Session on NCAA Initial Eligibility

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Session on NCAA Initial Eligibility
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Objectives

• For this presentation
• Transition from the Clearinghouse to the
  Eligibility Center
• NCAA Basics
• General Initial-Eligibility Information
• Core Course Submission Process
• Role of the High School
• New Legislation
• Questions

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Transition from the Clearinghouse to the
Eligibility Center
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Quick Overview of the NCAA
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Quick Overview

• Organization of the NCAA
• Division I
• Highest level of intercollegiate athletics
• Typically large study body size
• Athletic grants-in-aid available
• Division II
• Small to medium sized schools, smaller athletic
  budgets
• Athletic grants-in-aid available
• Division III
• Largest of the three divisions, typically small
  student bodies
• Athletic grants-in-aid not available, generally
  students participate for the love of the sport

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Quick Overview
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Initial-Eligibility Overview
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Initial-Eligibility Overview

• The NCAA Eligibility Center is responsible for
  determining the eligibility of every prospective
  student-athlete in NCAA Divisions I and II using
  the following two prongs
• Amateurism Certification
• Has the student competed professionally in
  their sport?
• Academic Certification
• Does the student meet the legislated minimum
  academic requirements?

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Initial-Eligibility Overview Amateurism

• Amateurism Red Flags
• Receiving money for participating in
  athletics.
• Signing a contract with a professional team.
• Receiving prize money above actual and
  necessary expenses.
• Playing with professional athletes.
• Trying out, practicing or competing with a
  professional team.
• Receiving benefits from an agent or
  prospective agent.
• Agreeing to be represented by an agent.
• Participating in organized competition after
  your first opportunity to enroll in college.

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Initial-Eligibility Overview Amateurism

• Amateurism tips
• Encourage students to update their athletics
  participation information on their Eligibility
  Center profile, especially if they participate in
  events outside your normal high school season.
• Stay college eligible always ask before you
  act!
• NCAA Amateurism Certification Web site
  www1.ncaa.org/membership/ach/index.html.

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Initial-Eligibility Overview Academics

• Academic initial-eligibility requirements are
  different for each of the three divisions.
• It is possible for a student to be a qualifier in
  one division and not another.

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Initial-Eligibility Overview Academics

• NCAA Division I Academic Requirements

• In order to compete as a freshman, an athlete
  must
• Graduate from high school and
• Earn a minimum required GPA in a prescribed
  distribution of 16 approved core courses and
• Earn a combined SAT or ACT sum score that matches
  the core-course GPA (refer to the sliding scale
  in the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound
  Student-Athlete).

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Initial-Eligibility Overview Academics

• NCAA Division II Academic Requirements

• In order to compete as a freshman, an athlete
  must
• Graduate from high school and
• Earn at least a 2.0 GPA in a prescribed
  distribution of 14 core courses and
• Earn a combined SAT score of at least 820
  (Critical Reading Math) or an ACT sum score of
  at least 68.
• No sliding scale for Division II

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Initial-Eligibility Overview Academics

• NCAA Division III Academic Requirements
• Unlike Divisions I and II, there is no uniform
  set of eligibility requirements for Division III
  schools.
• Eligibility for admission, financial aid,
  practice and competition is determined by
  institutional regulations.
• The academic standards at most Division III
  colleges far surpass the minimum requirements for
  Division I or II competition.

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Initial-Eligibility Overview Academics

• Division I
• 16 Core Courses
• 4 years English
• 3 years math (Algebra I or higher)
• 2 years natural/physical science (1 year of lab
  if offered by high school)
• 1 year additional English, math or
  natural/physical science
• 2 years social science
• 4 years additional courses (from any area above,
  foreign language or nondoctrinal
  religion/philosophy)

• Division II
• 14 Core Courses
• 3 years English
• 2 years math (Algebra I or higher)
• 2 years natural/physical science ( 1 year of lab
  if offered by high school)
• 2 years additional English, math or
  natural/physical science
• 2 years social science
• 3 years additional courses (from any area above,
  foreign language or nondoctrinal
  religion/philosophy)

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Role of the High School
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Role of the High School

• Make sure your schools list of approved core
  courses is as accurate and up to date.
• Send transcripts at the end of the junior year
  and at the end of the senior year using online
  grad list.
• Submit fee waivers for student registration when
  applicable.

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Updating Your List of Approved Core Courses

• Log on to www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
• High School Administration
• CEEB code PIN
• Update courses as directed
• A note on deleting courses

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Definition of a Core Course

• Qualifies for high school graduation in one or
  more of the following English, mathematics,
  natural or physical science, social science,
  foreign language or nondoctrinal religion or
  philosophy
• Is considered four-year college preparatory
• Is taught at or above the high school's regular
  academic level
• For mathematics courses, is at the level of
  Algebra I or a higher level mathematics course
  and
• Is taught by a qualified instructor as defined by
  the appropriate academic authority.

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Ways that High School Counselors Can Help

• Know the eligibility requirements
• Know how to calculate a students core-course GPA
• Know that special considerations are given to
  students with documented learning disabilities
• Create an efficient system to process eligibility
  center applications (including submission of an
  official transcript at the end of the junior and
  senior years)
• Help students identify colleges that fit their
  criteria (e.g. academics, size, distance from
  home, location etc.)
• Apply the broken leg test by asking if the
  student would be happy if athletics could not be
  factored into the equation
• Emphasize the importance of academic performance
  at every step of their high school career 9th
  grade counts!!!
• Last but DEFINITELY not leastmake sure that your
  list of approved core courses is as accurate and
  up to date as possible.

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Initial-Eligibility Overview

• New Legislation
• Early Academic Certification Waiver
• Final certification to academically-qualified
  students following six semesters of coursework
• Core Course Time Limitation
• Students must complete required coursework in
  eight semesters

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Initial-Eligibility Overview

• Early Certification Waiver Division I only
• Students who meet the following criteria after
  six semesters will be certified as qualifiers
• Minimum SAT (Math and Critical Reading) of 1000
  or minimum sum score of 85 on the ACT and
• Core-course gpa of 3.0 or higher in a minimum of
  13 core courses
• 3 English
• 2 Math
• 2 Science
• 6 additional core courses

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Initial-Eligibility Overview

• Core Course Time Limitation
• If students do not graduate "on time" in eight
  semesters, any core courses taken after the
  eighth semester will not be counted toward NCAA
  academic-eligibility requirements.
• On time means that students have four years
  (eight semesters), based on when students start
  grade nine (freshman year), to earn 16
  core-course credits and required grade-point
  average needed to qualify. 
• Students who DO graduate on time may use one
  course towards their initial eligibility.

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Initial-Eligibility Overview

• Core Course Time Limitation
• Rationale Previous legislation allowed, and in
  some cases, encouraged students to purposefully
  delay high school graduation to meet NCAA
  initial-eligibility requirements.

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Initial-Eligibility Overview

• Core Course Time Limitation
• Considerations for 2008 grads
• Early Certification Waiver
• Duplicative English
• Coordinated by college or university
• Learning Disability
• Considerations for 2009 grads and beyond
• English

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Resources

• 877/622-2321 (877/NCAA-EC1)
• Phone line dedicated to the high school community
• www.ncaastudent.org
• 2007-08 Guide for the College-Bound
  Student-Athlete.
• www.ncaa.org
• In the Academics and Athletics section, click
  on Eligibility and Recruiting.
• www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

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Questions?
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Contact Information NCAA Eligibility Center P.O.
Box 7110 Indianapolis, IN 46206 877/622-2321
(877/NCAA-EC1)