Virginia Law

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Award" means a grant from state or institutional funds authorized for the Virginia Foster Care Tuition Grant.

"Baccalaureate public institution of higher education" means Christopher Newport University, George Mason University, James Madison University, Longwood University, the University of Mary Washington, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, Radford University, the University of Virginia, the University of Virginia's College at Wise as a division of the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and The College of William and Mary in Virginia.

"Comprehensive community college" or "community college" means an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education in Virginia governed by the State Board of Community Colleges.

"Cost of attendance" means the sum of tuition, required fees, room, board, books and supplies, and other education-related expenses as determined by a participating institution for purposes of awarding federal Title IV student financial assistance.

"Eligible program" means a degree or certificate program of at least one academic year in length or a noncredit workforce credential program in a comprehensive community college. As used in this section, "academic year" means the enrollment period which normally extends from late August to May or early June that is normally comprised of two semesters (fall and spring) or three quarters (fall, winter, and spring).

"Expected family contribution" or "EFC" means a measure of a student's family's financial strength and is calculated according to federal aid methodology and used to determine eligibility for need-based federal Title IV aid. The institution may exercise professional judgment to adjust the student's EFC, as permitted under federal law, based on factors that affect the family's ability to pay. For students eligible for a state award but the federal processor has not calculated the student's EFC, the institution shall calculate the student's EFC using the appropriate federal EFC worksheet.

"Financial need" means any positive difference between a student's cost of attendance and the student's expected family contribution.

"Free Application for Federal Student Aid" or "FAFSA" means the needs analysis form submitted to the United States Department of Education, which is completed annually by students applying for federal Title IV student financial assistance and need-based financial aid programs sponsored by the Commonwealth of Virginia and that result in the calculation of the expected family contribution.

"Full-time student for more than five years" means that the recipient must not have completed in excess of 120 semester hours or its equivalent.

"Gift aid" means grants, scholarships, tuition waivers, or other forms of aid that do not need to be repaid and excludes loans or work-study.

"Half-time enrollment" means enrolling into a minimum of six credit hours for semester-based terms or its equivalent.

"Participating institution" means any comprehensive community college, any other associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education, or baccalaureate public institution of higher education.

"Program" means the Virginia Foster Care Tuition Grant program.

"Satisfactory academic progress" means acceptable progress towards completion of an approved course of study, as defined by the institution for the purposes of eligibility under § 668 of the Federal Compilation of Student Financial Aid Regulations. For purposes of this definition, "approved course of study" means a curriculum of courses at the undergraduate level leading to a first bachelor's degree. "Approved course of study" does not include religious training or theological education in programs in the 39.xxxx series, as classified in the National Center for Education Statistics' Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP).

"Semester" means a division of an academic year approximately 15 to 16 weeks in length from the first day of classes through the last day of exams for the fall and spring enrollment periods.

"Term" means the fall semester or quarter, winter quarter, spring semester or quarter, or summer session.

"Tuition and mandatory fees" means the tuition and mandatory education and general (E&G) fees and mandatory non-E&G fees charged by the institution.