sssaprinstructions202425_TrackChanges_(4.20

OMB Approval No: 1840-0525
Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

Student Support Services (SSS) Program
Instructions for Completing the 2024-25 Annual Performance Report (APR)

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Background Information on the Student Support Services APR
The Department of Education (Department) uses the information provided in the performance
report to assess a grantee’s progress in meeting its approved goals and standard objectives.
Please note that prior experience (PE) points are assessed in the second, third and fourth year of
the grant cycle; therefore, since the 2024-25 reporting period is the fifth year of the grant cycle,
the Department will not use the data you submit to calculate your prior experience points but
will use the data to assess the project’s substantial progress and the metrics for the Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA). The following outline is provided to answer questions
you may have about the APR submission.
Who:
 All grantees funded under the SSS Program must submit an annual performance report
as a condition of the grant award.

Deleted: Please note that Prior Experience (PE) points are
assessed in the second, third and fourth year of the grant cycle;
therefore, since the 2022-23 reporting period is the second year of
the grant cycle, the Department will use the data you submit to
calculate your PE points. The following outline is provided to
answer questions you may have about the APR submission.

What:
 The APR consists of two sections, and all grantees will be required to complete
both sections. Section I gathers project information and Section II gathers detailed
information on SSS participants as defined in 34 CFR 646.3.


The project and individual participant information provided in the report must cover the
12-month academic year of the grantee institution instead of the 12-month budget/project
year for the grant. For example, the 2024-25 academic year is roughly
August/September 2024 through August 2025 while the budget/project year for most
SSS grants is September 1, 2024, through August 31, 2025.

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As such, three possible scenarios are described below:
Scenario 1: The grantee institution’s fall term begins in August/September 2024 and the
new participants for the 2024-2025 academic year were enrolled during the summer of
2025, but significant project services began at the beginning of the fall term 2025. These
SSS participants should not be included on the 2024-25 APR; they should be reported as
“new” participants on the 2025-26 APR.
Scenario 2: The SSS student was enrolled at the grantee institution for the first time during
the 2025 summer term and participated in a formal summer academic program offered by the
SSS project for new SSS participants. These individuals should be included on the 2024-25
APR and reported as a “new summer participant” - option 8 or 9 and are part of the 2025-26
cohort.

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Scenario 3: The SSS student was accepted for enrollment at the grantee institution and
received significant pre-enrollment services (i.e., academic advising, assistance with class
selection and registration, orientation workshops, financial aid advising) from the project
during the summer prior to enrolling at the institution. This may include transfer students.
These individuals should be included on the 2024-25 APR and reported as “new summer
participant” - option 8 or 9. These students are part of the subsequent year’s cohort (i.e.,
2025-26).

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



For 4-year institutions, a project must retain the participant records for six (6) years from
the time of first service. For example, a student who was first served by the project in 201920 needs to be kept on the data file through 2024-25. Note that any participant first served
prior to 2019-20, and not served in the 2024-25 reporting year, must be dropped from the
data file.

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For 2-year institutions, a project must retain the participant records for four (4) years from
the time of first service. For example, a student who was first served by the project in 202122 needs to be kept on the data file through 2024-25. Note that any participant first served
prior to 2021-22, and not served in the 2024-25 reporting year, must be dropped from the
data file.
Note: The time periods above are necessary to accurately calculate and report on the
completion objectives.

When:
 The APR must be submitted within 90 days after the end of each 12-month budget
period.
 The APR web application data collection will begin on [INSERT DATE].
 The deadline date for submitting your APR data is [INSERT DATE].
Where:
 The APR must be submitted via the Web application.
 Because the APR requests personal and confidential information on project participants,
the secured Web site meets the Department of Education’s data security standards for
sensitive data, including password and site access procedures. Further, to ensure that the
data is accessible only to authorized individuals and protected from unauthorized uses, a
grantee must submit the participant level data via the Web application; under no
circumstances should a grantee transmit the data to the Department or the APR Help
Desk via e-mail.
 The link to the actual Web application will be available on [INSERT DATE] at the
following Web address: https://trio.ed.gov .
 Web application registration and features are provided below.
Why:
 Title IV, Section 402D, of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; the program
regulations in 34 CFR Part 646; and 34 CFR Sections 75.590 and 75.720 of the Education
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) require the collection of this
information.

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html…

Field Code Changed

How:


By constructing a comma delimited (.csv) or Excel (.xls or .xlsx) file that contains all of
the individual participant information requested in Section II of the APR which is the
Record Structure for Participants. The file must mirror the order of the field names and
the content of the database column names.
o Section I, Part 1-Project Identification/Characteristics Certification and Warning
Statements
o Section I, Part 2-Project Required Services
o Section I, Part 3- Competitive Preference Priorities
o II.A. Project Identifiers
o II.B. Participant’s Demographic Information, Eligibility and Cohort Status, and
Project Entry Information
o II.C. Participant’s Status and Academic Status
o II.D. Participant’s Academic Progress/Persistence
o II.E. Participant’s Student Financial Assistance
o II.F. Additional Participant Information

SECTION I, Part 1—Project Identification, Characteristics, Certification and Warning
Statements
A. Project Identification
1. Pre-populated
2. Pre-populated
3. Pre-populated
4a. Pre-populated
4b. Enter the date first classes began at the grantee institution.
5. Enter whether the institution calculates GPA based on a 4 or 5 point
scale.
6a. Pre-populated
6b. Pre-populated
7. Enter the project address.
B. Project Director Information (pre-populated)
8a. Pre-populated
8b. Pre-populated
8c. Pre-populated
8d. Pre-populated
9. Data Entry Person Information
9a. Enter the data entry contact first and last name
9b. Enter the data entry contact telephone number.
9c. Enter the data entry contact email address.
C. Project Characteristics
10a. Select whether or not the project has a “Summer Bridge Program?”
10b. If Yes in 10a, then enter number of summer bridge participants.
10c. Select whether or not the project “Used Federal grant funds to provide Grant Aid?”
10d. Select whether or not the school is required to provide matching funds for Grant Aid.
10e. If yes in 10d, enter the dollar amount matched for the reporting period.
10f. Select whether or not institutional or other non-federal funds were received.
10g. If yes in 10f, enter the dollar amount for the reporting period. Institutional and other nonfederal funds are monetary contributions (e.g., cash). Please do not include in-kind support
such as goods (e.g., supplies, equipment, etc.).
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D. Certification
Beginning in the 2023-24 APR reporting period, digital signatures for the both the project director
and the certifying official were and will continue to be required. As such, the project directors are
required to: (1) digitally sign their APR data, and (2) designate or verify the certifying official via
the TRIO Web Portal. Once the project director verifies or designates a certifying official, the
system will send an email to the certifying official notifying them the APR data is ready for their
electronic signature, at which time the certifying official will login to the TRIO Web Portal using
their Login.Gov account. If you need assistance with this electronic signature process, please
contact the Help Desk at (703) 885-8008.
SECTION I, Part 2—Project Services
Enter the number of participants who received the required services. A participant may be
counted only one time in each category. For example, if the number of participants served is
140, none of services should have a number exceeding 140.
SECTION I, PART 3—Competitive Preference Priorities
In the 2020 Student Support Services grant competition, applicants were given the option to earn
additional points by proposing strategies to foster flexible and affordable paths to obtaining
knowledge and skills (Competitive Preference Priorities 1a and 1b) and foster knowledge and
promote the development of skills that prepare students to be informed, thoughtful, and productive
individuals and citizens (Competitive Preference Priorities 2a and 2b). ONLY PROVIDE THE
INFORMATION IF YOU RECEIVED POINTS FOR COMPETITIVE PREFERENCE
PRIORITIES. Responses in this section should address the 2024-25 reporting year only.

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Definitions That Apply
Academic Need with reference to a student means a student whom the grantee determines needs
one or more of the services stated under 646.4 to succeed in a postsecondary educational program.
Continuing participant is an individual who was served by the SSS project in a prior reporting
period and also received services in the 2024-25 reporting period. This includes a reentry
participant (receiving project services) who left the grantee institution in a previous reporting
period, then reentered the institution and was served by the project in 2024-25.
Current participant is defined as a participant who was served by the project during the reporting
period. (Field 22, options 1, 2, 8 and 9)
Dual degree program is a program of study that awards an individual both the bachelor’s and a
graduate degree upon successful completion of the program of study.
Equivalent of bachelor’s degree is to be used only for SSS participants enrolled in dual degree
program that have completed four years of undergraduate study and are working towards a
graduate degree.
Ethnicity determines whether a person is of Hispanic origin or not. For this reason, ethnicity is
broken out in two categories, Hispanic or Latino and Not Hispanic or Latino. When grantees
report an individual as “Hispanic or Latino”, they should also, in separate fields, report a racial
classification for the same individual.
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

