| 100% Need Met | | If your family demonstrates they can only pay part of college costs, or none at all, Hopkins covers the rest. |
| Academic Year | AY | The length of time an academic institution offers classes during a year, usually from August to May. |
| Certificate of Finances Form | COF | A document the admissions committee uses during the need-aware review process for international citizens applying for financial aid. The form is less comprehensive than the CSS Profile and is intended to provide a snapshot of the family’s estimated family contribution. All international citizens requesting financial aid must submit the COF. |
| College Board | | A not-for-profit organization that provides programs and services in college readiness and college success—including the SAT, the Advanced Placement (AP) Program, and BigFuture. |
| Cost of Attendance | COA | This is the total sum you get when you add up all costs billed by Hopkins (tuition, fees, housing, and meals) and estimated additional costs you are responsible for (books and supplies, travel, and personal expenses). If you qualify for financial aid, it does not represent the amount you pay. |
| CSS Profile | | An online application created by the College Board that collects information used by many colleges and universities to award non-federal institutional aid. With a single application, students and families can reduce the number of times they provide the same information for financial aid to each institution. The CSS Profile school code for Johns Hopkins University is 5332. |
| Demonstrated Need | | The difference between the institution’s cost of attendance and your expected family contribution. |
| Direct Expenses | | Costs that include tuition, fees, housing, and other expenses paid to the school for enrollment. These are also known as “costs payable to the school.” |
| Direct Subsidized Federal Student Loans | Subsidized Loans | If a student chooses to borrow money from the federal government for their education, the government will pay the interest that accrues while the student is enrolled in school. Your family contribution is used to determine your eligibility. The maximum annual amount is $3,500 for first-year students and increases in the following academic years. |
| Domestic Student | | A student who is a U.S. Citizen, permanent resident, eligible noncitizen, or has DACA or undocumented status. |
| Educational Loan | | Money that is borrowed from the government or a private lender to pay for educational expenses and must be repaid with interest. Hopkins does not include loans in our financial aid offers. |
| Enrollment Status | | The number of credits or classes a student is enrolled in or their current academic status. |
| Expected Family Contribution | EFC | What a family can expect to pay toward college costs. This is calculated by subtracting your family’s demonstrated need from the total cost of attendance. |
| Federal Aid | | Money provided to students who are U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens based on eligibility determined by the FAFSA. This can take the form of loans, grants, and Federal Work-Study awards. |
| Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan | PPLUS Loan | Federally guaranteed loans available to parents and guardians of undergraduates. There is no financial need requirement to receive these loans. These loans are offered directly through the U.S. Department of Education. |
| Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan | Unsubsidized Loan | The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan is not based on financial need but still requires you to complete the FAFSA to obtain the loan. Unlike subsidized loans, interest begins accruing on the unsubsidized Federal Direct Student Loan while students are enrolled in school. We encourage you to make interest payments while in school if possible. |
| Federal Loan | | Loans that allow eligible students and parents or guardians to borrow directly from the U.S. Department of Education. |
| Federal Pell Grant | Pell Grant | Money the federal government gives to undergraduate students and does not have to be paid back. It is awarded based on financial need, which the FAFSA determines. |
| Federal Student Aid ID | | A username and password combination students use when logging into the U.S. Department of Education online systems. Students and their parents or guardians will need their FSA ID to complete the FAFSA, online forms, and manage their federal student loans. To create a FSA ID, please visit https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch. |
| Federal Work-Study | FWS | A federally funded program that provides part-time employment for students with financial need. Federal Work-Study awards are not directly applied to student bills. Instead, students receive paychecks for the hours they work. |
| Financial Aid | | Financial aid can consist of grants, scholarships, work study, and loans to assist in paying for your post-secondary education. |
| Financial Aid Offer | | A document a post-secondary institution sends you that tells you the amounts and details of the financial aid they are offering. |
| Financial Aid Adviser | | A member of our Student Financial Support team who is committed to helping you and your family understand the financial aid process. |
| Financial Need | | The difference between a university’s cost and what your family is able to pay. Hopkins calculates financial need based on several factors, including family income, assets like savings and investments, number of children in college or private school, household size and living expenses, and special circumstances like loss of income or support to grandparents. The FAFSA and CSS Profile are also used to determine this. |
