High school students opening their college financial aid offers may be excited to see that they have received an “award.” After all, it sounds like a prize, but “award” has its own meaning in the student aid world.

An award could be a grant or scholarship. It could also include a loan that must be repaid, with interest, or work-study aid that requires a student to first land a job to earn the money.

“Celebrate,” said Laura Keane, the chief policy officer at uAspire, a nonprofit group that aims to help students afford college with less debt. “Then, decide.”

Industry jargon and arcane terminology can make it challenging for students to figure out just how much money they are being offered by each college, and how much more they’ll need to come up with to pay for their college education, student advocates say.