers. Blue books are usually
available for purchase in the campus bookstore.
-
Certificate
Programs: programs that offer short-term training
in a wide variety of areas and are available at community
and technical colleges.
-
COMPASS
or ASSET: tests that measure a student's ability in
math and English. Either the COMPASS or ASSET test is
given to students who apply to a Technical or Community
College. The test results are used to determine the student's
placement in English and math. The results do not determine
admission status. It is recommended that students complete
the test just prior to or directly following high school
graduation. Students must contact the testing office available
on each college campus to arrange for a test time. The
student through contacting the Disability Services Office
arranges accommodations for the test. For more information,
see www.act.org/asset
or www.act.org/compass
-
Course
Number:
each class has a designated number that must be used during
registration to insure proper class placement.
-
Course
Load: number of credit hours for which a student is
enrolled during a semester.
-
Credit
Hour:
dependent upon the amount of time spent in class, courses
are assigned credit hours. This may range from one to
eight hours.
-
Disability
Support Services (DSS): college support and advocacy
services for students with disabilities. This service
may go by various names depending on the individual college
(such as Disabled Student Services, Educational Access
or Special Needs). To receive these services, a person
with a disability must place a request with the DSS office
and provide documentation regarding the disability.
-
Documentation:
relative to a student with a disability requesting services
at a college, this is a written assessment from a professional
with expertise in that particular field of disability.
This documentation is required in order to determine the
student's eligibility for services and the specific services
that are needed. Since there is some variance among colleges
as to the documentation required to receive services,
students are encouraged to inquire at all colleges of
interest.
-
Early
or Priority Registration:
students complete a final course selection and make a
payment or deposit for tuition and fees in advance of
the general student population. This accommodation is
granted to disabled students whose documentation states
the need for early registration.
-
Elective:
a course you choose to take that is not required in your
major field of study, but may be used for credit toward
a degree.
-
Equal
Access:
providing to students with disabilities who are "otherwise
qualified" the same educational opportunities and
full participation in programs and activities as provided
to all other students.
-
FAFSA
(Free Application for Federal Student Aid):
a form that all students applying for financial assistance
are required to complete in order to determine eligibility
for financial aid. This form is available from your high
school career center or guidance counselor or from any
college financial aid office. For more information, see
www.fafsa.ed.gov
-
Fees:
charges that cover costs not associated with the student's
course load. This may include a charge for registration,
parking, and for the use of lab equipment or computers.
-
Financial
Aid or Financial Assistance: money available from
various sources to help students pay for college. Students
must establish eligibility and funds can be competitive.
-
Financial
Aid Package:
total amount of financial aid given to a student. Federal
and non-Federal aid such as grants, loans, and work-study
are combined to help meet the student's need. Using available
resources to give each student the best possible package
of aid is one of the major responsibilities of a school's
financial aid administrator.
-
Financial
Need:
in the context of student financial aid, financial need
is equal to the cost of education (estimated costs for
college attendance and basic living expenses) minus the
expected family contribution (the amount a student's family
is expected to pay, which varies according to the family's
financial resources).
-
Full-time
Student:
student with a course load of 12 or more credit hours
per semester.
-
GED
Certificate or Diploma: the equivalent to a high school
diploma. It certifies that a person has obtained a passing
score on five separate tests: Writing Skills, Social Studies,
Science, Interpreting Literature and the Arts, and Mathematics.
For more information, see www.acenet.edu/calec/ged/intro-TT.cfm
-
Grant:
a sum of money given to a student for the purposes of
paying at least part of the cost of college. A grant does
not have to be repaid.
-
IEP
(Individualized Education Program): an important document
that outlines an annual educational program for students
who qualify for services because of a disability.
-
IEP
Manager:
a school professional, usually a special education teacher,
who is responsible for the student's educational program.
-
IEP
Meeting:
an annual meeting to develop an educational program that
is formalized in writing.
-
Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): a federal
law outlining the responsibilities of public schools (K-12)
in regards to providing an appropriate education to students
with disabilities.
-
Learning
Strategies: activities that help people use the learning
style to best approach new learning.
-
Learning
Style: the way a person takes in, understands, expresses
and remembers information; the way a person learns best.
-
Loan:
a type of financial aid that is available to students
and to the parents of students. An education loan must
be repaid. In many cases payments do not begin until the
student finishes school.
-
Major:
a student's primary area of study, which is usually decided
during the sophomore or junior year of college.
