trimesters, or 2 4-month sessions.
Level (of institution)
A classification of whether an institution’s programs are 4-year or higher (4 year), 2-but-less-than
4-year (2 year), or less than 2-year.
Loans to students
Any monies that must be repaid to the lending institution for which the student is the designated
borrower. Includes all Title IV subsidized and unsubsidized loans and all institutionally- and
privately-sponsored loans. Does not include PLUS and other loans made directly to parents.
Local appropriations, education district taxes, and similar support
Local appropriations are government appropriations made by a governmental entity below the
state level. Education district taxes include all tax revenues assessed directly by an institution
or on behalf of an institution when the institution will receive the exact amount collected. These
revenues also include similar revenues that result from actions of local governments or citizens
(such as through a referendum) that result in receipt by the institution of revenues based on
collections of other taxes or resources (sales taxes, gambling taxes, etc.).
Local government grants and contracts (revenues)
Revenues from local government agencies that are for training programs and similar activities
for which amounts are received or expenditures are reimbursable under the terms of a local
government grant or contract.
Local grants
Local monies awarded to the institution under local government student aid programs.
Local grants (revenues)
A sum of money or property bestowed on a postsecondary institution by a local government.
These amounts can be treated as an allowance, an agency transaction, or as a student aid
expense in the institution's General Purpose Financial Statements (GPFS) and are reported
differently depending on their treatment. Generally, however, private institutions report these
grants as allowances when applied to the student's account and as local grant revenues when
received.
Long programs
Undergraduate programs that exceed the usual program length for a specific level. This would
include programs of 5 years or longer for 4-year institutions and programs of 3 years or longer
for 2-year institutions.
Master's degree
An award that requires the successful completion of a program of study of at least the full-time
equivalent of 1 but not more than 2 academic years of work beyond the bachelor's degree.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in the Institute of Education Sciences, is
the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Education and the primary federal provider of
education statistics on the condition of American education.
National institutional accreditation
Institutional accreditation normally applies to an entire institution, indicating that each of its
198
