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.
Division I Core Course Requirements (Entering college or university prior to August 1, 2008) - For students entering any Division I college or university prior to 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 14 core courses in the following areas: 4 years of English, 2 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, 3 years of additional courses (from any area above or foreign language, nondoctrinal religion or philosophy), (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 above.
DIVISION II REQUIREMENTS
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.
If you have questions about NCAA eligibility, please contact the NCAA initial-eligibility clearinghouse toll free at 877-262-1492, or website at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. 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 Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse