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NCAA
Division I Freshman Eligibility Requirements are Changing
If
you are a high school athlete or parent of a high school athlete who
will graduate in 2016 and after, it’s important to know that the
NCAA Division I eligibility requirements are changing.
-
The
most important change to know, is that at least 10 of the 16 “core
courses” that are required for freshman eligibility, must be
completed prior to the 7th semester (Fall of
Senior year) of high school enrollment.
-
At
least 7 of those 10 courses must be from the subject areas of
English, math, or natural/physical science.
-
It’s
also very important to note that the grades on those 10 courses
required prior to the 7th semester will be “locked in.”
In other words, those courses can’t be repeated in the senior
year in an effort to earn a higher grade for NCAA eligibility
purposes.
So,
if you’re a current high school junior, and you won’t have at
least 10 “core courses” by the end of this spring semester, or
won’t have a sufficient grade in one of those courses, what can you
do to remedy your situation?
One
solution is to take another core course or two this summer. You can
check to see if that is possible through your current high school, or
if you need to look into an online course that will be acceptable for
NCAA eligibility purposes.
This
can also be a good idea if you already have at least 10 core courses,
but want to repeat a course to specifically improve your grade to
raise your core course GPA.
The
minimum acceptable GPA is another Division I standard that will
change for those enrolling in Fall 2016 or after.
In
case you’re wondering why the change in the minimum required GPA,
even though the corresponding test score as noted above is
decreasing, the reason is that the NCAA’s academic research shows
that GPA is a more reliable predictor of collegiate academic success
and progress toward graduation than is an ACT or SAT test score.
Athletes
enrolling at a Division I university prior to Fall 2016 don’t have
to worry about these changes, but they obviously need to make sure
and complete their 16 “core courses” and meet the current GPA and
ACT or SAT test score requirements.
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For further
information, contact us at 913-766-1235 or rick@informedathlete.com.
About Rick Allen:
• 25+ years NCAA Rules Expertise, including Director of Compliance at 2 major DI schools
• Current Member & Former President of National Association for Athletic Compliance (NAAC)
• Conducts compliance reviews and audits at NCAA Schools throughout the U.S.
• Consults with NAIA schools transitioning to NCAA membership status
• Dad of a DI & DII student-athlete