NCAA Eligibility Changes

[Greenhead22]

Important Information About Division I and Division II Initial-Eligibility Changes

The Division I and Division II initial-eligibility requirements have changed.

WHAT IS THE NEW RULE? The new requirements increase the number of required core courses from 13 to 14. The additional course may come from any of the following areas: English, mathematics, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, non-doctrinal religion or philosophy. Please see the important notice below about the elimination of computer science.
For the classes of 2005, 2006 and 2007: Division I and Division II

If you plan to enter college in 2005 or after, your eligibility will be determined under the new rule. That means that you must have 14 core courses to be eligible to practice, play and receive financial aid at a Division I or Division II school.

* Click here to read about the rule changes for Division I and II (PDF*).

For the class of 2008: Division I only -- 16 core courses

If you plan to enter college in 2008 or after, you will need to present 16 core courses in the following breakdown:

* 4 years of English
* 3 years of mathematics (Algebra I or higher)
* 2 years of natural/physical science (one must be a lab science)
* 1 year of additional English, math or science
* 2 years of social studies
*
4 years of additional core courses (from any area listed above, or from foreign language, nondoctrinal religion or philosophy)

Click here to read more about this new rule (PDF*).
Hot issues
Information for home-schooled students

Students who were home schooled for any part of high school (grades nine through 12) must now register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. The clearinghouse will determine whether they will be eligible for practice, competition and institutional financial aid at an NCAA Division I or Division II institution during their freshman year.

The clearinghouse will perform preliminary and final certification reports for home-schooled students. The preliminary analysis of a student's academic record will enable the student to become aware of any deficiencies in their academic record and allow the student to rectify those deficiencies prior to high-school graduation.

It is important to note that before a preliminary certification may be performed, the clearinghouse must receive the student release form (or registration form, which may be completed via the Internet), the registration fee, a transcript with at least six semesters represented, and official test scores on the ACT and/or SAT.

After high-school graduation, once the clearinghouse receives the student's final transcript and proof of graduation, the clearinghouse will perform a final certification.

Home-schooled students should register with the clearinghouse by visiting the clearinghouse Web site at http://www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. From there, click on "Prospective Student-Athletes," then "Domestic Student Release Form" and follow the prompts.
Computer science being eliminated for core-course purposes

Computer science courses will no longer be able to be used for initial-eligibility purposes. This rule is effective August 1, 2005, for students first entering a collegiate institution on or after August 1, 2005. Computer science courses (such as programming) that are taught through the mathematics or natural/physical science departments and receive either math or science credit and are on the high school's list of approved core courses as math or science may be used after the August 1, 2005, date.
Register online!

Prospective student-athletes may register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse on-line. Simply go to the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse Web site by clicking here or on the clearinghouse link on the right side of this page. By registering on-line, prospects will be able to view their eligibility information on-line, and will not have to call the clearinghouse for eligibility updates. On-line registration saves time, and allows prospective student-athletes to view their eligibility status up to six weeks faster than through the paper registration process.
Changes in SAT/ACT tests

The SAT and ACT have made changes their tests; one of the most significant changes is the addition of a writing component. On both the SAT and ACT, students will be asked to write an essay. The SAT writing section is mandatory, while the ACT writing section is optional.

The SAT will now have three parts: critical reading (formerly known as verbal), mathematics, and writing. Since each section is worth 200-800 points, the SAT score will now range from 600-2400.

Will the NCAA require a writing test as part of its initial-eligibility requirements?

The NCAA had determined that the writing component should not be required at the present time. The NCAA has noted the importance of reviewing research related to the impact of the writing component.

How will the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse use the scores on the new SAT?

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. The clearinghouse will use scores from the new SAT in combination with scores from the current SAT for the combined score.

[Po Monkey Lounger]

I don't have a problem with all these new NCAA rules. BUT, they should apply to all students, not just athletes. These rules should be the minimum requirement for any student, with the schools free to require whatever additional requirements they feel necessary for their school's mission.

And the NCAA Clearinghouse should be adequately staffed to be able to timely review the applications of athletes for clearance. The system is currently not working well. And in addition to hiring sufficient staff, impose a deadline for getting all materials to the NCAA for review. If past the deadline, then SOL ---no fall admission except as a regular student.

The deadline for receiving paperwork should be well in advance of fall camp. And the goal should be to have a ruling out on each athlete before the date fall practices are allowed to start. IF cannot do this, then do away with the rule and leave it up to the schools admission departments.