Definitions of Commonly Used Data Elements

Student type - for a term

  • First Time: A student who has no prior postsecondary experience (except as noted below) attending any institution for the first time at the undergraduate level. This includes students who entered with advanced standing (college credits or recognized postsecondary credential earned before graduation from high school).
    • For graduate students, this is the first-time seeking a degree at the graduate level.
    • For IPEDS reporting, it includes students that started the previous summer and continued to the fall term.
  • Transfer: A student entering the reporting institution for the first time but previously attended a postsecondary institution at the same level (e.g., undergraduate, graduate). The student may transfer with or without credit. Post-Baccalaureate students are also coded as Transfer. 
    • Prior to Spring 2021, if the student attended FLC previously they would be coded as Transfer. For IPEDS reporting, it includes students that started the previous summer and continued to the fall term.
  • Returning: A student that previously attended FLC, and has not earned a bachelors from FLC or another institution.
    • As of Spring 2021, this will include students with transfer work from another institution even if they previously attended FLC.
  • Continuing: A student that is continuing at FLC and has not had to reapply (e.g. a student who attends Fall 2021 and then Spring 2022).
  • Dual Enrollment: A student who enrolls in college courses offered by an institution of higher education while enrolled in high school or seeking a recognized equivalent. Student performance is recorded on a college transcript and postsecondary credit is awarded for a passing grade in the course.
    • Includes: All postsecondary courses, independent of course delivery mode, course location, course instructor, whether secondary credit is also offered, and whether the student enrolls through a formal state/local program or enrolls outside a formal state/local program.
  • Unclassified: A student that is taking courses at, but not seeking a degree from, FLC. This will include students in the teacher licensure program.

Cohort

  • First-Time First Year: A student who has no prior postsecondary experience (except as noted below) attending any institution for the first time at the undergraduate level. This includes students enrolled in academic or occupational programs. It also includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term, and students who entered with advanced standing (college credits or recognized postsecondary credential earned before graduation from high school).
  • First-Time Transfer: A student entering the reporting institution for the first time but known to have previously attended a postsecondary institution at the same level (e.g., undergraduate, graduate). The student may transfer with or without credit.

Class Standing

  • First Year: A student with 0 to 29 cumulative credits.
  • Sophomore: A student with 30 to 59 cumulative credits.
  • Junior: A student with 60 to 89 cumulative credits.
  • Senior: A student with 90 or more cumulative credits.
  • Unclassified: Student that is not seeking a degree.
  • Post-Baccalaureate: A student that previously earned a bachelor's degree
  • Graduate First Year: The first term a graduate student is enrolled and has not taken graduate work elsewhere.
  • Graduate Continuing: Subsequent terms a student is enrolled in a graduate program at FLC.

IPEDS Race Ethnicity

Used to describe groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. The categories do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. The designations are used to categorize U.S. citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens. There is a hierarchy:

  • If the student is non-resident alien, then Non-resident Alien
    • Nonresident Alien: A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States but who has been admitted as a legal immigrant for the purpose of obtaining permanent resident alien status (and who holds either an alien registration card (Form I-551 or I-151), a Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688), or an Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) with a notation that conveys legal immigrant status such as Section 207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, Conditional Entrant Parolee or Cuban-Haitian).
  • Else if Hispanic, then Hispanic
    • Hispanic: A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. Self reported.
  • Else if more than 1 race selected, then Two or more races
    • Two or more races: A person that indicates they are more than one race and have not indicated they are Hispanic.
  • Else the race they selected.

Individuals are asked to first designate ethnicity as:

  • Hispanic or Latino, or
  • Not Hispanic or Latino

Second, individuals are asked to indicate all races that apply among the following:

  • American Indian or Alaska Native
  • Asian
  • Black or African American
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
  • White

Gender

Soon to add other non-binary options. IPEDS only reports Male and Female; If it is unknown then gender is assigned randomly

  • Male
  • Female
  • Not Available (Soon to be relabeled Non-binary)

Pell

Federal Pell Grants usually are awarded only to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree. The Pell status is as of the term, based on their status during the reporting point in time of that term.

  • Pell Eligible (Y/N): If Y, then the student was eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants in that Financial Aid Year
  • Pell Recipient (Y/N): If Y, then the student received Federal Pell Grants in that Financial Aid Year

First Generation

  • First Generation (Y/N/Unknown): First Generation status is determined by the following question - Which of the following best describes the highest level of education completed by the parent/parents you live with? (or lived with until you were 18 years old?) For this question, “parent” means your birth or adoptive parent. Do not answer this question about a stepparent, legal guardian or foster parent. 
    • If the student indicates that neither of their parents received a Bachelors degree or higher, they are designated as First Generation. If the student indicates their parent received a Bachelors or higher, or doesn't answer the question, they are not First Generation.

Student Level - for the term

  • Undergraduate: Student type can be First-Time, Transfer, Returning, or Continuing.
  • Post-Baccalaureate: Student type can be Transfer, Returning, Continuing, or Unclassified.
  • Unclassified: Student type can be Dual Enrollment or Unclassified.
  • Graduate: Student type can be First-Time, Continuing, or Unclassified.