Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-11564515-20140921173040/@comment-4632123-20140921173418

Applications are what every user could use with minimal training, the basic set essentially. (I.e, Telekinesis having Matter Manipulation or Telepathy having Mind Reading)

Associations are powers that are just related to the power, not necessarily an application of it. (For example, Energy Manipulation is in Life-Force Manipulation's association as Life-Force is an energy and Energy Manipulation is the basis power for energy-based powers).

Hope this helps