F

Faculty: A school's teaching and administrative staff who is responsible for designing programs of study.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): Application used by U.S. citizens and permanent residents to apply for financial aid from U.S. federal and state governments. International students are not eligible for U.S. government aid, but schools may ask international students to submit a FAFSA to determine financial need. (Note: A social security number is required to complete the FAFSA.)

Fees: An amount of money charged by colleges and universities, in addition to their tuition, to cover costs of services such as libraries and computer technology.

Fellowship: An amount of money awarded by a college or university, usually to graduate students and generally based on academic achievement.

Financial aid: All types of money offered to a student to help pay tuition, fees, and other educational expenses. This can include loans, grants, scholarships, assistantships, fellowships, and work-study jobs. (See the U.S. News paying for college and paying for grad school guides for more information.)

Fraternity: A student organization, typically for men, formed for social, academic, community service, or professional purposes. A fraternity is part of a college or university's Greek system. Some fraternities, such as those with an academic or community service focus, may be coed.

Freshman: A student in the first year of high school or college / university.

Full-time student: A student who is enrolled at a college or university and is taking at least the minimum number of credits required by the school for a full course load.

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