This page is part of the 2016 Lane website archive, and is presented for historical reference only.

Lingo Lesson

Beginning the Process - "Lingo" Lesson

A glossary of commonly used terms and acronyms:

  • ACADEMIC YEAR – At Lane, our academic year begins summer term and ends the following spring term.
  • AWARD YEAR – An award year always begins on July 1 of one year and ends on June 30 of the next year.
  • CAMPUS-BASED FUNDS – Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and Federal Work Study (FWS).
  • COST OF ATTENDANCE (COA) – An estimate of costs incurred while attending Lane.  Also known as the Student Budget.  
  • ELIGIBLE PROGRAM – A course of study that leads to a degree or most one and two year certificate programs. 
  • ENROLLMENT PERIOD – In general, the first day through the last day of the term.
  • EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION (EFC) – The amount you and your family are expected to contribute toward your education.  The EFC is determined by the Federal Processor.   
  • FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) - The application used to apply for federal aid. 
  • FEDERAL PROCESSOR – The Department of Education's organization for processing FAFSA application data.
  • myLane – Lane's secure self service web portal.
  • NEED BASED PROGRAM – Financial aid that relies upon financial need.  Financial need is the total Cost of Attendance (COA) minus the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). 
  • SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS (SAP) –  A measurement of your academic progress based upon GPA and completion rate.
  • STUDENT AID REPORT (SAR) – A summary of the information reported on the FAFSA and sent to the student.