Preparing to be a Collegiate Student‐Athlete Maureen A. Harty, Commissioner,  Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference 

Opportunities 

NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Program 

Divisions I, II, and III ncaa.org 

NAIA National Association of Intercollegiate 

Athletics naia.org 

NCCAA National Christian College Athletic Association thenccaa.org 

NJCAA National Junior College Athletic Association njcaa.org 

ATHLETICS ACADEMICS CHARACTER

Personalize your 

recruiting letters.  

Resumes are 

great.

Send  video of strengths 

and weaknesses.

Attend 

Camps.

Take unofficial visits.

Getting Noticed 

Points to Consider 

DemographicsAcademic

AtmosphereAcademic Reputation

Top Three Major Choices

Career Goals

Family Support

Home for Holidays

Playing Time Winning Other Costs

If you want to play sports at an NCAA Division I or II school, start by registering for a Certification Account with the NCAA Eligibility Center at eligibilitycenter.org. If you want to play Division III sports

or you aren’t sure where you want to compete, start by creating a Profile Page at eligibilitycenter.org.

one opportunity.

limitless Possibilities.

GRADE-POINT AVERAGEThe NCAA Eligibility Center calculates your grade-point average (GPA) based on the grades you earn in NCAA-approved core courses. • DI requires a minimum 2.3 GPA. • DII requires a minimum 2.2 GPA.

SLIDING SCALEDivisions I and II use sliding scales to match test scores and GPAs to determine eligibility. The sliding scale balances your test score with your GPA. If you have a low test score, you need a higher GPA to be eligible. Find more information about sliding scales at ncaa.org/student-athletes/future/test-scores.

TEST SCORESTake the ACT or SAT as many times as you want before you enroll full time in college, but remember to list the NCAA Eligibility Center (code 9999) as a score recipient whenever you register to take a test. If you take a test more than once, send us all your scores and we will use the best scores from each test section to create your sum score. We accept official scores only from the ACT or SAT, and won’t use scores shown on your high school transcript.

Division i

Division iI

Complete 10 NCAA core courses, including seven in English, math or natural/physical science, before your seventh semester.

CORE COURSES

ENGLISH

4 years

ENGLISH

3 years

NATURAL/ PHYSICAL SCIENCE

(Including one year of lab, if offered)

2 years

NATURAL/ PHYSICAL SCIENCE

(Including one year of lab, if offered)

2 years

MATH (Algebra I or higher)

3 years

MATH (Algebra I or higher)

2 years

SOCIAL SCIENCE

2 years

SOCIAL SCIENCE

2 years

ADDITIONAL (English, math or natural/physical

science)

1 year

ADDITIONAL (English, math or natural/physical

science)

3 years

ADDITIONAL COURSES

(Any area listed to the left, foreign

language or comparative

religion/philosophy)

4 years

ADDITIONAL COURSES

(Any area listed to the left, foreign

language or comparative

religion/philosophy)

4 years

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTSTo play sports at a Division I or II school, you must graduate from high school, complete 16 NCAA-approved core courses, earn a minimum GPA and earn an ACT or SAT score that matches your core-course GPA.

Visit eligibilitycenter.org/courselist for a full list of your high school’s approved core courses. Complete 16 core courses in the following areas:

Grade 9Plan• Start planning now! Take the right courses

and earn the best grades you can. • Ask your counselor for a list of your high

school’s NCAA core courses to make sure you take the right classes. Or, find your high school’s list of NCAA core courses at eligibilitycenter.org/courselist.

Grade 10Register• Register for a Certification Account or Profile

Page with the NCAA Eligibility Center at eligibilitycenter.org.

• If you fall behind on courses, don’t take shortcuts to catch up. Ask your counselor for help with finding approved courses or programs you can take.

Grade 11Study• Check with your counselor to make sure

you are on track to graduate on time.• Take the ACT or SAT, and make sure we

get your scores by using code 9999.• At the end of the year, ask your counselor

to upload your official transcript.

Grade 12Graduate• Take the ACT or SAT again, if necessary, and

make sure we get your scores by using code 9999. • Request your final amateurism certification

after April 1. • After you graduate, ask your counselor to

upload your final official transcript with proof of graduation.

