5 – NCAA Eligibility

Division I Academic Eligibility Requirements

If you’re entering a Division I college on or after August 1, 2005, in order to be classified a “qualifier”, you’re required to:

  • Graduate from high school
  • Successfully complete a core curriculum of at least 14 academic courses follows:
    – English (4 years)
    – Mathematics (2 years of mathematics courses at level of Algebra I or above)
    – Natural or Physical Science (2 years including at least one laboratory course, if offered by the high school)
    – Additional courses in English, Mathematics or Natural or Physical Science (1 year)
    – Social Science (2 years)
    – Additional academic courses (3 years in any of the above areas, foreign language, philosophy or nondoctrinal religion [e.g., comparative religion] courses)
  • Have a core-course grade-point average (based on a maximum of 4.000) and a combined score on the SAT verbal and math sections or a sum score on the ACT based on the qualifier index scale.

A “partial qualifier” is eligible to practice with a team at its home facility and receive an athletics scholarship during his or her first year at a Division I school and then has three seasons of competition remaining.

A partial qualifier may earn a fourth year of competition, provided that at the beginning of the fifth academic year following the student-athlete’s initial, full-time collegiate enrollment, the student-athlete has received a baccalaureate degree.

In order to be classified a “partial qualifier,” you have not met the requirements for a qualifier but you’re required to:

  • Graduate from high school
  • Successfully complete a core curriculum of at least 14 academic courses in the appropriate core areas
  • Present a core-course grade-point average (based on a maximum of 4.000) and a combined score on the SAT verbal and math sections or a sum score on the ACT based on the partial qualifier index scale

 

Division I Qualifier Index

Core GPA ACT* SAT**
sum of scores
3.550 & up 37 400
3.525 38 410
3.5 39 420
3.475 40 430
3.450 41 440
3.425 41 450
3.4 42 460
3.375 42 470
3.350 43 480
3.325 44 490
3.3 44 500
3.275 45 510
3.250 46 520
3.225 46 530
3.2 47 540
3.175 47 550
3.150 48 560
3.125 49 570
3.1 49 580
3.075 50 590
3.050 50 600
3.025 51 610
3.0 52 620
2.975 52 630
2.950 53 640
2.925 53 650
2.9 54 660
2.875 55 670
2.850 56 680
2.825 56 690
2.8 57 700
2.775 58 710
2.750 59 720
2.725 59 730
2.7 60 730
2.675 61 740-750
2.650 62 760
2.625 63 770
2.6 64 780
2.575 65 790
2.550 66 800
2.525 67 810
2.500 68 820
2.475 69 830
2.450 70 840-850
2.425 70 860
2.400 71 860
2.375 72 870
2.350 73 880
2.325 74 890
2.300 75 900
2.275 76 910
2.250 77 920
2.225 78 930
2.200 79 940
2.175 80 950
2.150 80 960
2.125 81 960
2.100 82 970
2.075 83 980
2.050 84 990
2.025 85 1000
2.000 86 1010

* Previously, ACT score was calculated by averaging four scores. New standards are based on sum of scores

** For SAT tests taken on or after April 1, 1995

A “nonqualifier” is a student who has not graduated from high school or who has presented neither the core-curriculum grade-point average and SAT/ACT scores required for a qualifier.

A nonqualifier shall not be eligible for regular-season competition or practice during the first academic year in residence and then has three seasons of competition remaining. A nonqualifier during the first academic year in residence shall be eligible for nonathletics institutional financial aid that is not from an athletics source and is based on financial need only.

A nonqualifier may earn a fourth year of competition, provided that at the beginning of the fifth academic year following the student-athlete’s initial, full-time collegiate enrollment, the student-athlete has received a baccalaureate degree.

A student with a diagnosed disability who was not a qualifier may earn a fourth season of competition, provided the student-athlete has satisfied specified procedures and has completed at least 75 percent of his or her degree program at the beginning of the fifth academic year after the student-athlete’s full-time collegiate enrollment.

 

Division II Academic Eligibility Requirements

If you’re first entering a Division II college on or after August 1, 1996, in order to be classified a “qualifier” you’re required to:

  • Graduate from high school
  • Have a GPA of 2.000 (based on a maximum of 4.000) in a successfully completed core curriculum of at least 14 academic courses as follows:
    – English (3 years)
    – Mathematics (2 years)
    – Natural or Physical Science (2 years including at least one laboratory course, if offered by the high school)
    – Additional courses in English, Mathematics or Natural or Physical Science (2 years)
    – Social Science (2 years)
    – Additional academic courses (3 years in any of the above areas or foreign language, computer science, philosophy or nondoctrinal religion [e.g., comparative religion] courses)
  • Have a combined score on the SAT verbal and math sections of 820 (if taken on or after April 1, 1995) or a 68 sum score on the ACT and a GPA of 2.0

A “partial qualifier” is eligible to practice with a team at its home facility and receive an athletics scholarship during his or her first year at a Division II school, and then has four seasons of competition remaining.

In order to be classified a “partial qualifier,” you have not met the requirements for a qualifier, but you’re required to graduate from high school and meet one of the following requirements:

  • Specified minimum SAT or ACT score; or
  • Successful completion of a required core curriculum consisting of 14 core courses and a 2.000 grade-point average in the core curriculum.

A nonqualifier is a student who has not graduated from high school or who has presented neither the core-curriculum grade-point average and SAT/ACT score required for a qualifier.

A nonqualifier is not eligible for regular-season competition and practice during the first academic year in residence and then has four seasons of competition. A nonqualifier may not receive athletics-related aid as a freshman, but may receive regular need-based financial aid if the school certifies that aid was granted without regard to athletics ability.

 

Division III

These requirements currently do not apply to Division III colleges, where eligibility for financial aid, practice and competition is governed by institutional, conference and other NCAA regulations.