Common Terms at Penn State Abington
Academic Advisor : This is a faculty member, or staff member (e.g., Program Counselor or Student Success Coordinator) who will guide you in working your way through your academic program. You will meet with them each semester to discuss your progress and class choices for the coming semester.
Bursar : The Bursar Office is responsible for billing, processing payments and issuing refunds.
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) : This is a standard federal form used to apply for most kinds of financial aid at most schools. You must file your FAFSA every year. Note that although the name says "federal student aid" most schools require you to file a FAFSA before you can be considered for any type of university, state, or federal scholarship or aid, not just federal loans. Deadlines for filing your FAFSA can vary by state and school, so be sure to check when the PSU deadline is each year to ensure you are eligible for the widest range of aid available.
Financial Aid/Financial Aid Office : This is a general term used to refer to any sort of aid you receive to help you pay for college. It can be in the form of a scholarship, grant, or loan.
General Education Courses ( Gen Ed) : Courses outside your major/minor that are required to graduate from PSU. These include courses in English Composition, Mathematics, Natural and Behavioral/Social Science, Humanities (e.g., History, Philosophy), Arts.
GPA (Grade Point Average). A measure of your academic performance across courses on a scale from 0 to 4. You have a GPA for your major/minor and an overall GPA. It is calculated by dividing the total amount of grade points earned by the total amount of credit hours attempted.
Leave of Absence :The purpose of a leave of absence is to allow students to interrupt continuous enrollment without having to apply for re-enrollment and without changing conditions of their academic program.
Prerequisite (Pre-req) : A course that is required before you can take a given course .
Study Abroad : Education abroad changes lives, and the work of Global Programming at Penn State is guided by the commitment to promote access to international education opportunities.
Syllabus : This is a document that each instructor will provide for each course that describes the course, provides information about it such as what the readings and assignments are, and describes the expectations.
Registrar : The office is responsible for keeping official student records and handling all registration/enrollment related issues.
Withdrawal : If you are unable to complete the semester, you may choose to withdraw from the University
Work-Study : A financial aid program funded by the U.S. federal government that allows undergraduate or graduate students to work part-time on campus or with approved off-campus employers.
What-If Report: A guide for a student's academic progress; includes information about total adjusted credits toward graduation, comments from advisors and graduation analysts, and degree requirements and requirements "not satisfied."Students can access, view, and print a what if report in Lionpath to track their academic progress towards completion of their degree requirements. When scheduling appointments with your academic advisor, it's important that you bring this along to discuss your progress. You can access your What If Report
Academic Standing: A student must have a cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 or higher to be considered in good standing to declare a major and to graduate from the University. A student will receive notification at the end of each semester when his/her semester grade-point average drops below a 2.00.
Starfish: Students. Starfish facilitates communication among academic advisers, instructors, students, and others who are here to support
Shopping Cart: Where students put future enrollment classes before actually enrolling
Registration Date: The date a student is given that lets them know that they can register for classes
Academic Hold: When a certain thing on your to do list is stopping you from enrolling in classes.