The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System - Glossary

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U.S. Department of Education
Institute of Education Sciences

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

Glossary

The online version of the IPEDS Glossary provides definitions for almost 500 postsecondary-related terms used in the collection and dissemination of IPEDS data.

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Term	Definition	Related terms
Capital leases	Capital assets acquired under lease arrangement, as provided in FASB Statement No. 13 (applicable to both FASB and GASB institutions). These are leases where the institution in substance acquires the capital asset or the right to use it for most or all of its economic life through a lease arrangement. FASB standards require institutions to recognize such assets in their financial statements and also to recognize the lease payment obligations as liabilities. The lease is basically considered a form of financing used to acquire the capital asset.