National Collegiate Athletic Association
Eligibility Requirements
The NCAA has established a central clearinghouse to certify athletic eligibility to Division I and II institutions. Students, who intend to participate with or without a scholarship as a freshman in college, must register with and be certified as eligible by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. Please note that initial-eligibility certification pertains only to NCAA requirements for participation in Division I or II athletics and has no bearing on admission to a particular Division I or II institution. Please note the following:
- It is best to register after the junior year grades have appeared on the transcript.
- Registration materials may be obtained from the high school counselor. Counselors may order forms by calling the Clearinghouse toll free at 1-877-262-1492.
- Division III – Contact your Division III College regarding its policies on financial aid, practice and competition.
DIVISION I REQUIREMENTS
For students entering any Division I college or university on or after August 1, 2008, and want to participate in athletics or receive an athletics scholarship, you must meet the following academic standards: (1) graduate from high school; (2) complete the 16 core courses listed below; (3) present a minimum required grade-point average in your core courses; and (4) achieve a combined SAT or ACT sum score that matches your core-course grade-point average in the Core GPA/Test Score Sliding Scale Index listed below.
16 Core Courses: 4 years of English, 3 years of mathematics (Algebra I or higher level), 2 years of natural/physical science (including 1 year of lab science), 1 year of additional English, mathematics or natural/physical science, 2 years of social science, 4 years of additional courses (from any area above or foreign language, nondoctrinal religion or philosophy).
Core GPA/Test Index (16 core courses) |
||
Core GPA |
SAT |
ACT |
3.550 and above |
400 |
37 |
3.000 |
620 |
52 |
2.500 |
820 |
68 |
2.125 |
960 |
81 |
2.000 |
1010 |
86 |
Note: Even though the SAT has added a writing component, the NCAA has determined that the writing component should not be required at the present time. Because the critical reading and math sections will still be scored on a 200 – 800 point scale, the clearinghouse will still combine those two sections for the combined score. The writing section will not be used.
Requirements to graduate with your high school class – You must graduate from high school on schedule (in eight semesters) with your incoming ninth grade class. You may use one core course completed in the year after graduation (summer or academic year). You may complete the core course at a location other than the high school from which you graduated and may initially enroll full time at a collegiate institution at any time after completion of the core course.
DIVISION II REQUIREMENTS (2008 – 2013)
To be a qualifier at a Division II institution, student-athletes must: (1) graduate from high school, (2) present a minimum grade-point average of 2.000 in at least 14 core courses in the following areas: 3 years English, 2 years mathematics (algebra I or higher level), 2 years natural or physical science (including at least one laboratory class), 2 additional courses in English, mathematics, or natural or physical science, 2 years social science, 3 years additional academic courses - (which may be taken from the above mentioned categories or foreign language, nondoctrinal religion or philosophy), and (3) present a minimum 820 combined score on the SAT verbal and math sections or a sum score of 68 on the ACT.
DIVISION II REQUIREMENTS (2013 and Later)
If you enroll in a Division II college on or after August 1, 2013, and want to participate in athletics or receive an athletics scholarship during your first year, you must: (1) graduate from high school, (2) earn a 2.0 grade-point average in at least 16 core courses in the following areas: 3 years of English, 2 years of math (algebra 1 or higher), 2 years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if offered by your high school), 3 additional years of English, math, or natural or physical science, 2 years of social science, and 4 years of additional core courses (from any category above, or foreign language, nondoctrinal religion or philosophy), and (3) earn a combined SAT score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68.
If you have questions about NCAA eligibility, please contact the NCAA initial-eligibility clearinghouse toll free at 877-262-1492, or website at https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common/. This website contains a “Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete,” that can be copied or ordered. You may also contact the NCAA at 317-917-6222 or website at www.ncaa.org.
WCPSS Approved Core Courses (PDF 24kb)
National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA Eligibility Center