High School Timeline

For more information:ncaa.org/playcollegesports

Search Frequently Asked Questionsncaa.org/studentfaq

Follow us:

NCAA is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 2018

Core CoursesThis simple formula will help you meet Divisions I and II core-course requirements.

4 x 4 = 16+ 4 English courses (one per year)

+ 4 math courses (one per year)

+ 4 science courses (one per year)

+ 4 social science courses (one per year)

= 16 NCAA CORE COURSES

@NCAAEC

@playcollegesports

eligibilitycenter.org

DIVISION IDivision I schools, on average, enroll the most students, manage the largest athletics budgets, offer a wide array of academic programs and provide the most athletics scholarships.

PARTICIPATION• 179,200 student-athletes• 351 colleges and universities

ATHLETICS SCHOLARSHIPS59 percent of all student-athletes receive some level of athletics aid

ACADEMICS2017 Graduation Success Rate: 87 percent*

OTHER STATSMedian Undergraduate Enrollment: 9,629Average Number of Teams per School: 19Average Percentage of Student Body Participating in Sports: 4 percentDivision I National Championships: 26

DIVISION IIDivision II provides growth opportunities through academic achievement, high-level athletics competition and community engagement. Many participants are first-generation college students.

PARTICIPATION• 121,900 student-athletes• 308 colleges and universities

ATHLETICS SCHOLARSHIPS62 percent of all student-athletes receive some level of athletics aid

ACADEMICS2017 Academic Success Rate: 72 percent*

OTHER STATSMedian Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,485Average Number of Teams per School: 16Average Percentage of Student Body Participating in Sports: 9 percent Division II National Championships: 25

DIVISION IIIThe Division III experience provides an integrated environment that focuses on academic success while offering competitive athletics and meaningful nonathletics opportunities.

PARTICIPATION• 190,900 student-athletes• 443 colleges and universities

FINANCIAL AID80 percent of all student-athletes receive some form of academic grant or need-based scholarship; institutional gift aid totals $17,000 on average

ACADEMICS2017 Academic Success Rate: 87 percent*

OTHER STATSMedian Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,748Average Number of Teams per School: 18Average Percentage of Student Body Participating in Sports: 26 percentDivision III National Championships: 28

*Graduation rate for student-athletes, including those who transfer from one school to another.

NCAA RECRUITING FACTSCollege sports create a pathway to opportunity for student-athletes.

19,500 3DivisionsTeams490,000

Student-athletes 1Association

Want to play NCAA sports? Visit ncaa.org/playcollegesports

Updated March 2018.

Does the NCAA award athletics scholarships?Individual schools award athletics scholarships. Divisions I and II schools provide more than $3 billion in athletics scholarships annually to more than 150,000 student-athletes. Division III schools, with more than 190,000 student-athletes, do not offer athletically related financial aid, but most student-athletes receive some form of academic grant or need-based scholarship.

Do many high school athletes earn athletics scholarships?Very few, in fact. About 2 percent of high school athletes are awarded some form of athletics scholarship to compete in college.

Do NCAA student-athletes have difficulty meeting graduation requirements with the time demands of their sport? While competing in college does require strong time-management skills and some thoughtful planning with academic advisors, on average NCAA student-athletes graduate at a higher rate than the general student body.

Do many NCAA student-athletes go on to play professionally?Fewer than 2 percent of NCAA student-athletes go on to be professional athletes. In reality, most student-athletes depend on academics to prepare them for life after college. Education is important. There are nearly half a million NCAA student-athletes, and most of them will go pro in something other than sports.

Facts about NCAA sports

ESTIMATED PROBABILITY OF COMPETING IN NCAA ATHLETICS BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL

Men’s Women’s Men’s Men’s Student-Athletes All Sports Basketball Basketball Football Baseball Ice Hockey Soccer

High School Student-Athletes 7,300,000 546,400 429,400 1,083,300 488,800 35,200 440,300

NCAA Student-Athletes 492,000 18,700 16,600 73,700 34,600 4,100 24,800

Percentage Moving from High School to NCAA 6% 3.4% 3.9% 6.8% 7.1% 11.7% 5.6%

Percentage Moving from NCAA to Major Professional* 2% 1.1% 0.9% 1.5% 9.1% 5.6% 1.4%

NCAA is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Updated March 2018.

