As used in this chapter:

(A) “Aggregate original principal amount” means the aggregate of the initial offering prices to the public of college savings bonds, exclusive of accrued interest, if any. “Aggregate original principal amount” does not mean the aggregate accreted amount payable at maturity or redemption of such bonds.

(B) “Beneficiary” means:

(1) An individual designated by the purchaser under a tuition payment contract or through a scholarship program as the individual on whose behalf tuition units purchased under the contract or awarded through the scholarship program will be applied toward the payment of undergraduate, graduate, or professional tuition; or

(2) An individual designated by the contributor under a variable college savings program contract as the individual whose higher education expenses will be paid from a variable college savings program account.

(C) “Capital appreciation bond” means a bond for which the following is true:

(1) The principal amount is less than the amount payable at maturity or early redemption; and

(2) No interest is payable on a current basis.

(D) “Tuition unit” means a credit of the Ohio tuition trust authority purchased under section 3334.09 of the Revised Code. “Tuition unit” includes a tuition credit purchased prior to July 1, 1994.

(E) “College savings bonds” means revenue and other obligations issued on behalf of the state or any agency or issuing authority thereof as a zero-coupon or capital appreciation bond, and designated as college savings bonds as provided in this chapter. “College savings bond issue” means any issue of bonds of which any part has been designated as college savings bonds.

(F) “Institution of higher education” means a state institution of higher education, a private college, university, or other postsecondary institution located in this state that possesses a certificate of authorization issued pursuant to Chapter 1713 of the Revised Code or a certificate of registration issued by the state board of career colleges and schools under Chapter 3332 of the Revised Code, or an accredited college, university, or other postsecondary institution located outside this state that is accredited by an accrediting organization or professional association recognized by the authority. To be considered an institution of higher education, an institution shall meet the definition of an eligible educational institution under section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

(G) “Issuing authority” means any authority, commission, body, agency, or individual empowered by the Ohio Constitution or the Revised Code to issue bonds or any other debt obligation of the state or any agency or department thereof. “Issuer” means the issuing authority or, if so designated under division (B) of section 3334.04 of the Revised Code, the treasurer of state.

(H) “Tuition” means the charges imposed to attend an institution of higher education as an undergraduate, graduate, or professional student and all fees required as a condition of enrollment, as determined by the Ohio tuition trust authority. “Tuition” does not include laboratory fees, room and board, or other similar fees and charges.

(I) “Weighted average tuition” means the tuition cost resulting from the following calculation:

(1) Add the products of the annual undergraduate tuition charged to Ohio residents at each four-year state university multiplied by that institution’s total number of undergraduate fiscal year equated students; and

(2) Divide the gross total of the products from division (I)(1) of this section by the total number of undergraduate fiscal year equated students attending four-year state universities.

When making this calculation, the “annual undergraduate tuition charged to Ohio residents” shall not incorporate any tuition reductions that vary in amount among individual recipients and that are awarded to Ohio residents based upon their particular circumstances, beyond any minimum amount awarded uniformly to all Ohio residents. In addition, any tuition reductions awarded uniformly to all Ohio residents shall be incorporated into this calculation.

(J) “Zero-coupon bond” means a bond which has a stated interest rate of zero per cent and on which no interest is payable until the maturity or early redemption of the bond, and is offered at a substantial discount from its original stated principal amount.

(K) “State institution of higher education” includes the state universities listed in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, community colleges created pursuant to Chapter 3354 of the Revised Code, university branches created pursuant to Chapter 3355 of the Revised Code, technical colleges created pursuant to Chapter 3357 of the Revised Code, state community colleges created pursuant to Chapter 3358 of the Revised Code, and the northeast Ohio medical university.

(L) “Four-year state university” means those state universities listed in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.

(M) “Principal amount” refers to the initial offering price to the public of an obligation, exclusive of the accrued interest, if any. “Principal amount” does not refer to the aggregate accreted amount payable at maturity or redemption of an obligation.

(N) “Scholarship program” means a program registered with the Ohio tuition trust authority pursuant to section 3334.17 of the Revised Code.

(O) “Higher education expenses” means expenses that meet the definition of “qualified higher education expenses” under section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

(P) “Purchaser” means the person signing the tuition payment contract, who controls the account and acquires tuition units for an account under the terms and conditions of the contract.

(Q) “Contributor” means a person who signs a variable college savings program contract with the Ohio tuition trust authority and contributes to and owns the account created under the contract.

(R) “Contribution” means any payment directly allocated to an account for the benefit of the designated beneficiary of the account.