Transcript NCAA Initial Eligibility

New Rules of the Games
College Board
Forum
*Chicago*
February 11, 2008
What You Need to Know
About Playing College Sports
and New Eligibility Rules




Kevin Koehler
Guidance Counselor
Hinsdale High School
Frank DuBois
Assistant Director of Admission
Lewis University
Bobbie Cesarek
Associate Athletics Director-Compliance
Northern Illinois University
What is the NCAA
Eligibility Center?

Established in 1995 - as NCAA Clearinghouse to ensure equity in determining initial eligibility
• colleges/universities had previously established
eligibility status of their incoming student-athletes
• many inequities existed nationwide
Determines the academic eligibility status
of high school seniors to participate in NCAA
Division I and Division II intercollegiate athletics
as first year college students
 Data base for all collegiate athletic departments
to access a student-athlete’s eligibility status

Recent Addition: NCAA
Amateurism Clearinghouse
 Required
for all freshmen / transfers
• Register beginning as a junior in high school
• On-line registration
 For
both domestic and international
students
• Provides consistent information across country
• Growingly more difficult for colleges to establish
amateurism status
– What’s amateur/professional in foreign countries
– Large number of domestic leagues being created
NCAA Amateurism
Clearinghouse

Student must answer several questions
regarding sports participation history, such as:
• Contracts with a professional team
• Prize money above actual and necessary expenses
• Tryouts, practice or competition with a pro team
Final NCAA amateurism certification: end of
prospects senior year
 Colleges responsible for amateurism issues
from June – August

NCAA Academic
Eligibility Terminology:

Qualifier • meets test / GPA index minimums
• eligible to practice/ compete/ receive athletic aid
during initial year of collegiate enrollment

Non-Qualifier –
• does not meet minimum test / GPA index
requirements
• NOT eligible to practice / compete / receive athletic
aid during initial year of collegiate enrollment
• eligible for only 3 seasons of competition*
• *may earn 4th season of competition if earns 80% of
degree after 4 years
How do students become
Qualifiers ? –
for NCAA Division I & II only

Graduate from High School

NCAA Division I competition:
Successfully complete 16 HS ‘Core Courses’


NCAA Division II competition:
Successfully complete 14 HS ‘Core Courses’ for NCAA
Meet NCAA Index Requirements
•
•
•
•
Core Course GPA (out of 4.00)
ACT sum score
SAT total
Currently no “writing component” is included in the calculations
(SAT)
NCAA Division III
Initial Eligibility
 No
additional standards for Initial
(Freshman) Academic Eligibility;
Needs only to:
• Be enrolled at least a minimum full-time
enrollment
• Be in good academic standing (determined
by the institution)
• Maintain satisfactory progress toward
degree
NAIA
Initial Eligibility

Must meet two of the three entry level
requirements:
• have achieved an 18 on ACT or 860 on SAT
(SAT’s Reading and Math only) – National Test
• High School GPA of 2.00
• Graduate in upper half of student’s high school
graduating class

Home-schooled students must meet ACT or
SAT requirement and receive certificate
granted by the state verifying completion of
home schooling requirements
NCAA Divisions I & II
Qualifier Index
Division I:
Core GPA
• 3.55+
• 3.25
• 3.00
• 2.75
• 2.50
• 2.25
• 2.00
ACT SAT
37
400
46
520
52
620
59
720
68
820
77
920
86
1010
Division II:
Minimum GPA: 2.00
 Minimum combined
score on SAT of 820
 Minimum sum score
on ACT of 68

New NCAA Legislation –
Qualifier - January 2008

Prospects will be certified as a qualifier
provided he/she attains:
• SAT of 1000 - or - ACT of 85, and
• 3.0 core GPA in 13 core courses
completed in 6 semesters:
– 3 courses - English
– 2 courses – Mathematics
– 2 courses – natural / physical science
– 6 courses – additional core courses in any
NCAA core area
Prairie State
ACT Test . . .

Student CAN utilize the ACT test taken with
the Prairie State exams for both:
• NCAA Initial Eligibility
• NCAA Official Campus Visit

All other tests must be on a national testing
date to be valid for eligibility / official visit

Can still also use PLAN / PSAT for NCAA
Official Campus Visit but not Initial Eligibility
REMINDER:
 NCAA
Eligibility Center will no
longer accept test scores from the
High School transcript
 Test
Score must come directly from
the testing agency (ACT or SAT)
 Clearinghouse
code: 9999
What Coursed are Considered
‘Core Courses’?
•
•
•
•
4 yrs. - English (D-I); . . .3 yrs. - (D-II)
3 yrs. - Mathematics (Algebra 1 or higher)
2 yrs. – Natural / Physical Science – w/ lab
1 yr. - Additional English/Math/Science (D-I)
. . . . . . 2 yrs. - (D-II)
• 2 yrs. - Social Science
• 4 yrs. - Additional Academic Courses (e.g., foreign
language / philosophy / or above courses)
• 16 - total core courses
Core Course Provisions:

Acceptable

home-schooling*
learning disability*
internet/independent
study course*
College courses
pass/fail courses
non-standard test
procedures*







NOT Acceptable:
Preparatory classes
 credit-by-exam courses
 vocational courses
 any courses taken in 8th
grade (even foreign
language courses)
 courses taken after
graduation to meet core
course requirements –
* if meets NCAA standards & except for learning disabled
with proper documentation

Post HS Graduation
Core Course
If student graduates when anticipated (with
their ‘class’)
 May take ONE core course during the
summer prior to initial collegiate enrollment

• May be used to obtain 16 core courses
• May be used to meet GPA requirement
Course may be taken at a location other than
high school from which student graduated
 May not receive institutional financial aid
while enrolled in the course

How Can You Help Student Athletes with Core Courses?

Ensure that your coaches know about the NCAA
Eligibility Center and its requirements regarding
collegiate freshman athletics eligibility

Ensure that your student-athletes – and your counselors
- know which classes are identified as your school’s
core courses

Provide your counselors with athletics team rosters so
from freshmen year on student-athletes can be
counseled toward the school’s documented core courses

Core courses posted:
https//web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter
HS Core Course Changes

Changes during the school year (*best):
• Forms and directions on website

Changes when a student-athlete has
graduated and final transcript has been
submitted to NCAA Clearinghouse:
• Indicate making changes for a particular student
• Again, forms and directions on website
• Clearinghouse needs to ensure no academic fraud

Please make changes to your core course
listings a part of the school’s curricular
change process!
How do Students Apply to
the NCAA Eligibility Center?

https/web1.ncaa.org
/eligibilitycenter

select:
Perspective studentathlete
• Follow instructions
• Register: $50.00 – credit
card
• (also access: List of high
school core courses)

Recommended
Reading:
• Guide to the College
Bound Student-Athlete

Must forward official
HS transcript*
• *EACH high school you
attended with test score
OR
• test score directly from
ACT or SAT centers
(code 9999)

HS will need to forward
FINAL official transcript
w/ graduation date
posted for final
certification
When Should StudentAthletes Register?
 Can
register as a Senior or a Junior
 Optimal: Immediately after
completion of their Junior Year
• have enough core courses to begin
processing
• most likely taken at least one ACT/SAT
• collegiate coaches can access your
information after/around July 1st
How the High School Can
be of Assistance:

Identify your High School’s student-athletes

Juniors: Ensure that transcripts are submitted to
Clearinghouse before summer break

Seniors: Ensure final high school transcripts
- with graduation date – are submitted
to Clearinghouse before summer break

Example: One High School form, completed by student-athlete,
requests transcript be initially sent at end of junior year - also
authorizes, and requires payment for, final transcript to be sent
after graduation is posted
Eligibility Center
as a Partner
Every March –Eligibility Center provides
graduation list for each High School
 Identifies all student-athletes who are
registered in the Eligibility Center
 Requests final transcript after May/June
graduation date


Great double check – make information
available to coaches and student-athletes
High School Interaction:
NCAA Clearinghouse

Everything your High School needs is
available on the website . . .
• Log on: High School Administration
• Identify school code; school pin
• (If forget pin – need letter from principal, faxed,
with the 5 numbers you wish established as your
new pin number – NCAA Eligibility Center will
change your school’s pin within 24 hours)
Fax: (319) 337-1556
 Customer Service: (319) 337-1492

WHAT I WISH SOMEONE ………….
 IMPORTANCE OF GRADES
 PREPARING FOR ACT’S & SAT’S
 APPLY FOR REGULAR ADMISSION TOO
 SET LONG RANGE GOALS (10 YEARS)
 CHECK SCHOOL FOR ACADEMIC NEEDS
 VISIT MY “A” GROUP SCHOOLS FIRST
 WORK ON COMMUNICATION SKILLS
STUDENT –ATHLETE CHECKLIST
 Pre-season
• Coach, Counselor, Tests, Majors, NCAA,
Colleges
 In- season
• Applications, NCAA, Grades, Coach
 Post- Season
• Coach, Counselor, visits, sports/academics
PARENTS OF STUDENT-ATHLETES
CHECKLIST
Pre-season
counselor, calendar, compliance, visits
In-Season
admissions, compliance, coach, teachers
Post-Season
Options, recruiters, visits
FOUR-YEAR PLAN
 FRESHMAN
 SOPHOMORE
 JUNIOR
 SENIOR
HOW TO GET YOURSELF
RECRUITED
You can play your sport after H.S.
Talk to coach and counselor
Register with NCAA Clearinghouse
Identify colleges
Visit website, send letter or email
Sports Resume
Arrange Campus Visit with coach visit
SAMPLE COVER LETTER
COACH
Do your homework
Know coach’s name
Keep it short. (One Page)
Statistics
Academics
Interest
Intent to follow up
SAMPLE RESUME
Name, address, phone, email
Educational background
Extracurricular
Athletic Background
References including Coach & Contact Info
QUESTIONS?
?