Hispanic or Latino - A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South
American or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

First-generation college student means an individual neither of whose natural or adoptive parents
received a baccalaureate degree; or a student who, prior to the age of 18, regularly resided with and
received support from only one natural or adoptive parent and whose supporting parent did not
receive a baccalaureate degree.
Individual with disabilities as defined by ADA Amendments Act of 2008 means a person who:
(a) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
which also include learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, etc., and
(b) has a record of such an impairment, or
(c) is regarded as having such an “impairment.”
Low-income individual means an individual whose family taxable income did not exceed 150
percent of the poverty level amount in the calendar year preceding the year in which the individual
initially participated in the project. The poverty level amount is determined using criteria
established by the Bureau of the Census of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
New participant is an individual who was served by the SSS project for the first time in this
reporting period (PY2024-25) and meets the definition of participant in 34 CFR 646.7(b) of the
SSS program regulations. Please note: that individuals who had been reported as newparticipants summer session only in the previous APR and were served in the 2024-25 reporting
period should be coded as a new participant (Field 22, Option 1).
New participant--summer session only is an individual served by the SSS project for the first
time during the summer session preceding the participant’s first academic year at the grantee
institution (i.e., served during summer 2024 prior to the 2024-25 academic year). This student is
thus part of the next year’s cohort (i.e., field 21, option “27”). This definition does not include a
student enrolled at the grantee institution prior to the summer session but who received services
from the SSS project for the first time during summer 2024. This individual would meet the
definition of “new participant” (field 22, option “1”) and would be in the 2024-25 cohort (field 21,
option “26”).
Hint: A participant who was a “new participant—summer session only” (option “8” or “9”) in
the 2023-24 APR should be coded as a “new participant” (option “1”) on the 2024-25 APR.
Number of participants receiving service that was provided by project is defined as those
participants that were offered services by the project and subsequently received services from the
project. This figure does not include participants that were offered services by the project but
declined them (e.g., due to lack of need, participant refused the service, etc.).
Number of participants referred to another service provider is defined as those participants that
were offered services by the project but were subsequently referred to another service provider.
Note that the Department is not asking projects to report on whether participants actually received
services from the service provider or for projects to follow-up with these participants to ensure
services were rendered. The Department is only requesting that the grantee report on the number
of participants that were referred to another service provider.
Participant means an individual who –
 Is determined to be eligible to participate in the project under 34 CFR 646.3; and
 Received project services the grantee has determined to be sufficient to increase the individual’s
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chances for success in a postsecondary educational program.
HINT: A project should use the SSS Program’s regulatory definition of a project participant in 34
CFR 646.7(b) to determine which project participants should be included on the data file.
Prior-year participant enrolled at grantee institution is an individual served by the SSS project in a
prior reporting period that was enrolled at the grantee institution during the current reporting period
but did not receive project services on a continual basis during the reporting period. This includes a
reentry participant (not receiving project services) who left the grantee institution in a previous
reporting period, then reentered the institution and was not served by the project in 2024-25. This
definition includes a prior-year participant who received a certificate/diploma from a program that is
less than two years and is pursuing an associate’s degree at the grantee institution. It does not
include a prior-year participant who received a bachelor’s degree from a program and is enrolled in
graduate program at the grantee institution.
Prior-year participant not enrolled at the grantee institution is an individual who was not enrolled
at the grantee institution during the 2024-25 academic year.
Race refers to a person’s identification with one or more social groups. A grantee can report an
individual as White, Black or African American, Asian, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native
Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, or multiple races. A grantee should indicate a person’s race in
addition to reporting a person’s ethnicity. For example, an individual whose ethnicity is reported as
“Hispanic” should also be reported in one or more racial classification.
 American Indian or Alaska Native - American Indian/Alaskan Native refers to a person
having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central
America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.
 Asian - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast
Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. This area includes, for example, China, India, Japan,
Korea, and the Philippine Islands.
 Black or African American - A person having origins in any of the black racial groups
of Africa.
 White - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa,
or the Middle East.
 Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – A person having origins in any of the original
peoples of Hawaii or other Pacific islands such as Samoa and Guam.
SSS Grant Aid is financial grant aid that a SSS project may award to current year participants in the
project who are in their first two years of postsecondary education and who are receiving Federal
Pell Grants. Grant aid may be awarded to students who have completed their first two years of
postsecondary education and are receiving Federal Pell Grants, if the institution demonstrates that
these students are at high-risk of dropping out and the financial needs of all its eligible first and
second-year students have been met. For this reporting period, individual grant aid awards should
not be less than the minimum Pell Grant award of $692 nor exceed the maximum Pell grant award of
$6,895.
Student Cohort Year for the purpose of reporting a project’s standard objectives means the year in
which the participant was first served. NOTE: An individual student is a member of the same
cohort for reporting purposes even if that student leaves the program and reenters at a later time. A
student remains in the same cohort for each successive year.
Summer Bridge Program is a program that provides participants with service and activities,
including college courses, which aids in the transition from secondary to postsecondary education.
HINT: This service is typically provided to SSS participants who have graduated from high school
and intend to enroll in postsecondary education in the fall term.
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SECTION II: PARTICIPANT RECORD STRUCTURE
Before you begin, please familiarize yourself with the participant data fields and the section
“Definitions That Apply.” The SSS participant record structure contains thirty-seven (37) data
fields. The first two fields are project identifiers. The remaining 35 fields are student data fields
and may or may not require or allow updates as noted with an “X” below.
You
cannot
update

