National Content

How many of you know what the NCAA Eligibility Center is and/or what it does? The Eligibility Center was established to certify the academic and amateur credentials of all college-bound student-athletes who wish to compete in NCAA Division I or II athletics.
The Eligibility Center desires to become a useful resource for high school student-athletes to help them reach their goal of becoming collegiate student-athletes.
How will the Eligibility Center help student-athletes in this process? The Eligibility Center will focus on creating partnerships with high schools and with high school student-athletes. The Eligibility Center will also collect data from high schools, sport-sanctioning bodies, and most importantly, the high school student-athletes themselves in order to make the initial-eligibility decision.

Education: Academic planning and success can be even more important than athletics planning for a high school student-athlete, because it opens doors of opportunity. These student-athletes need to start thinking about NCAA eligibility long before their senior year. The Eligibility Center will work to provide that road map to high school students. The Eligibility Center will also provide the information and resources for coaches, counselors and parents to assist their student-athletes with their academic planning.

Partnership: The Eligibility Center will work with the high schools to help their student-athlete's achieve NCAA certification. No high school student-athlete can be certified until the Eligibility Center has all the information about the student's high school curriculum. Most important is the establishment and maintenance of the high school's list of core courses. For the NCAA, core courses are those courses that:

1. Qualify for high school graduation in one or more of the following: English, mathematics, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language or non-doctrinal religion/philosophy;

2. Are considered four-year college preparatory;

3. Are taught at or above the high school's regular academic level (for mathematics courses, are at the level of Algebra I or a higher level mathematics course); and

4. Are taught by a qualified instructor as defined by the appropriate academic authority.

These courses may be different from the courses at your high school that count toward graduation credit. It is most helpful to the student-athletes when high schools update their core-course lists at the start of every semester or quarter. By working together, the Eligibility Center will provide the best service possible to the student-athletes and their families.


Steps High School Student-Athletes Must Take to Achieve Initial Eligibility

Freshmen and Sophomores:

1. Be proactive in your academic planning from day one.

2. Work hard to get the best grades possible.

3. Take classes that match your school's NCAA List of Approved Core Courses.

4. You can view your school's NCAA List of Approved Core Courses at ncaaclearinghouse.net.

Juniors:

1. Students planning to participate in NCAA Divisions I or II athletics should register and complete the amateurism questionnaire at the beginning of their junior year by going to ncaaclearinghouse.net.

2. Register to take the ACT, SAT or both.

3. When registering for an exam, use the Eligibility Center code "9999" as a score recipient.

4. Double check to make sure the courses you have taken match your school's NCAA List of Approved Core Courses.

5. Request for your guidance counselor to send an official transcript to the Eligibility Center after completing your junior year. (The Eligibility Center does NOT accept faxed transcripts.)

Seniors:

1. Take the SAT and/or ACT again, if necessary.

2. Continue to take college-prep courses.

3. Check the courses you have taken to match your school's NCAA List of Approved Core Courses.

4. Complete the amateurism questionnaire and request final amateurism certification beginning April 1 (for fall enrollees) or October 1 (for spring enrollees).
5. Do not slack off and let senioritis set in. Continue to make good grades.

6. After graduation, request for your guidance counselor to send your final transcript to the Eligibility Center with proof of graduation.


Core-Course Time Limitation: This year's high school seniors, as well as all college-bound student-athletes, will need to make every effort to graduate with their class. The NCAA will only accept one core course taken after the student-athlete's class graduates. As this year's seniors begin their senior year, it would be extremely helpful if their coaches, counselors and advisors checked to make sure they are on pace to graduate with their class and meet the NCAA core-course requirements.

The Eligibility Center is looking forward to working with high schools and their student-athletes to help them become tomorrow's NCAA student-athletes. For more information, please refer to ncaaclearinghouse.net or the 2007-08 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete at ncaastudent.org.