Glossary

Glossary of Terms

ACT: A national college admissions examination that consists of subject area tests in English, mathematics, reading and science. It is a standardized test that is an achievement test, measuring what a student has learned in school.

CFCIP - Chafee Foster Care Independence Program: Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP) provides funding to pay for services to help youth prepare for and enter postsecondary education. Some of these services include academic support services including educational and career assessment and counseling, tutorial and mentoring services, examination preparation, SAT/ACT/PSAT fees, applications for admission to college, visits to colleges and clothing for college interviews. Be sure to check with your case worker to see if you are eligible for any of these funds. The program is intended to serve youth who are likely to remain in foster care until age 18; youth who, after attaining 16 years of age, have left foster care for kinship guardianship or adoption; and young adults ages 18-21 who have "aged out" of the foster care system.
Direct Subsidized Loan: Loans for students with financial need. Schools review FAFSA and determine the amount you can borrow. You are not charged with interest while you’re in school at least half-time and during grace periods and deferment periods. Loans should be a LAST RESORT source of financial aid.
Direct Unsubsidized Loan: You are not required to demonstrate financial need to receive this type of loan. The school will determine the amount you can borrow. Interest accumulates on this loan from the time it’s first paid out. You can pay the interest while you are in school and during grace periods and deferment or forbearance periods, or you can allow it to accrue and be capitalized (added to the principal amount of the loan). If you choose not to pay the interest as it accrues, this will increase the total amount you have to repay because you will be charged interest on a higher principal amount. Loans should be a LAST RESORT source of financial aid.

EOP - Educational Opportunity Program: The State University of New York's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) provides access, academic support, and financial aid to students who show promise for mastering college-level work, but who may otherwise not be admitted. Support services may include counseling, tutoring, modest financial, academic advisement aid and educational/skill building workshops. In addition, students may be required to attend a pre-freshman summer program prior to fall matriculation. Offered primarily to full-time students who are New York State residents, EOP accepts students who qualify, academically and economically, for the program.

ETV - Education Training Voucher: Youth eligible for vouchers under this program are foster care youth and former foster care youth who have not yet attained the age of 21 years who are eligible for services under the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP), and youth adopted from foster care after the age of 16.This also applies for youth in kinship guardianship. A youth participating in the ETV program when he or she attains 21 years of age may remain eligible until the youth attains 23 years of age, provided the youth continues to be enrolled in and attending a postsecondary educational or vocational training program and is making satisfactory progress toward completion of that program. Your local district is repsonsible for determinining your eligibility for this program.

FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid: This is the form used by the US Department of Education to determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) by conducting a "need analysis" based on financial information, such as income, assets and other household information, which you (and your parents if you are a dependent student) will be asked to provide.
FSEOG - Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant: The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is a grant that is awarded to students in need of financial aid. It is a type of federal grant that is awarded college undergraduate program students and does not need to be repaid. A student awarded the FSEOG is given between $100.00 and $4,000.00 per year depending on the gravity of the person’s financial aid need.

FWS - Federal Work-Study: This program provides jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay their education expenses. It is administered by the college financial aid office.

GED - Test of General Educational Development: The GED Test Battery is a national examination developed by the GED Testing Service of the American Council on Education (ACE). ACE makes them available to adults who did not graduate from high school or whose diplomas may not be recognized by New York State. In New York State, the GED Tests are offered in English, French and Spanish.

HEOP - Higher Education Opportunity Program: The Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) is an academic support program established by the State of New York in 1970. It enables motivated students who lack adequate preparation and financial resources for college attendance to pursue a college degree. To meet the specific need of its students, HEOP primarily provides testing, counseling, and tutoring. Academic advisement and financial assistance are also available.

IEP Diploma - Individualized Education Program Diploma: It is not a standards-based diploma and is not recognized in New York State as equivalent to a regular high school diploma.
Independent student status: As a youth in care, or a former youth in care, you are more than likley eligible to be considered for Independent Student Status. The Department of Education uses a set of criteria for determining if a student is considered Independent for financial aid purposes. If a person is considered Independent, this means that their custodial parents’ financial information is NOT considered when determining the student’s financial aid, and therefore NOT required on the FAFSA. If the student is an orphan (both parents deceased) or ward of the court or in foster care on or after their 13th birthday, even if they have subsequently been adopted, or was a ward of the court until age 18. This also applies for youth in kinship guardianship. For a complete list of the criteria visit Student Financial Aid Services Inc.'s Determining FAFSA Dependency page. Make sure you check the "Ward/dependency of the state or courts" box on your FAFSA form so you can receive all of the aid you’re eligible for. You may need to show proof of your independent status. Ask your caseworker for a letter stating your independent status on agency letterhead.

PELL: A federal grant that provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate and certain post baccalaureate students to promote access to postsecondary education. The amount awarded depends on financial need, costs to attend school, status as a full-time or part-time student, and plans to attend school for a full academic year or less.

PSAT - Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT): The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a program cosponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). It's a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT®. It also gives you a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and career planning tools.

SAT - Scholastic Aptitude Test: A college admission test that lets you show colleges what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge. It is a standardized test that is an aptitude test, testing reasoning and verbal abilities in the areas of reading, writing and math.
TAP - Tuition Assistance Program: New York’s largest grant program, which helps eligible New York residents attending in-state postsecondary institutions pay for tuition. These grants are based on an applicant’s and his/her family’s New York State taxable income.

Youth in Care/Formerly in Care: Youth who are or may have been in the care or custody of a local Department of Social Services, placed in an OCFS facility, youth adopted from foster care after age 16, or in relative kinship care. This includes but is not limited to youth who are or may have been living with foster parents, relative parents (kinship), in group homes, residential treatment centers, etc.