Field

Field Name

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15a
15b
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23

PR/Award Number
Batch Year
Student Case Number
Student’s Last Name
Student’s First Name
Student’s Middle Initial
Student’s Date of Birth
Sex
Ethnicity—Hispanic
Race—American Indian/Alaskan Native
Race—Asian
Race—Black or African American
Race—White
Race—Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Eligibility
Student Disability
Academic Need
First Enrollment Date
Date of First Project Service
College grade level (entry into project)
Enrollment Status (in academic year first served)
Student’s Cohort Year
Participant Status (during academic year being
Enrollment Status
(at the end of the 2024-25 academic year )
Academic Standing
Cumulative GPA
College Grade Level (at the beginning of the
2024-25 academic year)
College Grade Level (at the end of the 2024-25
academic year)
Date of Last Project Service
Reason for Withdrawal or Not Returning
Transfers

24
25
26
27
28
29
30

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You
should
not
have to
update

You
may
update

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

Deleted: Gender

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

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X
X
X
X
X
X
X

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31
32
33
34
35
36
37

Undergraduate Degree/Certificate completed at
grantee Institution
Date of Undergraduate Degree/Certificate
Field of Study Degree/Certificate Earned
Persistence Status (at the beginning of the 202526 academic year)
Amount of Financial Aid Received
Amount of SSS Grant Aid Awarded
Participant Name Change

X
X
X
X
X
X
X

You cannot update means once the information has been provided you cannot change the
response in subsequent reporting years.
You should not have to update means that once you provide a response, you should not need
to update the field unless the response was incorrect or the response in a previous reporting
period was “Unknown”, but you now have new information.
You may update means that you may have to update the information if the status of the
participant has changed. For example, if in a previous reporting period you indicated the
participant was “1=Full-time” (at least 24 credit hours or 36 clock hours in an academic year
(i.e., field 23, option 1) but in this reporting period the participant is no longer enrolled, you
would need to update the response from “1=Full-time” (at least 24 credit hours or 36 clock
hours in an academic year to “9=Not applicable” (prior year participants no longer enrolled).

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Instructions for Participant Data File
II.A. Project Identifiers
Field 1—PR/Award Number (Pre-populated)
Field 2—Batch Year (Pre-populated)
II.B. Participant’s Personal Data, Demographic Information, Eligibility and Cohort Status,
and Project Entry Information
Field 3—Enter the valid Case Number for each student record that appears on the 2021-22.
download file. You cannot change nor update Case Numbers in subsequent reporting years.
Field 4—Enter the Student’s Last Name. Once you provide the student’s last name, you
cannot change nor update it in subsequent reporting years.
Field 5—Enter the Student’s First Name. Once you provide the student’s first name, you
cannot change nor update it in subsequent reporting years.
Field 6—Enter the Student’s Middle Initial.
Field 7—Enter the Student’s Date of Birth. Once you provide the student’s date of birth, you
cannot change nor update it in subsequent reporting years.
Field 8—Select the Student’s Sex.
Field 9—Select whether or not the participant is identified/self-identifies as Hispanic/Latino.
Field 10—Select whether or not the participant is identified/self-identifies as American
Indian/Alaskan Native.
Field 11—Select whether or not the participant is identified/self-identifies as Asian.
Field 12—Select whether or not the participant is identified/self-identifies as Black or African
American.
Field 13—Select whether or not the participant is identified/self-identifies as White.
Field 14—Select whether or not the participant is identified/self-identifies as Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander.