| Free Application for Federal Student Aid | FAFSA | The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and other eligible noncitizens must complete this application to apply for financial aid from the federal government to assist with post-secondary education. Johns Hopkins University’s school code is E00473. Students with DACA or undocumented status do not have to complete the FAFSA. |
| Grant | | A grant is a monetary gift that does not need to be repaid. It is often awarded based on financial need. |
| Hopkins Scholarship | | A Hopkins Scholarship is offered to eligible, admitted students who demonstrate financial need. |
| Hopkins Work-Study | Work Opp | Hopkins Work-Study is designed to allow students not eligible for a Federal Work-Study award (including international students) to work on and off campus. |
| Indirect Expenses | | Expenses that are not paid directly to the school but come with receiving an education. These are also known as “costs paid to others.” |
| International Student | | A student who is not a U.S. citizen, permanent resident (a person who holds a Green Card), eligible noncitizen, or has DACA or undocumented status. In addition, they are a citizen of another country (and not a U.S. permanent resident, eligible noncitizen, or have DACA or undocumented status) and attend secondary school in the U.S. |
| Institutional Aid | | Financial aid that comes directly from a college or university in the form of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study programs. This differs from federal aid, which the federal government provides. |
| Institutional Documentation Service | IDOC | The College Board’s Institutional Documentation Service collects families’ financial aid documents on behalf of participating colleges. The College Board notifies students selected by participating institutions when to submit the required documents. Typical documents can include a family’s federal tax returns and W-2 or income statements. |
| Living Expense, Food | | The estimated cost of food, which is included in the cost of attendance. |
| Living Expense, Housing | | The estimated cost of housing, which is included in the cost of attendance. |
| Merit Scholarships | | Financial aid given to students based on their achievements, such as academic accomplishments, musical, artistic, or athletic talent, or other special abilities. |
| Need | | The student’s Cost of Attendance minus their Student Aid Index. |
| Need-Aware | | This means the admissions committee considers your ability to pay as they review applications. Hopkins is need-aware for international students and need-blind for domestic students. |
| Need-Based Scholarships | | This is money given based on demonstrated financial need and does not have to be paid back. |
| Need-Blind | | Domestic students at Hopkins are admitted through a need-blind process, meaning their ability to pay is not a factor the admissions committee considers. They receive loan-free financial aid offers that meet 100% of demonstrated financial need. |
| Net Price | | The amount a family is responsible for paying after grant and scholarship aid is subtracted. This may include direct payments as well as loans. |
| Net Price Calculator | NPC | This tool estimates the net price for each college or university. |
| No Loan | | Hopkins’ no-loan policy provides students who apply for aid with grants, scholarships, and work opportunities to cover their demonstrated need. We do not require students to borrow to pay for their education. This policy makes it possible to take full advantage of all our community offers. |
| Noncustodial Parent | NCP | A noncustodial parent is the parent whom the student did not live with the majority of the time during the past year. |
| Prior-Prior Year | | Tax information submitted with the FAFSA can be tax information from two years prior to the year a student begins college. |
| Private Scholarships | | Money offered by companies, service groups, foundations, organizations, and individuals that are separate from the university or college. |
| Private Loan | | A loan from a bank, credit union, or other private sources to pay for educational costs. |
| Scholarships | | Money granted to students based on merit and/or need. Scholarships may be a one-time gift or renewable based on their individual requirements. They do not have to be paid back. |
| Student Aid Index | SAI | Starting in the 2024–2025 academic year, the SAI will replace the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) as the measure to determine a student’s eligibility for federal need-based student financial aid. |
| Student Financial Support | SFS | The name of the office of financial aid for prospective and undergraduate students at Hopkins. |
| Study Abroad | | A program in which a student lives and learns in a different country for a specified amount of time. Our financial aid covers study abroad during fall and spring semesters. |
| Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant | SEOG | A federal grant for undergraduate students with exceptional financial need. |
| Technology Grant | | If you receive need-based financial aid, you can request a one-time Technology Grant to help with the cost of a computer and related items, like headphones, a keyboard, or a mouse. |
| Tuition | | The amount the university charges for education. It is included as part of the cost of attendance. |
| Verification | | A process to confirm the accuracy of data provided on the FAFSA. |