College Requirements for Athletes
Colleges belong to leagues which have their own rules, regulations, and eligibility requirements. Basic eligibility guidelines for the NCAA, NAIA, and the NJCAA leagues are outlined below. (For more detailed information, visit their websites.)
NCAA
(972 member colleges - 318 Division I, 2GI Division II, 393 Division
III)
Division I and II colleges can offer
athletic
scholarships; Division III colleges (mostly smaller, private colleges)
cannot. Before an athlete can play or receive an athletic scholarship
ata
Division I or II college, he/she must meet NCAA,s academic
requirements.Division
III athletes do not need to meet NCAA academic requirements.
Athletes going to Division I and II colleges must have a 2.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in 13 core courses and the requiredSAT or ACT score. Division II athletes must have a 68 (sum of the 4 scores)on the ACT or an 820 on the SAT. ACT/SAT requirements for Division I eligibility are based on a sliding scale. The higher the core GPA, the lower the test score required. For example, a student with a core GPA of 2.0 needs an 86 (sum of 4 scores) on the ACT or a 1010 on the SAT; a student with a 2.5 or higher core GPA needs a 68 on the ACT or an 820 on the SAT. Athletes need to meet with their connselors as early aspossible to discuss requirements and to make sure they're taking the nght courses. Athletes should take the ACT and the SAT by the spring of their junior year and complete the NCAAClearinghouse Form after their junior year. http://www.ncaa.org
NAIA
(over 300 member colleges)
NAIA colleges can award full or partial
scholarships. To play a sport orreceive an athletic scholarship, an
athlete
must have 2 of the following3NAIA requirements: an ACT composite score
of 18 or an 860 on the SAT; anoverall2.0 GPA; graduatein the top half
of
hisclass. http://www.naia.org
NJCAA
(500 junior colleges)
NJCAA Division I and II colleges can offer
scholarships; Division III collegescannot. There are no academic
eligibility
requirements for athletes enteringjunior colleges. http://www.nyrna.org
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