Field 15a—Select the participant’s eligibility status. (For additional information, please refer to
“Definitions That Apply.”)
Field 15b—Select whether or not the participant has a disability as defined by the American
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 2008. (For additional information, please refer to “Definitions That
Apply.”)
Field 16—Select the participant’s academic need at entry into the project. Once you provide this
information, do not update it in subsequent reporting years.
Field 17—Enter the participant’s date of first enrollment at the grantee institution. The enrollment
date is the date when the participant has completed the registration requirements, paid their tuition
and fees and attends first day of classes at the grantee institution. Since a student accepted for
enrollment at the grantee institution may receive services from the SSS project, the school
enrollment date may be after the project entry date and/or the date of first project service.
Field 18—Enter the participant’s date of first project service. Once you provide this information,
do not update it in subsequent reporting years.

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Deleted: New in 2022-23 is an option for non-binary or another
gender. This field may be updated.

Field 19—Select the participant’s college grade level at the time of project entry. In determining the
students’ postsecondary grade level, use the criteria of the grantee institution regarding grade level
classifications and academic standing. Most postsecondary institutions use credits earned and grade
point average to determine the college grade level. For students who have earned college credits
during high school or through placement testing but have not previously been enrolled in college, use
option “1 = 1st year, never attended.” However, in determining these students’ college grade level at
the end of the reporting year (field 27), count the earned credits in determining the end of the
reporting year grade level. Once you provide this information, do not update it in subsequent
reporting years.
HINT: For fields 19, 26 and 27, to ensure uniformity in reporting, two-year institutions should
use first year (freshman) and second year (sophomores) to designate the college grade levels of
their participants.
Field 20—Select the participant’s enrollment status in academic year first served. For all students
who were reported as “New Summer Participant” (Field #22) in the prior-year APR, the entry in Field #20
must be updated to reflect enrollment status for the current reporting period. Otherwise, do not change it in

subsequent reporting years.
HINT: The purpose of this field is to calculate the performance measures for SSS projects (i.e., the
GPRA persistence and graduation rates) for cohorts of full-time, freshman participants who
enrolled at the grantee institution in a particular year.
Field 21—Select the participant’s cohort year that coincides with the academic year the participant
was first served by the SSS project.
Note: A “new” participant served only during the 2025 summer session and not previously
enrolled in postsecondary education would be in the 2025-26 cohort year (option “27”). Therefore,
if option “8” or “9” was selected in field 22—Participant Status, then you must select option “27”
in field 21. A student enrolled at the grantee institution prior to the summer of 2025 but who
received services from the SSS project for the first time during the summer of 2024 would be in
the 2024-25 cohort year (option “26”).
All other new participants served for the first time in the 2024-25 reporting period would be in the
2024-25 cohort year (option “26”).
Important: Grantees are not allowed to increase cohorts that have already been verified or
have been established based on information provided in the 2023-24APR reporting period. If
you served a student whose participant status in the 2024-25 reporting period is “Continuing” and
this student does not have a previously assigned cohort, you must select option “99 = Not
applicable.”

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For example, Kiki is a continuing participant in the 2024-25 academic year, however, Kiki was
never assigned a cohort; therefore, you must select option 99. By selecting option 99, Kiki will be
included in the number of participants served and in the denominator for both the persistence and
good academic standing objectives for the 2024-25 reporting period. However, Kiki will never be
part of any of the cohorts for the completion objectives because you never identified Kiki as a new
participant in a previous reporting year.

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Prior-year participants assigned a cohort of 99
For four-year institutions, if you have prior-year participants (field 22, options 3 and 4) who were
never assigned a cohort (i.e., the participant’s cohort is “99”) and they were at any point in the past
five years served by the project, you must retain the record; otherwise, do not include the record in
your 2024-25 APR file. For example, Hooper is a prior-year participant with a cohort off 99 and
they were last served by the project in 2019-20, you must retain the record in the 2024-25
reporting period.

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For two-year institutions, if you have prior-year participants (field 22, options 3 and 4) who were
never assigned a cohort (i.e., the participant’s cohort is “99”) and they were at any point in the past
three years served by the project, you must retain the record; otherwise, do not include the record
in your 2024-25 APR file. For example, Lincoln is a prior-year participant with a cohort off 99
and they were last served by the project in 2021-22, you must retain the record in the 2024-25
reporting period.

