Athletes Are You Interested In NCAA DI or D2?
Then you must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. The NCAA Eligibility Center certifies whether prospective college athletes are eligible to play sports at NCAA Division I or II institutions. It reviews the student-athlete's academic record, SAT or ACT scores, and amateur status to ensure conformity with NCAA rules. *Athletes interested in competing at a NCAA DIII, NJCAA or NAIA program are not required to complete this step.
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Are You Aware Of What Courses You Need To Pass To Play College Sports?
To play sports at the DI or DII level, you must graduate with 16 NCAA-approved core courses and meet the minimum GPA and ACT/SAT requirements.
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How The Removal of NCAA Standardized Test Scores Impact Student-Athletes?
In January 2023, The NCAA Division I Council voted to eliminate test score requirements for initial-eligibility for incoming college freshmen student-athletes. This eligibility requirement change was due to a recommendation made by the NCAA Standardized Test Score Task Force, a committee charged with reviewing initial eligibility requirements as part of the NCAA’s eight-point plan to advance racial equity.
How Does the Removal of the Test Score Requirements Affect Student-Athletes?
Students who initially enroll full-time and intend to play NCAA Division I (DI) or NCAA Division II (DII) athletics will not be required to submit a standardized test score to meet NCAA initial-eligibility requirements. Their Academic Qualifier status will be the result of meeting the 16 NCAA Core Course requirements and having a qualifying NCAA Core GPA.
What are the New NCAA Initial Eligibility Requirements for Student-Athletes as of January 2023?
Without the SAT or ACT, the NCAA will now remove the sliding scale, formerly used to determine academic eligibility status, which compared their NCAA-approved Core Courses and Core GPA to a standardized test.
Student-athletes enrolling at a DI school during Fall 2023 and beyond will now be academically eligible by earning a 2.3 NCAA Core GPA in their 16 NCAA-approved core courses, with 10 of their NCAA core courses (7 in English, math, and science) completed by the start of their seventh semester in high school (before the start of senior year) – also known as the NCAA 10/7 Rule.
Student-athletes enrolling at a DII school will be academically eligible by earning a 2.2 NCAA Core GPA in their 16 NCAA-approved core courses. There is no requirement to complete a subset of these courses before senior year for DII.
Students who meet these criteria are academically eligible to receive an NCAA athletic scholarship, practice, and compete in their first year at an NCAA member school.
Even though a standardized test score is not necessary for the NCAA initial-eligibility certification process, colleges and universities may still require test scores for admission. It is highly suggested to inquire about the specific college’s admissions standards. Additionally, some academic scholarships, financial aid, grants or loans, or admission to a specific undergraduate major may factor in standardized test scores.
While NCAA and NAIA (National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics) share several similarities, it should also be noted that the NAIA still has a test score requirement option for incoming freshmen who do not graduate from high school with a minimum 2.3 School GPA.
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Should I Apply For Financial Aid?
Yes, whether you are a single parent making less than $50,000 a year or married with a combined income of $200,000 a year. You should absolutely complete Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Even if your student-athlete is "good enough" for an athletic scholarship, the school may require your family to complete the FAFSA process.
Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is an index number used to determine your eligibility for federal student financial aid. This number results from the information you provide in your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.
Your EFC is reported to you on your Student Aid Report (SAR). You can view your SAR by logging in to your FAFSA form and selecting “View SAR” from the My FAFSA page.
Your EFC is calculated according to a formula established by law and considers your family’s taxed and untaxed income, assets, and benefits (such as, unemployment or Social Security). Schools use the EFC to determine your federal aid eligibility and financial aid award.
The $$$ amount of Athletic Scholarships are often awarded based on how much a student NEEDS after Federal Aid. How much scholarship $$$ to be awarded is often based on how much remains AFTER determining how much Federal Support a student qualifies for based on a family's EFC score. If tuition is $24,000 a year and a Student's Family has an EFC score of 0 (zero). The government may award/grant this student athlete with $14,000. When this happens, the school only has to cover $10,000 in athletic support (as opposed to a $24k scholarship which allows them to have additional scholarship dollars to recruit more athletes).
Most FULL scholarships aren't a result of a school granting $24,000 for each athlete. The FULL scholarship is the school paying the remaining balance after Federal Grants (not loans).
Click Here to complete the FREE Application For Federal Student Aid.