The campus words nobody explains

The offices and who does what

The registrar keeps your academic record. That office handles registration, transcripts, grades and official enrollment status, and it is where you confirm that a dropped class really came off your schedule.

The bursar, often called student accounts or the business office, sends your bill and takes payments. The financial aid office decides your grants, loans and work-study, and the bursar then applies that aid to your bill. When the two offices give different answers, ask each one what it sees on your account.

An advisor helps you choose classes and plan a path through your major. Some colleges assign a professional advisor in the first year and a faculty advisor once you declare a major.

Words about classes

A credit hour measures how much a class counts toward your degree, and colleges usually treat 12 or more credit hours a term as full time for undergraduates. A prerequisite is a class you have to finish before another one will let you register. General education, or gen ed, covers the required courses outside your major.

The syllabus is the instructor's written plan for a class, with grading, deadlines and attendance rules. The add/drop period is the short window at the start of a term when you can change classes without a mark on your record. Withdrawing after that window usually leaves a W on your transcript and can change your aid.

A hold can stop you from registering or getting a transcript, so check your student portal for one each term.

Words about money and standing

A hold is a block on your account, often for an unpaid balance, a missing form or a required advising meeting. A hold can stop you from registering or getting a transcript, so check your student portal for one each term.

Disbursement is the date your aid is applied to your bill. When the aid is more than the charges, the leftover is sent to you as a refund, and that refund is often borrowed money that has to be paid back.

Satisfactory academic progress, or SAP, is the set of grade and completion rules a student must meet to keep federal aid. Each school publishes its own policy, and the financial aid office can explain how an appeal works if you fall short.