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Field Definitions


Credit for Prior Learning File Field Definitions
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Field # Starting Position Field Name Field Definitions/Descriptions
1 1 Record Type Definition: A flag that indicates which record type is being reported.

Codes/Notes: Enrollment=1, UAF=2, Degrees=3, Financial Aid=4, Student Course=5, Educator Preparation=6, Credit Prior Learning=C



Missing Value: Does not apply; field must be completed.

Edit Specs: File specific value.

Format: AlphaNumeric, 1 place integer

Updates: CPL = 8 added June '23


2 2 Institution Code Definition: The unique code designations for Colorado postsecondary institutions.

Codes/Notes: The number assigned to each higher education institution identifying an institution with a 4-digit institutional code. See Institution Code in Glossary.


Missing Value: Does not apply; field must be completed.

Edit Specs: Error if a value is reported that is not the code assigned to the reporting institution.

Format: Alphanumeric, 4 characters

Updates: July 1987


3 6 Report Term Definition: The enrollment period identified by the term on which the data are based

Codes/Notes: 1 - Summer
2 - Fall
3 - Winter (only for institutions on a quarter system)
4 - Spring
5 - Interim
9 - Total report year (Only used in Financial Aid reporting)

For Education Preparation file: Report period should be by term, beginning with summer and continuing through the following fall and spring terms. Term 9 is not valid for this file. 

For Financial Aid file: Term is 9, FA file is a fiscal year file beginning with Fall data and ending with trailing summer data



Missing Value: Does not apply; field must be completed.

Edit Specs: Error if term value is anything other than 1,2,3,4,5,9

Format: Numeric, 1 place integer (T)

Updates: Expanded to four-digit format, year 2000 file conversions, September 1998.
Simplified text of definition section and removed term & year examples dating back to a previous data element format. Also corrected edit spec section to show that '9' is acceptable. Dec, 2018

4 7 Report Year Definition: The enrollment period identified by the calendar year on which the data are based (YYYY) The year in which the term occurs. When the term code is "9" which signifies the total report year, use 4 digits of the fiscal year of the report period. The fiscal year is derived by the following. If the term is =3, the fiscal year is the same as the report year. If the term is =2, the fiscal year equals the report year + 1.

Codes/Notes:

AY 2018 and FY 2018 matrix Example

Academic

Year

Report Term

Report 

Year

FinAid Fiscal

YEAR
2018 1 2017 2017
2018 2 2017 2018
2018 3 2018 2018
2018 4 2018 2018
2018 5 2018 2018
2019 1 2018 2018


Missing Value: Does not apply; field must be completed.

Edit Specs: Error if year value does not represent current reporting year.

Format: Numeric, 4 place integer (YYYY)

Updates: Expanded to four-digit format, year 2000 file conversions.
Simplified text of definition section and removed term & year examples dating back to a previous data element format. Added AY, term, FY matrix. Corrected Edit Spec section. Dec. 2018

5 11 Student ID Definition: A number that uniquely identifies a student at an institution. Wherever possible, this should be the nine digit social security number assigned to an individual under the Federal Insurance Contribution Act. Social Security rules currently exclude use of numbers that are < 000000100 or >= 800000000

Codes/Notes: If the Student Identification Number is assigned, the number should be used in all future reports by the institution for that student unless corrected or replaced by Social Security Number. Note: Use of an SSN is the only way CCHE can track a student for retention and graduation analyses across institutions. 

If an individual's social security number is not available for use by an institution, the institution may report any student identification number up to 9 characters that is unique for that student. The institution also must report the Student Identification Type as “1,” indicating that this number is not a Social Security Number. 
Hyphens are not entered as part of the identification number.

Missing Value: Does not apply; field must be completed.

Edit Specs: Error if blank. If Student Identification Type is 0 or blank, error if value contains alpha characters or the last 6 digits are all zeroes or is < 000000100 or >= 800000000—This edit to be implemented with submissions for FY04 and modified to 900000000+ (vs 800000000+) December 2011.

Format: Alphanumeric, 9-place integer

Updates: July 1988; edit specs modified July 2003; Dec 2011 - changed upper limit from 800000000;

6 20 Student ID Type Definition: The indicator to classify the Student Identification Number as believed to be either a social security number or a institutional-assigned identification number.

Codes/Notes: 0 – Indicates that the Student Identification Number is believed to be a social security number

1 – Indicates that the Student Identification Number is NOT a social security number.


Missing Value: Blank Not acceptable

Edit Specs: Must be "0" or "1" Error if blank

Format: Numeric, 1 place

Updates: Implemented, FY2004

7 21 Course Prefix Definition: Part of unique identifier of each course taught within a specific term. For Credit for Prior Learning File, report prefix for awarded equivalent course.

Codes/Notes: If Course Prefix is less than 4 characters, use leading 0 or 0's as needed. 

Examples: Course Prefix - 0MAT 
Examples: Course Prefix - oREA 


Missing Value: Must be completed. Blank not acceptable.

