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The world of Financial Aid can be a swirl of confusing acronyms. The following is a list of commonly used acronyms and abbreviations to help guide you through FAA talk.
ACT - American College Testing Program
AGI - Adjusted Gross Income
ATB - Ability To Benefit (See Federal Eligibility Requirements)
COA - Cost of Attendance-- estimated student expense budgets
ED - The Department of Education administers the federal financial aid program
EAP - Electronic Application Processing
EFC - Expected (or Estimated) Family Contribution as determined by federal methodology
ESAR - An Electronic Student Aid Report is the information a school receives electronically when a student includes a school's Title IV code on the FAFSA when applying for financial aid.
FAA - Financial Aid Administrator- the staff of a college's financial aid office
FAFSA - The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the initial application for any/all of the federal Title IV programs.
FAO - Financial Aid Office (or Officer)
FSEOG - Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants are additional grants given to Pell eligible students.
FWS - Federal Work Study-- on-campus and community service jobs partially Federally funded that are offered to students who show unmet need
GED - General Education Degree-- the equivalent of a high school diploma administered through a high school equivalency program.
GPA - Grade Point Average
PELL - Federal PELL grants are basic entitlement grants awarded to students through the Title IV financial aid program
SAP - Satisfactory Academic Progress. A student must be making satisfactory academic progress as defined by BCCC for students to receive financial aid
SAR - A Student Aid Report is a letter sent to the applicant after the federal processor has processed a student's FAFSA
SSN - Social Security Number
VA - Veterans Administration