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All continuing participants (i.e., participant status is “2”) with a student cohort of “99” must be
included in your 2024-25 APR file. Please note, since these students do not have a cohort, they
will not be included in the completion objective. Under NO circumstances should you be
selecting a cohort (field 21, options 21 – 27) if the (continuing or prior-year) participant was never
assigned a cohort. Keep in mind that the cohort is based on first year served; therefore, once
served for the first time, the student’s cohort cannot change in future reporting periods.
In the 2024-25 reporting period, students from “out-of-range” cohorts will not be included in the
2023-24 download file. An ‘out-of-range cohort’ is defined as a cohort that has already been
evaluated for the degree attainment objective. For four-year institutions, cohorts from the 2018-19
academic year or earlier (Cohort ‘20’ or earlier) are out-of-range; for two-year institutions, cohorts
from the 2020-21academic year or earlier (Cohort ‘22’ or earlier) are out-of-range. If, in 2024-25,
a grantee serves a student from an out-of-range cohort, they must report this student in the 2024-25
APR. If before the 2024-25 reporting year, this “out-of-range” student had been served in any year
of the 2015-2020 grant cycle (i.e., any year between 2015-16 to 2019-20) the grantee should report
this student in Cohort ‘99’ and in Field #22 as a “Continuing” student. If before 2024-25 the
student was last served before the 2015-2020 grant cycle (i.e., 2014-15 or earlier) the grantee
should report this student in Cohort ‘26’ and in Field #22 as a “New” student.
II.C. PARTICIPANT’S STATUS AND ACADEMIC STATUS
Field 22—Select the participant’s status.

Deleted: 2022-23
Deleted: 19
Deleted: 25

Deleted: 2022-23
Deleted: 2021
Deleted: 22
Deleted: 2016
Deleted: 17
Deleted: 18
Deleted: 2018
Deleted: 19
Deleted: 20’
Deleted: 2022-23
Deleted: 2022-23
Deleted: 2022-23
Deleted: 2022-23
Deleted: 4

Note, Special Case Requires Reporting New Participant:
 The individual was served by the project during the 2024-25 reporting year.
 The individual did not appear in the 2021-22 APR file in any status.
 The student was last served in performance period 2014-15.

Deleted: 2022-23

Deleted: 2022-23

Students meeting the above criteria must be reported in the 2024-25 APR in Field #21 (Student
Cohort Year) as “26 = 2024-25”. Fields #18, 19, and 20 must all be completed with reference to the
2024-25 reporting period, like all other individuals who are reported as “New participants”.
Hint: A participant who is a “new participant—summer session only” (option “8” or “9”) in the
2023-24 APR and received services in the 2024-25 reporting period should be coded as a “new
participant” (option “1”) on the 2024-25 APR.

Deleted: 24
Deleted: 2022-23
Deleted: 2022-23
Deleted: 2021
Deleted: 22
Deleted: 2022-23
Deleted: 2022-23