Edit Specs: Error if blank

Format: AlphaNumeric, 4 places;

Updates: Nov 2012 - changed padding with "0" to padding with blanks

8 25 Course Number Definition: Part of unique identifier of each course taught within a specific term. For Credit for Prior Learning file, report course number for awarded equivalent course.

Codes/Notes: If Course Number is less than 4 digits, use leading 0 or 0's as needed. 



Examples: Course Numbers - 1000, 137A, 0030, 0202 

Missing Value: Must be completed. Blank not acceptable.

Edit Specs: Error if blank

Format: AlphaNumeric, 4 places

Updates:

9 29 Course Credit Hours Awarded Definition: Number of Credit for Prior Learning credit hours awarded for the specified student course enrollment.

Codes/Notes:
Since some institutions compute fractional credits, space is allotted for one decimal position Round to the nearest decimal value if necessary If no decimal value is reported, enter a trailing zero
For Example, code 3 credit hours as 030; code 15 credit hours as 015
Attempted credit hours may be zero for student course enrollments in zero-credit labs or recitations



Missing Value: Must be completed. Blank not acceptable.

Edit Specs: Error if >30. Warning if >21.

Format: AlphaNumeric 3 characters -2 place integer, 1 place decimal (99V9)(the decimal point is implied)

Updates:

10 32 Program Code Definition: For Enrollment and Degrees Awarded file: The program code that identifies the student's stated program at the time of the data report, where program code is defined as the assigned classification of instructional program code associated with the approved program. For Student Course Enrollment file and Credit Prior Learning file: The six-digit Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code that identifies the specific field of the student course enrollment. CIP Code does not need to correspond to approved degree/certificate programs for the institution.

Codes/Notes: Formerly called major. The six-digit Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code that identifies the specific field of study the individual is enrolled in.

For the Student Course Enrollment file and Credit Prior Learning file, , this does not correspond to the approved list of degree programs.  This field will describe the course of enrollment.

For the Degrees File, refer to the list of operating postsecondary programs for valid CIP codes approved for an institution. This list is different from the Approved Postsecondary Degree Publication and includes programs still eligible to report degrees during phase-out cycle. The institutional data contact person at each institution has the most recent copy of this list or you may request a correct copy of the list from the Commission. 

For the Undergraduate Applicant File and Enrollment File, students whose major is undeclared should be reported as '240102' except for CCCS institutions which use '999999' . This code is invalid on the Degrees Granted file. For students accepted in a undergraduate degree program or program area but whose specific major is undeclared, (e.g. Engineering), an institution may identify majors by the use of  the appropriate program code in combination with program sequence code of '99'. (e.g. Engineering:140101 and program sequence code 99) The institution must offer the specific program at the baccalaureate level in order to report these discipline areas (e.g. cannot report pre-law since no undergraduate law program offered, cannot report pre-pharmacy if no pharmacy program is available on campus). If the student anticipates transferring into a program at another institution, this student must be reported in the liberal arts program, if offered, or as undeclared. 

The program area reported in this field will be the primary program unit of analysis for federal reports, enrollment projections, and standard Commission reports.




Missing Value: Blank, only if non-degree seeking student.

Edit Specs: For Enrollment and Degrees Awarded: Error if code reported is not found in the list of DHE approved programs for the reporting institution. For Student Course Enrollment: Must be a valid 6-digit CIP code

Format: Alphanumeric, 6 integers

Updates: December 1989; August 2012 - updated language to specify that CIP is the degree program code
January 2015; - updated Undeclared Major should be reported as '240102' except for CCCS institutions which use '999999'
Removed from definition old wording "99 + four digit cip code" replaced with wording for pre-program instructions when specific major is not yet know in conjunction with '99' sequence code. Dec. 2018

11 38 Student ID Inst Definition: A number that uniquely identifies a student at an institution. This number is assigned by the institution and is typically used in place of the Social Security Number.

Codes/Notes:
Hyphens are not entered as part of the identification number.

Missing Value: Optional use determined by institution

Edit Specs: None

Format: Alphanumeric, 9-place integer or less

Updates: July 1988; edit specs modified July 2003, December 2004, February 2005 and March 2005; Jan 2012 - New; July 2012 - New

12 47 CPL Type Definition: CPL types for the credit IHE's awarded at their institution: 01-AP 02-IB 03-CLEP 04-Military courses and occupations/DLPT 05-DSST 06-Work-related credential-only statewide approved work-related credentials should use this code 07-Portfolio review 08-Challenge exam (institutionally-devised)

Codes/Notes:


Missing Value: Must be completed. Blank not acceptable.

Edit Specs: Error if blank

Format: numeric, 2-place integer of less

Updates: 2023-New


13 49 GT Pathway Category Definition: GT Pathway category for course credit awarded through CPL leave blank if not GT Pathway course credits

Codes/Notes: Use following when condition is meet, CO1, CO2, CO3, MA1, AH1, AH2, AH3, AH4, HI1, SS1, SS2, SS3, SC1, SC2



Missing Value: Blank when CPL credits are not in a GT Pahtway

Edit Specs:

Format: alphanumeric, 2 character

Updates: 2023-New