Campus-based Aid:
Once a year, the federal government allocates campus-based financial aid to universities to award to eligible students demonstrating financial need. The awards made to students are given for one year at a time, for the fall and spring semesters. Renewal is not automatic, and students must reapply for this type of funding each year using the FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA, and meet deadline dates. The specific programs in this category include the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), the Federal Work Study/America Reads Program, the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students in Nursing or Pharmacy, the Federal Perkins Student Loan Program, and the Health Professions Student Loan Program.

College Work Study (CWS):
See Federal Work Study

Consolidation:
Consolidation of loans is similar to refinancing, but there is no loan fee. It simplifies loan repayment by combining several types of federal education loans into one new loan. When consolidating Federal Direct Student Loans, the interest rate may be lower than one or more of the underlying loans.

Consortium Agreements:
A contract between two schools that recognizes the registration of a student at each site for financial aid purposes, and specifies that only one of the schools will administer Title IV financial aid for the student.

Cost of Attendance (COA):
Every college develops a cost of attendance budget for students that includes, for the traditional academic year, anticipated tuition and fees, room, board, books and supplies, travel, and personal expenses.

Custodial Parent:
When a student's parents are divorced or separated, the custodial parent is the parent thestudent lived with the most during the past 12 months.

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