11

Field 23—Select the participant’s enrollment status at end of the academic year.
This field provides information on a participant’s annual progress toward graduation and can
also be used to identify groups of full-time and less than full-time students. A grantee should
report the enrollment status equivalent for the academic year based on credits or clock hours
enrolled in for the full academic year (fall through summer terms). For example, a student
would be classified as a full-time student if he/she enrolled in 24 semester credits during the
academic year being reported even if the student did not earn 12 credits each semester.
To determine a participant’s enrollment status, use the sum of the credit or clock hours a student
was enrolled in at the end of each academic term during the reporting year (i.e., sum of credits or
clock hours enrolled in at the end of the fall, spring, and summer terms). Do not count the credit
or clock hours the student officially dropped during any of the terms in the calculation of
enrollment status. Please note that the enrollment status is based on the number of hours a student
ENROLLED in, not the number of hours the student earned. If a student received an
“Incomplete” or failed the course, those hours should be included in the number of hours a student
enrolled. Courses that are audited are not counted towards the number of hours enrolled.
Three examples follow:
Scenario 1: A student is enrolled for 9 credit hours (three-quarter time) for 3 semesters enrolling
for a total of 27 credit hours for the academic year. Since full-time status is 24 credits for the
academic year, the student would be reported as a full-time student (option 1).
Scenario 2: A student is enrolled for 9 credit hours in the fall semester and 15 credits in the
spring semester enrolling for a total of 24 credits. Since full-time status is 24 credits for the
academic year, the student would be reported as a full-time student (option 1).
Scenario 3: A student is enrolled for 9 credits in both the fall and spring semesters enrolling for a
total of 18 credits. Since 18 credits equal three-quarters of the full-time equivalent, the student
would be reported as a three-quarter time student for the reporting year (option 2).
If you do not know the enrollment status of a student, use “0-Unknown/No response.” If the
individual is a prior-year participant no longer enrolled select option 9. Select option 10 only
for students whose participant status in field 22 was option 9.
Field 24—Select the participant’s academic standing.
Field 25—Enter the participant’s Cumulative GPA. If you do not know the GPA, enter 7.777.
II.D. ACADEMIC PROGRESS AND PERSISTENCE
Field 26—Select the participant’s college grade level at the beginning of the academic year. In
determining the student’s postsecondary grade level, use the criteria of the grantee institution
regarding grade level classifications and academic standing. Most postsecondary institutions use
credits earned and grade point average to determine the college grade level. For students who have
earned college credits during high school or through placement testing but have not previously been
enrolled in college, use option “1 = 1st year, never attended.”
HINT: To ensure uniformity in reporting, two-year institutions should use first year (freshman)
and second year (sophomores) to designate the college grade levels of their participants.
Field 27—Select the participant’s current college grade level at the end of the academic year. In
determining the student’s postsecondary grade level, use the criteria of the grantee institution
regarding grade level classifications and academic standing. Most postsecondary institutions use
credits earned and grade point average to determine the college grade level.
HINT: To ensure uniformity in reporting, two-year institutions should use first year (freshman)
and second year (sophomores) to designate the college grade levels of their participants.
12

Field 28—Enter the date of the participant’s last project service.
Field 29—Select the reason the participant withdrew or did not return. Once you report the
reason the participant withdrew or did not return do not change it in subsequent reporting
years, unless the participant re-enrolls in the program or is deceased.
HINT: The purpose of this field is to ascertain why a student may have left the institution. If that
student has not re-enrolled in the institution and withdrew or did not return again the originally
stated reason should remain constant.
Field 30—Select the participant’s transfer status. Grantees with standard objectives that apply to
two-year institutions should only report transfer status appropriate for two-year institutions. Such
grantees may use options 1, 2, 8, 9 or 0. Grantees with standard objectives that apply to four-year
institutions should only report transfer status appropriate for four year institutions. Such grantees
may use options 3, 4, 8, 9, 0.
HINT: Use option 8 if the participant is still enrolled at the grantee institution, completed a
certificate program, or graduated with an associate’s (but did not transfer) or graduated with a
bachelor’s degree. Use option 9 if the participant withdrew, did not return, was called for
military service, or is deceased.
Field 31—Select the participant’s degree status at the grantee institution during the 2024-25
academic year. Grantees with standard objectives that apply to two-year institutions should only
report degree status appropriate for two-year institutions. Such grantees may use options 1, 2, 8,
9, 10, 11, 12, or 0. Grantees with standard objectives that apply to four-year institutions should
only report degree status appropriate for four year institutions. Such grantees may use options 4,
6, 8, 9, 0.
HINT: Generally, once you report the degree status, do not change it in subsequent reporting
periods. For additional guidance, refer to the instructions provided in the Record Structure.
Field 32—Enter the date the participant attained the degree or certificate. For current and prior-year
participants who attained a certificate or degree during the academic year, provide the date the
certificate or degree was awarded. If you do not know the exact date, use 15 for the day and use
your best estimate for the month. Generally, once you provide this information do not update it in
subsequent reporting years.
Field 33—Select the Field of Study the participant earned the degree or certificate.
For a detailed list of the field of study refer to Appendix A at the end of the instruction booklet.
Field 34—Select participant’s persistence status at the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year.
Field 34 provides the data needed to determine, on an annual basis, the extent to which the grantee
has met its approved persistence objective for the academic year. Since the persistence objective
measures the persistence of SSS participants from one academic year to the next at the grantee
institution, it is necessary to know whether participants served in the current reporting year (i.e.,
2024-25) enrolled at the grantee institution by the fall of the next academic year (i.e., Fall 2025).
Please note that you must update field 34 every year.
II.E. STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Field 35—Enter the amount of financial aid received as determined by the financial aid office. Do
not include the amount of the expected family contribution or the amount of SSS Grant Aid.
Student financial assistance includes grants, scholarships, federal student loans, and college workstudy from federal government, state and local government, institutions of higher education, and
other sources known by the grantee.
Field 36 – Enter the amount of SSS grant aid awarded for the 2024-25 project year.
NOTE: Provide the amount of SSS grant aid awarded (whole dollars only) for the 2 0 2 4 - 2 5
academic year. For this reporting period, individual grant aid awards should not be less than the
minimum Pell Grant award of $740 nor exceed the maximum Pell grant award of $7,395.
II.F. ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANT INFORMATION
Field 37—Enter the participant’s full name, if the participant changed their name (i.e., first and
last name). If the participant changed their name and you need this information to assist you in
13

Deleted: New in 2022-23, if the student is deceased, select option
9.

