§ 649.6 - What definitions apply?

(a) Definitions in EDGAR. The following terms used in this part are defined in 34 CFR 77.1:

(b) Other definitions. The following definitions also apply to this part:

Academic field means an area of study in a professional school, academic department, or similar organizational unit within an institution of higher education.

Academic year means the 12-month period beginning with the fall instructional term of the institution.

Careers that serve the public interest means careers in government or in nonprofit community service organizations at the local, State, national, or international level.

Department means any department, program, unit or any other administrative subdivision of an institution of higher education that—

(i) Directly administers or supervises postbaccalaureate instruction in a specific discipline; and

(ii) Has the authority to award academic course credit acceptable to meet degree requirements at an institution of higher education.

Doctoral study means a postbaccalaureate program of study leading to a degree in any academic field of graduate study that requires a dissertation.

Fellow means a recipient of a fellowship under this part.

Fellowship means an award made by an institution of higher education to an individual for master's level, professional, or doctoral study under this part.

Financial need means the fellow's financial need, as determined under part F of title IV of the HEA, for the period of the fellow's enrollment.

HEA means the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.

Institution means an institution of higher education.

Institution of higher education means an institution of higher education, other than a school or department of divinity, as defined in section 1201(a) of the HEA.

Institutional payment means the amount paid by the Secretary to the institution of higher education in which the fellow is enrolled to be applied against the tuition and fees required of the fellow by the institution in support of the fellow's instructional program.

Inter-discipline means a course of study that involves academic fields in two or more disciplines.

Master's level study means a postbaccalaureate program of study leading to a master's degree in any academic field of graduate study.

Minority means Alaskan Native, American Indian, Asian-American, Black (African-American), Hispanic American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or other ethnic group underrepresented in master's level, professional, or doctoral study as indicated in standard statistical references, or as documented on a case-by-case basis by national survey data submitted to and accepted by the Secretary.

Professional study means—

(i) A postbaccalaureate program of study leading to a degree required for admission to practice a profession; or

(ii) Any post-master's or doctoral degree that does not require a dissertation.

Project means the activities necessary to assist, whether from grant funds or institutional resources, the fellows in the successful completion of their designated educational programs.

Satisfactory progress means that the fellow meets or exceeds the institution's criteria and standards established for all graduate students’ continued status as applicants for the graduate degree and in the academic field for which the fellowship was awarded.

School or department of divinity means an institution, or a department of an institution, whose program is specifically for the education of students to prepare them to become ministers of religion or to enter into some other religious vocation, or to prepare them to teach theological subjects.

Stipend means the amount paid by the institution to an individual awarded a fellowship, including an allowance for subsistence and other expenses for the individual and his or her dependents.

Traditionally underrepresented groups means minorities and other groups that historically have been underrepresented in doctoral study.

Underrepresented means proportionate representation as measured by degree recipients, that is less than the proportionate representation in the general population—

(i) As indicated by—

(A) The most current edition of the Department's Digest of Educational Statistics;

(B) The National Research Council's Doctorate Recipients from United States Universities; or

(C) Other standard statistical references, as announced annually in the Federal Register notice inviting applications for new awards under this program; or

(ii) As documented by national survey data submitted to and accepted by the Secretary on a case-by-case basis.

U.S. National means—

(i) A citizen of the United States; or

(ii) A person defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22), who, though not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the United States.