-
Modification:
making a change in a college program or course, such as
increasing the length of time permitted to complete a
degree program. Colleges are required to make "reasonable
modifications" for qualified students with disabilities
if the change does not alter an essential or necessary
element of the program.
-
Otherwise
Qualified: as a student with a disability, you are
"otherwise qualified" when you meet the same
academic requirements and standards as non-disabled students.
These requirements and standards must be considered necessary
to maintain the integrity of a course, program or college
policy. For example, a student with a disability is required
to meet the instructor's expectations for all students
in regards to class participation, work standards, attendance,
and ability to demonstrate acquired knowledge.
-
Open
Admissions: a policy that supports admission to most
or all students who apply to the school. At some colleges
it means that anyone who has a high school diploma or
a GED can enroll. At other schools it means that anyone
over 18 can enroll. "Open admission", therefore,
can mean slightly different things at different schools.
-
Part-time
Student: student with a course load of less than 12
credit hours per semester.
-
Postsecondary:
refers to all programs for students leaving high school,
including programs at community colleges, technical colleges,
four-year colleges and universities.
-
Prerequisite
(Prereq.): a requirement that students must meet before
enrolling in a specific course.
-
PSAT/NMSQT:
the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit
Scholarship Qualifying Test, a practice test that helps
students prepare for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
The PSAT is usually administered to tenth or eleventh
grade students. Although colleges do not see a student's
PSAT/NMSQT score, a student who does very well on this
test and who meets many other academic performance criteria
may qualify for the national Merit Scholarship Program.
For more information, see www.collegeboard.com
-
Reasonable
Modification: a change in the academic requirement
of a program. The change cannot alter what is considered
the essential or necessary content of what is being taught.
-
Registration:
students complete a final course selection and make a
payment or deposit for tuition and fees.
-
ROTC:
Reserve Officers Training Corps program, which is a scholarship
program wherein the military covers the cost of tuition,
fees and textbooks and also provides a monthly allowance.
Scholarship recipients participate in summer training
while in college and fulfill a military service commitment
after college. For more information, see www.armyrotc.com
-
SAT:
Scholastic Aptitude Test that measures a student's aptitude
in mathematical and verbal comprehension and problem solving.
Many four-year colleges in Virginia require students to
take this test and submit their test scores when they
apply for admission. Some colleges accept this test or
the ACT (See above for explanation of ACT). Most students
take the SAT or the ACT during their junior or senior
year of high school. For more information, see http://collegeboard.com
-
Schedule
of Classes:
a listing of all courses with course numbers, credit hours,
rooms, times, days and instructors for one semester. Schedule
books are published each semester and available in the
Registrar's Office.
-
Scholarship:
a sum of money given to a student for the purposes of
paying at least part of the cost of college. Scholarships
can be awarded to students based on academic achievements
or on many other factors.
-
Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: a civil rights
statute that is aimed at preventing discrimination against
persons with disabilities. The law requires that college
programs be prepared to make appropriate accommodations
and reasonable modifications to their college's procedures
and practices, so students with disabilities can fully
participate in the same programs and activities that are
available to non-disabled students.
-
Self-Advocate:
someone who can speak up in logical, clear and positive
language to communicate about his or her needs. To be
an effective self-advocate, a student with a disability
must understand his/her particular type of disability,
how it impacts learning, AND become comfortable with describing
to others the disability and related academic needs.
-
Substitution:
a replacement of a class required for completion of a
degree or certificate with another class. The substitution
can be granted to a student with a disability if the student's
disability documentation supports the need for a class
substitution AND the substitution does not alter an essential
or necessary element of the program.
-
Syllabus:
a summary or outline distributed by an instructor that
states the main topics, readings and assignments to be
completed during the semester.
-
Transcript:
a list of all the courses a student has taken with the
grades that the student earned in each course. A college
will often require a high school transcript when a student
applies for admission to the college.
-
Tuition:
the amount of money that colleges charge for classroom
and other instruction. Tuition can vary widely between
colleges.
-
Waiver:
an agreement that a specific class which is a part of
a degree or certificate program is not required for a
particular student. A waiver is only granted to a student
with a disability if the student's disability documentation
supports the need for the waiver AND the waiver would
not alter an essential or necessary part of the program.
-
Work-Study
Program: a program that allows students to work part-time
during the school year as part of their financial aid
package. The jobs are usually on campus and the money
earned is used to pay tuition or other college expenses.
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