Deleted: 2022-23

Deleted: 2023
Deleted: 24

Deleted: 2022-23
Deleted: 2023

Deleted: 2022-23
Deleted: 2022-23
Deleted: 692
Deleted: 6,895

further tracking the participant, please enter the participant’s full name (i.e., first and last name). If
the participant’s name is the same as provided in fields 4 and 5, you may leave this field blank.
The information in this field can be changed in subsequent reporting periods.

14

Appendix A

List of Major Fields of Study 
Humanities
Area/ethnic/cultural/gender studies
Arts‐‐visual and performing
English language and literature/letters
Foreign languages/literature/linguistics
History

Liberal arts, sciences and humanities
Philosophy and religious studies
Visual and performing arts
Theology and religious vocations

Social/Behavioral Sciences 
Anthropology
Criminology
Criminal Justice & Corrections
Economics
Geography
International Relations & Affairs
Linguistics

Political Science & Government
Public Policy
Psychology
Social Sciences/General/Other
Sociology
Urban Affairs Studies

Life Sciences
Agriculture & Related Sciences
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (e.g., Anatomy, 
Microbiology, Zoology, Ecology, etc.)
Natural Resources & Conservation
Environmental Science
Food Science
Forest/Resource & Management
Forest Science & Biology

Forest Science & Technology
Multi‐Interdisciplinary Studies
Natural Sciences
Parks, Recreation, & Fitness Studies
Plant Sciences
Soil Sciences
Wildlife/Range Management

Physical Sciences
Astronomy
Atmospheric Science & Meteorology
Chemistry

Geological & Earth Sciences
Ocean/Marine Sciences
Physics

Mathematics
Algebra
Applied Mathematics
Geometry/Geometric Analysis

Logic
Statistics
Topology/Foundations

Computer/Information Sciences
Computer Science

Information Science & Systems

Engineering
Aerospace, Aeronautical & Astronautical
Agricultural Engineering
Bioengineering/Biomedical
Chemical
Civil
Computer
Electrical, Electronics, & Communications
Engineering Management & Administration
Engineering Physics
Engineering Science

Environmental/Health
Industrial/Manufacturing
Mechanical
Metallurgical
Mining & Mineral
Nuclear
Ocean
Petroleum & Natural Gas
Polymer & Plastics
Systems Engineering

15

List of Major Fields of Study (Cont.)

Teacher Education (Teacher Prep)
Adult & Continuing Tech Ed
Elementary & Secondary Education

Pre‐elementary & Early Childhood
Special Education

Education‐‐Research & Administration
Counseling/Guidance
Curriculum & Instruction
Educational Administration/Supervision
Educational Assessment/Testing/Measurement

Educational Instruction/Media Design
Educational Statistics/Research Methods
Higher Education/Evaluation & Research
Special Education Research

Business Management
Accounting
Banking/Financial Support Services
Business Administration & Management
Managerial Economics
Finance

Human Resources
International Business/Trade/Commerce
Marketing, Management, & Research
Management Information Syst/Business Statistics

Health Professions and Related Sciences
Environmental Health
Environmental Toxicology
Medical/Pharmaceutical
Nursing
Speech‐Language, Pathology & Audiology
Veterinary Sciences

Epidemiology
Health Systems/Services Administration
Kinesiology/Exercise Science
Public Health
Rehabilitative/Therapeutic Sciences
Medical Technology

Vocational/Technical
Science technologies/technicians
Security and protective services
Construction trades

Mechanic and repair technologies
Precision production
Transportation and materials moving

Communication/Journalism/Technologies
Communication Theory
Film, Radio, TV & Digital Communication

Mass Communication/Media Studies
General Communication

Other Technical/Professional
Architecture and related services
Personal and culinary services
Family and consumer/human sciences
Legal professions and studies

Library science
Military technologies
Public administration and social service

16