*Percent NCAA to Major Professional figures are based on the number of draft picks made in the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL and MLS drafts.

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Valid NLI

NLI must be accompanied by an athletics financial aid agreement (aid from an athletics source).

NLI must include the NCAA ID. The NCAA ID will be available to the prospective student-athlete once registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center and will be available to the institution once the prospective student-athlete is placed on the Institutional Request List (IRL). All junior college prospective student-athletes must also have an NCAA ID included on the NLI.

NLI may not be signed prior to the signing dates for the applicable sport.

NLI must include a parent or legal guardian signature if the prospective student-athlete is under the age of 21, regardless of marital status.

The Conference Office validates the NLI to ensure the NLI and athletics aid agreement are complete and meet all NLI and NCAA requirements.

What is the National Letter of Intent (NLI)?

The NLI is a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an NLI member institution.

• Prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the institution full-time for one academic year (two semesters or three quarters).

• Institution agrees to provide athletics financial aid for one academic year (two semesters or three quarters).

Penalty for not fulfilling the NLI agreement: Serve one year in residence (full-time two semesters or three quarters) at the next NLI member institution and lose one season of competition in all sports.

What is the Recruiting Ban? Other institutions must respect the prospective student-athlete’s NLI signing by ceasing all communication.

The recruiting ban remains in effect until the prospective student-athlete enrolls at the signing institution. Once enrolled, the student-athlete is governed by NCAA recruiting regulations.

If the prospective student-athlete does not enroll at the signing institution, the recruiting ban will be lifted after the institution’s academic year has elapsed (e.g., prospective student-athlete signs during 2018-19, the recruiting ban applies through the end of the 2019-20 academic year).

Quick Reference Guide to the NLI

Signing Dates for 2019-20 Enrollment

Division I Basketball (Early Period)

November 14 - November 21, 2018

Division I Basketball (Regular Period)

April 17 - May 15, 2019

Division I Football (Early Period)

December 19 - 21, 2018

Division I and II Football

(Midyear JC Transfer)

December 19, 2018 - January 15,

2019

Football (Regular Period)

February 6 - April 1, 2019 (Division I)

February 6 - Aug. 1, 2019 (Division II)

All Other Division I and II Sports

November 14, 2018 - August 1, 2019

www.national-letter.org

How does the institution process the NLI?

Institution issues NLI and offer of athletics aid to the prospective student-athlete.

Prospective student-athlete and parent signs NLI and athletics aid agreement.

• Must be signed within 7 days of issuance date. (7 day deadline does not apply to the football early signing period or when 7 days are not left in the signing period)

Institution verifies required information and uploads NLI to its Conference Office for validation.

• Must be filed with the Conference within 14 days of final signature.

• Denied admission.

• Does not meet NCAA, institutional or conference eligibility requirements.

• One-Year Absence.

- Signee does not enroll (two-year or four-year institution) for at least one academic year and the scholarship (in its same amount) is no longer available. Also applies to a signee who serves in the U.S. Armed Forces or Church Mission for one year. NLI remains binding if the scholarship (in its same amount) is available.

• Discontinued Sport.

- Sport is no longer offered, includes student-athletes who are already enrolled.

• Recruiting Rules Violation.

- NLI may be declared null and void if the violation is substantiated and prompts the need for reinstatement by the NCAA staff. It is the prospective student-athlete’s choice to null and void the NLI under these circumstances.

This reference guide is intended to be a resource. Additional NLI regulations and procedures are located at

www.national-letter.org.

Coaching Change

A prospective student-athlete signs with an institution. If the coach leaves, the

NLI signee is still bound by the

provisions of the NLI.

Prospective student-athletes and parents

can sign NLIs with electronic or digital signatures.

Mobile apps can be used to process and

sign with the institution.

