Higher Education Glossary | Lorilovesnevada

Higher Education Terms & Definitions

Board of Regents: Elected officials who make policy and decisions for schools in the NSHE (The Nevada System of Higher Education) . They approve budgets, manage and distribute funding, and make policy decisions for the schools, education programs, faculty and students.

Some of their recent activities include:

Tuition increases
Leadership search (New president for UNLV)
Awards and recognition

They also act as the state’s interest in negotiation of and inclusion in the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFA.

The NFA - The Nevada Faculty Alliance : Represents instructors and staff covered under collective bargaining for disputes and negotiations. Not all schools are covered by the NFA.

Their website is here

Collective Bargaining Agreement: A contract between a union and employer that establishes wages, working conditions and policies, hours, terms for resolution, etc.

COLA: Cost of Living Adjustment. It’s a financial term meaning the amount of money employees need to meet the current industry standards for a livable wage.

HEPI: The Higher Education Price Index - It’s basically a prediction tool schools nationwide use to figure out how much inflation is going to be over the next few years.

2025 Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) Report Released

The Predictable Pricing Program:

This was a program voted in by the Board of Regents in 2019. It is still in effect, in addition to any other tuition hikes.

Because students were having such a hard time saving up for tuition and not knowing how much it was going to increase, they started a program where fees were directly tied to the HEPI number. That meant that instead of voting on an increase every couple of years, the increase automatically adjusted to the price of inflation. That way, students could see well in advance how much fees were going to increase through their graduation date.

Concurrent Enrollment: Program for currently enrolled Nevada high school students to take college level classes for credit at the high school campus they are currently attending, in conjunction with a specific higher education institution for credit applied to their program.

Dual Enrollment: Program for currently enrolled Nevada high schools students to take college level classes for credit at a specific institution, gaining credits applicable toward that program.

CPL: Credits for Prior Learning - Allows for work and life experience to be counted toward college credits, lessening length and cost toward a degree

CTEAP: Career & Technical Assistance Program - provides textbooks, uniforms and tools assistance to students enrolled in a Career Technical Education program ranging from certificate to bachelor’s degree programs

Self Paced Learning: Online degree granting programs that allow students to test for credits at their own pace. WGU is a standout in this category. Some programs have a flat rate for a full degree, some charge per month / semester, and others charge per credit.

College Hacking: The practice of following the advice on Youtube and TikTok gurus who counsel students on how to achieve as many credits as possible before enrolling in their school of choice to save time and tuition fees.

FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aide -

Form issued by U.S. Department of Education that students and families fill out to apply for financial help. Determines if students are eligible for federal grants (such as the Pell Grant), work-study opportunities, and student loans. Provides funding for students pursuing higher education and trade schools.

Must be filled out and submitted yearly to continue receiving aid. Most states and facilities use those qualifications to base their own grants.

You can find more information HERE

Filing is free. You do not have to pay anyone to apply for student aid.

Grants: Free money for school that you do not pay back (like the Pell Grant)

Work-Study: Jobs on campus that let you earn money for expenses.

Loans: Borrowed money that you must pay back later, usually with lower rates than private loans

Administrative Bloat: The expansion of non-academic services, facilities, and administrative staff at many universities has driven up operational costs.

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