Check out the Glossary of Terms to find helpful information to assist you in supporting your college student. You may also want to check out the Resources for Students page for additional useful information.
You may also want to navigate to the Faculty/Staff Directory for additional content (like department listings and organizational charts) and contact information. This information can come in handy when you want to refer your student to an individual or office on campus for assistance!
Glossary of terms - academic success
A timeframe, typically during the first two weeks of classes, in which a student can drop out of or add a course without impacting tuition cost or GPA.
Degree awarded to students who graduate from a four-year college or university, and typically required before a master’s degree.
The number of courses, or total credit hours, a student takes in any given semester.
Credit hours usually indicate the number of hours a student will spend in a class per week. Credit for classes completed each semester are awarded based on the credit hour system. Students will typically take 12 to 15 credit hours per semester (which is 4-5 classes based on a 3 credit hour courses).
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA must be completed each year in order to receive need-based aid from the government, such as the Pell Grant or work-study awards.
Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act. This law governs how colleges protect and share student information. Once a student turns 18 or are enrolled at a college/university, their privacy is protected by that institution. This may be difficult for the student’s family to navigate as this does not allow parent(s)/family member/guardian to call and inquire about grades, progress toward a degree, etc.
An undergraduate student enrolled in at least 12 credit hours during the fall or spring semester.
A measure of course performance. A GPA is obtained by dividing the number of grade points by the credit hours completed, where each credit hour of an A = 4 points, a B = 3 points, a C = 2 points, a D = 1 point, and an F = 0 points.
A restriction that limits a student’s ability to enroll until the hold is removed. A ‘hold’ can be placed on a student's account for a variety of reasons including when a bill is not paid, a book is overdue, a conduct sanction is not complete, or when health forms are not completed.
A Major as the specific area of study in which a student will focus their coursework. A Minor is a secondary area of focus for a student. Each Major and Minor has specific credit hour requirements and coursework that must be completed.
Specific times that faculty are available in their office to meet with students. Students are encouraged to take advantage of these hours.
A course that is required prior to being permitted to enroll in another class.
The Office of the Registrar handles academic records at UW. The Registrar checks academic progress and records to confirm status for class standing (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior) and graduation.
The period in which a student can sign up for the classes they wish to take in a semester.
Half of a school year – most commonly: Fall Semester and Spring Semester. The University of Wyoming also offers coursework during the summer – Summer Term/Semester.
A syllabus is like a roadmap for the course. This can also be considered an agreement of expectations of the students, learning objectives (what you will learn), schedule for assignments, attendance policies, office hours for the instructor, and much more.
A student who is pursuing, but has not yet received, a bachelor’s degree.
The process of ending enrollment in a course. Students may withdraw from courses without impacting their GPA during designated times. Withdrawing from a course will result in a Withdraw, or W, placed on the transcript to indicate that the class was started but not finished.
Glossary of Terms - campus life
These are organizations made up of and run by students! Connecting to a RSO on campus is a great way to become engaged and create a network on friends. More information about RSOs can be found on the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership webpage.
A student, employed by the department of residence life to live in a campus residence hall and serve as a resource and role model to students.
A clinic providing comprehensive medical care for students located right in the middle of UW's campus. Learn more about their services by visiting the Student Health Service webpage.
UCC provides free, confidential mental health services to students. Learn more about their services by visiting the University Counseling Center webpage.
Your student ID card. Students can use this card to purchase food on campus, pay for printing, reserve library study rooms, and much more.
Glossary of terms - financial aid
An estimation of total costs for a student to attend college/university for one year. This number is different from Tuition and Fees – as this number takes into account costs such as: housing, food and other expenses for living. COA is utilized on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) when estimating eligibility for financial assistance to attend college.
Funding provided to the student to attend college/university. This includes the Federal Pell Grant, Hathaway Scholarship, and Scholarships (institutional, state, and national). There may be expectations for GPA and course completion based on the financial aid accepted.
A free application completed on a yearly basis to apply for Pell Grant and Student Loans. In most cases the application will require both parent information and student information – tax information will be utilized to determine assistance available.
It is important to complete this on a yearly basis – and if there is a change to your income after you have submitted the FAFSA, please contact the University of Wyoming Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to update information (this can be loss of income, decrease of income, decrease of work hours that results in a loss of salary expected, or change in household size).
A form of financial aid that does not need to be repaid.
A scholarship program for Wyoming students to utilize at Wyoming Community Colleges and the University of Wyoming. For more information, visit the Hathaway Scholarship webpage.
Financial aid that must be repaid. Student loans typically come from the government or from private banks.
An online tool designed to help estimate education costs. Click here to access UW's Net Price Calculator.
Funding awarded to a student through their FAFSA application process. The student must accept this award each semester they are eligible to receive funding – this is a grant and is not expected to be paid back.
Financial assistance that does not have to be paid back.
Check out the University of Wyoming Scholarships page to access the many scholarship options available to students.
A federal student loan that does not accrue interest while the student is enrolled at least half-time
The set amount a student will be charged per semester or year for their courses
A federal student loan that starts accruing interest immediately
A type of federal financial aid that allows students part-time employment opportunities while they are enrolled in school to earn money to help pay educational expenses.
