The following terms are taken from The Kids’ College Almanac.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Associate's degree—degree given for completion of a two-year program Bachelor's degree—degree given for completion of a four-year program

Campus—a college's physical surroundings; its buildings, and its grounds

Career education—studies that emphasize practical skills and training for specific careers; also called vocational-technology

Certificate—recognition that a student has completed a program of study in a specialized area

Certification—evidence that a person has completed a program of study or passed a competency test; gives the person permission to practice in a chosen field

Class rank—a measure of a student's academic performance compared to all other students in the same grade at the same school

College—school after high school, often four-year programs leading to bachelor's degrees; see also community college and university College entrance exams—standardized tests used to measure skills important for college success; many colleges require applicants to take at least one; most common are the SAT and the ACT

Community college—school after high school that offers programs leading to associate's degrees and certificates; full-time programs can usually be completed in two years; sometimes called junior college

Cooperative education—a program combining studies with practical work experience, sometimes paid, in a student's chosen field; also called co-op program

Competitive admissions—applicants must meet or exceed specific standards; qualified applicants are then compared to determine who will be admitted

Credit—a measure of how much a particular course counts toward completing overall graduation requirements

Diploma—recognition that a student has completed a specific program of study

Doctorate—an advanced degree beyond the bachelor’s degree and usually beyond the master’s degree; also called doctor's degree or Ph.D.

Dormitory—a building that houses students who live on a college campus; also called dorm or residence hall

Early decision—selection process enabling student to be admitted earlier than all other applicants

Electives—courses students elect to take, but are not required to take

Expected Family Contribution (EFC) —the amount that, according to a government formula, your family should be able to pay toward college expenses

Extracurricular activities—activities in which a student participates outside of class, such as sports or music

FAFSA—Free Application for Federal Student Aid; the form students use to apply for financial assistance from the federal government

Financial aid—money provided to a student to help pay for college

Financial aid package—the combination of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study that a student receives to help pay for college

Grade point average (GPA) —an average of all of a student's grades for a term, year, or several years

Grant—a financial award that does not need to be repaid Hope scholarship—a federal tax credit program in which taxpayers may credit some of their tuition against their taxes

Internship—a program that lets students apply their studies in a work setting

Liberal Arts—studies that cover broad knowledge in a wide variety of subjects

Major—the area of study in which a student chooses to specialize

Master's degree—an advanced degree following a bachelor's degree

Merit-based aid—financial assistance based on a student's academic success

Need-based aid—financial assistance based on a student's ability to pay for college

Open admissions—all applicants are admitted, with a few exceptions

Private college—an independent college set up by individuals or organizations

Public college—a college set up with government support

SAT I—scholastic achievement test; college entrance exam that tests students' verbal and math skills

SAT II—formerly the achievement tests; college entrance exam that test students' skills in specific subject areas

Selective admissions—applicants must either meet or exceed specific standards to qualify for admission

Technical institute—a postsecondary school that emphasizes practical career and job skills, especially in technology and applied trades

Transcript—a summary of a student's academic work

Tuition—the portion of college costs attributed directly to paying for classes

Undergraduate—a student who has not yet completed graduation requirements nor earned a bachelor's or associate's degree

University—an institution of higher education that usually combines one or more colleges with other schools, such as medical or law

Work-study—a financial assistance program that provides students with jobs, usually on campus