TPOPS Definition of Items

Items that will be asked about in the survey	Purchases within the past:
Tuition or Fixed Fees for Technical or Vocational Schools	5 Years
Tuition or Fixed Fees for Private Elementary or High Schools	2 Years
Tuition or Fixed Fees for a College or University	2 Years
College or University level Textbooks	2 Years
Elementary or High School Textbooks	2 Years
Day Care Providers Including Nursery Schools	2 Years
Powdered Drinks, Tea, Cocktail Mixes or Ice	1 Month
Cereal, Rice, Pasta, Cornmeal or Flour	2 Weeks
Roasted, Instant, or Freeze Dried Coffee	2 Weeks

 

Tuition or Fixed Fees for Technical or Vocational Schools

Includes:

• All fixed fees

Includes all tuition and fixed fees charged by business, secretarial, technical, vocational, or trade schools. Includes all mandatory fixed fees assessed each term such as registration fees, student activity fees, health fees, lab fees, athletic fees.

Excludes:

• High schools and vocational high schools
• Room and board
• Textbook charges
• Computers

Excludes high schools, vocational high schools, most colleges and universities; room and board, textbook charges, computers, and all other non-fixed fees; non-mandatory fixed fees, and refundable fees.

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Tuition or Fixed Fees for Private Elementary or High Schools

Includes:

• Mandatory fees

Includes all tuition and fixed fees charged by private high schools and elementary schools. Include mandatory fixed fees such as registration fees, student activity fees, health fees, Tuition or Fixed Fees for Private Elementary or High Schools lab fees, athletic fees, or general fees.

Excludes:

• Public schools
• Lunches
• Textbook charges
• Supplies
• Computers
• Athletic fees
• Refundable fees
• Uniform rental or purchase
• Room and board

Excludes room and board, lunches, books, computers, supplies, uniform rental or purchase, refundable fees, and all other non-fixed fees; also exclude public schools.

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Tuition or Fixed Fees for a College or University

Includes:

• Non-degree status classes at degree-conferring institutions
• Lab fees

Includes all tuition and fixed fees charged by colleges and universities. Non-degree status is eligible, but only at degree conferring institutions. Includes all mandatory fixed fees assessed each term such as registration fees, student activity fees, health fees, lab fees, athletic fees.

Excludes:

• Room and board
• Textbook charges
• Computers
• Refundable fees

Excludes room and board, textbook charges, computers, refundable fees, and all other non-fixed fees; institutions that do not offer degrees.

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College or University level Textbooks

Includes:

• New or used books
• Books on CD, DVD or Blu-Ray
• Downloadable e-books

Includes any new or used college textbooks which have been designated by a college or university, department, or instructor as a required text for a course that is offered by a college or university. Includes purchases of books on CD-ROM and downloadable e-books.

Excludes all supplies.

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Elementary or High School Textbooks

Includes:

• New or used books
• Books on CD, DVD or Blu-Ray
• Downloadable e-books

Includes any new or used elementary or high school textbooks which have been designated by a school as a required text for a course offered by a school. Includes purchases of books on CD-ROM and downloadable e-books.

Excludes:

• Non-book supplies

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Day Care Providers Including Nursery Schools

Includes:

• Charges for care of pre-school children

Includes charges for the care of pre-school children, including pre-kindergarten educational programs. Individuals whose occupation is to regularly care for children are included.

Excludes:

• Baby-sitting
• Extended day care in elementary schools (latchkey)
• Separate charges for books, uniforms, toys, transportation or meals

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Cereal, Rice, Pasta, Cornmeal or Flour

Includes:

• Flour
• Rice
• Prepared flour mixes
• Pasta
• Breakfast cereal
• Cornmeal

Includes breakfast cereal of all varieties and types of ready-to-eat and cooked cereals including cereal in a single box, multiple boxes, or unpackaged (e.g. out of a bin or bulk). Rice (pre-cooked or uncooked): brown, minute, white, and wild rice. Pasta: capellini, egg noodles, lasagna, linguine, macaroni, manicotti, mostaciolli, rigatoni, rotini, spaghetti, vermicelli. Corn meal: all types. Flour: all-purpose, barley, bran, buckwheat, cake, corn, graham, potato, rice, rye, self-rising, soybean, and wheat. Prepared flour mixes for: biscuits, breads, brownies, cakes, cookies, muffins, pancakes, pies, pie crusts, rolls, and waffles.

Excludes:

• Grits
• Macaroni and cheese
• Rice pilaf
• Fresh stuffed ravioli
• Rice with sauces/seasoning
• Ready mixed cookie dough

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Roasted, Instant, or Freeze Dried Coffee

Includes:

• Whole bean
• Decaffeinated
• Ground
• Flavored
• Regular
• Unflavored

Includes roasted, instant, and freeze dried coffee. Roasted coffee can be whole bean, ground, regular or decaffeinated, flavored or unflavored. Instant and freeze dried coffee includes both regular and decaffeinated styles, and in all flavor varieties such as chocolate, orange, cinnamon, and almond.

Excludes:

• Ready to drink coffee

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Powdered Drinks, Tea, Cocktail Mixes or Ice

Powdered Drinks, Tea, Cocktail Mixes or Ice Includes:

Includes:

• Powders used to make beverages
• Crystals used to make beverages
• Tablets used to make beverages
• Syrups used to make beverages
• Tea
• Cocktail mixes
• Ice

Includes powders, crystals, tablets, and syrups: used to make beverages other than coffee. All forms and varieties of tea: (loose leaves, tea bags, and powders/crystals) except ready-to-drink tea. Frozen, liquid, and powdered cocktail mixes: bloody Mary mix, daiquiri mix, hot buttered rum mix, mai tai mix, pina colada mix, Tom Collins mix, and whiskey sour mix. Ice in the form of cubes, blocks, or crushed.

Excludes ready-to-drink tea, coffee powders and crystals, dietary supplements, meal substitutes, chocolate syrups, and cocktail mixes that contain alcohol.

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Last Modified Date: December 31, 2018