Academic Advisor: University staff member that works with students to select the appropriate courses, review course and graduation requirements, discuss academic goals, and assist with any academic problems students may encounter.
Academic Probation: All colleges require students to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) to remain in school. Any student not maintaining satisfactory progress toward his/her educational objectives will be placed on probation for a semester.
ACE: Achievement-Centered Education. Consisting of 10 student learning outcomes, ACE was developed to help students of every major develop skills, build knowledge, exercise social responsibility, and integrate and apply those capabilities.
ACT and SAT: Acronyms for the American College Test and the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Both tests are designed to measure a student’s level of knowledge in basic areas such as math, science, English and social studies.
Bachelor’s Degree: A degree that is given to a student by a university usually after a minimum of four years of study.
Credit Hour: College credit hours are calculated based on the time students spend in class and studying. One credit hour usually represents three total hours of work per week over a 15-week semester.
Elective: Courses that students are allowed to choose based on their own interests.
FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Filed annually to determine eligibility for financial aid.
Fees: Fees are additional charges not included in the tuition. Fees may be charged to cover the cost of materials, campus resources, health insurance, etc.
Financial Aid: Any type of aid offered to students to be used for college-related expenses.
Full-time: Students who are enrolled for at least 12 credit hours.
GPA: Grade Point Average. GPA is the average of all the grades the student has received in school. If you have a GPA of 4.0, it means the student has earned all A’s in their classes.
Grants: Funds awarded to qualified students that do not have to be repaid.
1505 ‘S’ Street / P.O. Box 880450 / Lincoln, NE 68588-0450
(402) 472-5500 / FAX (402) 472-8159
Internship: Temporary position that provides additional learning experiences outside the classroom. These internships can be paid or unpaid.
Loans: 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, however, payments do not begin until the student finishes school.
Major/Minor: A major is a student’s chosen field of study. It usually requires the successful completion of a specified number of credit hours. A minor is designated as a specific number of credit hours in a secondary field of study.
Matriculate: To be enrolled at a college or university.
Office Hours: The time during the day when a teacher is available to meet with students in his or her office
Prerequisite: A course that must be taken prior to enrollment in another course.
Recitation: Recitations have smaller class sizes than lectures. Recitations usually consist of a smaller group of students from a larger lecture course. In recitation, students have the opportunity to ask questions, get clarification on the lecture/notes, learn how to solve difficult homework problems, and take quizzes.
Registrar: Office that maintains student educational records.
Résumé: A written statement of personal, educational, and/or professional qualifications and experiences.
Scholarships: A scholarship is a sum of money given to a student for the purpose of paying at least part of the cost of college. Scholarships can be awarded to a student based on academic achievements or on many other factors. Scholarships do not need to be repaid.
Student Accounts: The primary function of the Student Accounts office is to issue bills, receive payments and provide information to help understand the account.
Syllabus: An outline of the important information about a course. Written by the professor or instructor, it usually includes important dates, assignments, expectations and policies specific to that course.
Transcript: Official academic student record showing courses taken and grades received.
Tuition: The fee students pay to attend classes at a university.
Undergraduates: Students who are earning a bachelor’s degree.
Work Study: The Federal Work Study Program (FWS) is a government-subsidized student employment program designed to assist students in financing their post-secondary education. To be eligible for FWS funds, you must demonstrate financial need every year by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).