The following words and terms, when used in Chapter 22, shall have the following meanings, unless otherwise defined in a particular subchapter:

1. (1) Board or Coordinating Board--The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
2. (2) Board Staff--The staff of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
3. (3) Categorical Aid--Gift aid that the institution does not award to the student, but that the student brings to the school from a non-governmental third party.
4. (4) Commissioner--The Commissioner of Higher Education, the Chief Executive Officer of the Board.
5. (5) Cost of Attendance/Total Cost of Attendance--An institution's estimate of the expenses incurred by a typical financial aid recipient in attending a particular institution of higher education. It includes direct educational costs (tuition and fees) as well as indirect costs (room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses, and other allowable costs for financial aid purposes).
6. (6) Expected Family Contribution (EFC)--A measure of how much the student and his or her family can be expected to contribute to the cost of the student's education for the year as determined following the federal methodology.
7. (7) Financial Need--The Cost of Attendance at a particular public or private institution of higher education less the Expected Family Contribution. The Cost of Attendance and Expected Family Contribution are to be determined in accordance with Board guidelines.
8. (8) Full-Time--For undergraduate students, enrollment or expected enrollment for the equivalent of twelve or more semester credit hours per regular semester or term. For graduate students, enrollment or expected enrollment for the normal full-time course load of the student's program of study as defined by the institution.
9. (9) Gift Aid--Grants, scholarships, exemptions, waivers, and other financial aid provided to a student without a requirement to repay the funding or earn the funding through work.
10. (10) Half-Time--For undergraduates, enrollment or expected enrollment for the equivalent of six or more semester credit hours per regular semester. For graduate students, enrollment or expected enrollment for the equivalent of 50 percent of the normal full-time course load of the student's program of study as defined by the institution.
11. (11) Program Officer--The individual named by each participating institution's chief executive officer to serve as agent for the Board. The Program Officer has primary responsibility for all ministerial acts required by the program, including the determination of student eligibility, selection of recipients, maintenance of all records, and preparation and submission of reports reflecting program transactions. Unless otherwise indicated by the institution's chief executive officer, the director of student financial aid shall serve as Program Officer.
12. (12) Resident of Texas--A resident of the State of Texas as determined in accordance with Chapter 21, Subchapter B of this title (relating to Determination of Resident Status). Nonresident students who are eligible to pay resident tuition rates are not residents of Texas.
13. (13) Three-Quarter-Time--For undergraduate students, enrollment or expected enrollment for the equivalent of nine or more semester credit hours per regular semester. For graduate students, enrollment or expected enrollment for the equivalent of 75 percent of the normal full-time course load of the student's program of study as defined by the institution.
14. (14) Timely Distribution of Funds--Activities completed by institutions of higher education related to the receipt and distribution of state financial aid funding from the Board and subsequent distribution to recipients or return to the Board.

Source Note:The provisions of this §22.1 adopted to be effective May 22, 2017, 42 TexReg 2719.