To be eligible to participate in a college or university's professional athletic program as a student-athlete, the student-athlete must meet the necessary NCAA requirements. Only if these requirements are met can the student-athlete compete in sports (e.g., NCAA Div. I Basketball or NCAA Division I Football) from NCAA Division I or NCAA Division II.
NCAA Eligibility requirements include:
- A high school degree.
- In doing so, successful completion of the 16 basic courses
- A grade point average (GPA) of 2.000 in those basic courses.
- And last but not least, a minimum score on the ACT (American College Testing Program) or SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test).
Basic courses which are relevant for eligibility include:
- Four years of English
- Three years of math
- Two years of science/physical science
- Additional year in English, math, or science/physical science
- Two years of social sciences
- As well as four years of additional courses from either the above areas, foreign languages, philosophy, or non-doctrinal religion courses.
The responsibility for completing these requirements rests with the student. Accordingly, it is advisable to inquire about the academic and athletic requirements well in advance and to seek the assistance of an advisor if necessary.
Sources
NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly NCAA Clearing House) | National Scholastic Athletics Foundation
Play Division I Sports | NCAA.org - The Official Site of the NCAA
Glossary of Key Terms - The Hill School
Grade-Point Average | NCAA.org - The Official Site of the NCAA