How is the NLI declared null and void?

Over 48,000 prospective student-athletes sign NLIs to attend NCAA

Division I or II institutions.

How can a signee be released from the NLI?

Release Request:

A request for release must be initiated by the NLI signee by submitting the NLI Release Request online.

An institution may release a signee from his or her NLI obligation by selecting the “Complete Release” option on the NLI Release Request. It is the institution’s discretion to grant a release or not.

The NLI release cannot include conditions to be released to specific institutions.

The NLI Recruiting Ban is lifted once an NLI signee submits an NLI Release Request. (For PSAs

signing 2018-19 and after).

Appeal Process:

For consideration of an appeal, the signee must present extenuating circumstances to the NLI Committee.

PAGE 2

Enrollment in a Junior College (Two-Year College) - After Signing an NLI

If a prospective student-athlete signs an NLI and later attends a junior college, the prospective student-athlete must graduate from the junior college under the following conditions:

• To satisfy NCAA 2-4 or 4-2-4 transfer rules, if necessary to meet NCAA, conference or institutional regulations.

• To fulfill a previously signed NLI. In this case, the previous NLI is considered fulfilled if the prospective student-athlete graduates from the junior college. The NLI can be signed prior to graduation.

Enrollment in a Junior College (Two-Year College) - No Previously Signed NLI

If a prospective student-athlete did not sign an NLI prior to enrolling at a junior college, he or she is permitted to sign while attending a junior college.

The following rule applies for Division I:

A nonqualifier 2-4 transfer is not permitted to sign an NLI in the first year of junior college enrollment. A nonqualifier in the first year of enrollment does not meet the NCAA requirement to receive athletics aid until attending the junior college for at least three semesters or four quarters.

Q UIC K R EFER ENC E GUID E TO THE N L I

NLI Membership

657 NCAA Division I and II institutions are NLI members.

Not NLI members:

Ivy League, Service Academies, Division III institutions,

NAIA institutions, preparatory schools and two-year

colleges.

All members of the NLI program are required to offer

athletics scholarships.

Coaching Contact Prohibited at Time of Signing A coach or institutional representative may not hand deliver the NLI off campus or be present off campus at the time of signing. The NLI may be delivered by express mail, regular mail, email, fax, mobile applications or any other electronic means.

Early Signing Period Penalties Prospective student-athletes who will participate in football are prohibited from signing an NLI during a signing date earlier then the initial signing date for Division I or II foot-ball. A student who signs an NLI during an earlier signing date in a sport other than football will be ineligible for prac-tice and competition in the sport of football during the stu-dent’s first year of enrollment at an NLI member institution, and shall forfeit one season of competition in the sport of football.

In circumstances where a student’s primary sport is not football, but anticipates participating in football, the student should delay signing an NLI until either the football signing period or a later signing date for the other sport.

Completing a playing season does not fulfill the NLI obligation. The

entire academic year at the signing institution must be completed.

4-4 transfers are no longer prospective student-athletes. Four-year

transfers shall not sign NLIs, including international

college/university transfers.

The NLI penalty does not preclude a student-athlete

from receiving athletics aid or practicing while serving the

one academic year of residence for the NLI penalty.

If a prospective student-athletes signs an NLI for enrollment in the upcoming academic year, but decides to not enroll, the NLI remains binding.

If NLI is declared null and void or a

complete release is granted, a

prospective student-athlete is not

permitted to sign another NLI in

the same NLI signing year.

If NLI is declared invalid,

a prospective student-athlete is

permitted to sign another NLI

during the same signing year.

An institution is not permitted to provide

release agreements to a prospective

student-athlete prior to signing.

The NCAA manages the daily

operations of the NLI program

while the Division I Collegiate

Commissioners Association

provides governance oversight.

Athletics Aid Agreement An NLI must be accompanied by an athletics aid agreement. A prospective student-athlete not receiving athletics aid is not permitted to sign an NLI. If the prospective student-athlete declines the athletics aid in order to receive other institutional aid, the NLI must be declared null and void. The athletics aid agreement is subject to NCAA rules.