The Value of a Scholarship

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Play Division I Sports

If you want to compete in NCAA sports at a Division I school, you need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center to make sure you stay on track to meet initial-eligibility standards.

If you have questions about your eligibility or the registration process, call us toll free at 1-877-262-1492. International students should call 317-917-6222.

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Get Ready. Get Set. Go!

Grade 9

Ask your counselor for a list of your high school’s NCAA core courses to make sure you take the right classes.

Grade 10

Grade 11

Check with your counselor to make sure you will graduate on time with the required number of NCAA core courses.
Take the ACT or SAT and submit your scores to the NCAA using code 9999.
At the end of the year, ask your counselor to upload your official transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Grade 12

Finish your last NCAA core courses.
Take the ACT or SAT again, if necessary, and submit your scores to the NCAA using code 9999.
Complete all academic and amateurism questions in your NCAA Eligibility Center account at eligibilitycenter.org.
After you graduate, ask your counselor to submit your final official transcript with proof of graduation to the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Division I academic eligibility

To be eligible to compete in NCAA sports during your first year at a Division I school, you must graduate high school and meet ALL the following requirements:

Complete 16 core courses:
- Four years of English
- Three years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
- Two years of natural/physical science (including one year of lab science if your high school offers it)
- One additional year of English, math or natural/physical science
- Two years of social science
- Four additional years of English, math, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy
Complete 10 core courses, including seven in English, math or natural/physical science, before your seventh semester. Once you begin your seventh semester, you may not repeat or replace any of those 10 courses to improve your core-course GPA.
Earn at least a 2.3 GPA in your core courses.
Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core-course GPA on the Division I sliding scale, which balances your test score and core-course GPA. If you have a low test score, you need a higher core-course GPA to be eligible. If you have a low core-course GPA, you need a higher test score to be eligible.

What if I don’t meet the requirements?

If you have not met all the Division I academic requirements, you may not compete in your first year at college. However, if you qualify as an academic redshirt you may practice during your first term in college and receive an athletics scholarship for the entire year.

To qualify as an academic redshirt, you must graduate high school and meet ALL the following academic requirements:

Complete 16 core courses:
- Four years of English
- Three years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
- Two years of natural/physical science (including one year of lab science if your high school offers it)
- One additional year of English, math or natural/physical science
- Two years of social science
- Four additional years of English, math, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy
Earn at least a 2.0 GPA in your core courses.
Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core-course GPA on the Division I sliding scale.

If you are concerned you may not meet the Division I academic requirements, consider taking the following actions:

Ask for advice and accountability from your high school counselor. Check in with the admissions or compliance office at the college you hope to attend.
Get tutoring or other study help.
Graduate on time. Division I schools allow college-bound student-athletes who graduate on-time to take one core course during the year after they graduate high school.
Avoid quick fixes through credit recovery programs. These courses may not be accepted by the NCAA.
Keep your coursework. If the NCAA Eligibility Center needs to review your record due to irregularities, you may be asked to provide your coursework.
Follow your high school's policies. The best thing to do is work within the rules.

Amateurism

The NCAA promotes amateurism to create a level playing field for all student-athletes. The young men and women who compete in college sports are students first, athletes second. If you want to compete in NCAA sports at a Division I school you must be an amateur athlete.