NCAA/NAIA Eligibility

College-bound student-athletes preparing to enroll in a Division I or Division II school need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center to ensure they have met amateurism standards and are academically prepared for college coursework. 

Los estudiantes-atletas que se preparan para inscribirse en una escuela de la División I o la División II deben registrarse en el Centro de Elegibilidad de la NCAA para  asegurarse de que han cumplido con los estándares de amateurismo y están preparados académicamente para los cursos universitarios. 

Visit the NCAA Eligibility Center for more information:    Click Here

To register for an account click the button below for access. 

Visite el Centro de Elegibilidad de la NCAA para obtener más información: Haga clic aquí

Para registrarse y obtener una cuenta, haga clic en el botón de abajo para acceder.

College bound students planning to attend a NAIA school will need to register for eligibility through the NAIA website.  Click the button below for access.

Los estudiantes que vayan a la universidad y planeen asistir a una escuela de NAIA deberán registrarse para ser elegibles a través del sitio web de NAIA.  Haga clic en el botón de abajo para acceder.

"Back to School" Best Practices

Please review and edit (if necessary) the “Manage Users” list in your school’s account. It is important that this list is up-to-date, as the users appear on the student’s profile for them to reach out to.

Review the “Resources” tab for information about the NAIA eligibility process to better assist and educate your students.



NAIA High School Portal Guide

Early Decision Reminder

Students have the opportunity to gain eligibility in the NAIA as early as the completion of their junior year of high school. College coaches look for initiative and early decisions can set your students apart, as well as give them a competitive advantage when it comes to recruitment.

The eligibility center accepts junior-year final, senior mid-year, and senior final transcripts.

Early Decision and Freshman Requirements

Fee Waiver Policy

Students can request a fee waiver for the NAIA Eligibility Center registration fee. All fee waivers are submitted through the NAIA High School Portal, regardless of when the student graduated high school. You can approve or deny the fee waiver by clicking on the green "Assess Fee Waiver" button next to the student's name in your school's portal.

Students are eligible for the registration fee waiver if they meet one of the following qualifications:



• Qualified for a waiver of SAT or ACT testing fees or

• Used the federal free or reduced-priced school lunch program

More information can be found here.

PlayNAIA High School Portal - Uploading a Transcript

Need a refresher on how to upload a transcript in PlayNAIA? Watch this video for a tutorial.

Helpful Resources

Here are a few great resources to share with your NAIA-bound student-athletes:

• Early Decision and Freshman Requirements

• Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete

• NAIA Fee Waiver Guide

• 2024-2025 Official & Policy Handbook

• Find Your Path

Students should also utilize the “Resources” tab found on their PlayNAIA account for all information regarding NAIA eligibility. 

ZeeMee

We are thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership between ZeeMee and the NAIA that will greatly benefit your students. ZeeMee offers a dynamic community platform where incoming college students can connect with each other and their respective colleges before they even step foot on campus. This early engagement helps reduce student anxiety, foster strong connections, and enhance overall readiness for college life by facilitating friendships and a sense of community in advance.

Here’s why this matters:

Proactive Engagement: Students who connect on ZeeMee are better prepared emotionally and socially, significantly reducing the stress of transitioning to college.

Increased Applications and Yield: Students engaging on ZeeMee apply to colleges at twice the usual rate and yield at four times the rate, demonstrating the power of early community building.

Reduced Melt Rates: With a 50% reduction in "summer melt," students who connect via ZeeMee are more likely to follow through on their college plans.



Encourage your students to download the ZeeMee app, join the NAIA community and take advantage of this opportunity to find friends and roommates, reduce anxiety, and start their college journey on the right foot. 

College Ave

Paying for college can be stressful. NAIA has partnered with College Ave, a private student loan company, to provide financing options without the stress. Educating high school juniors, seniors, and their families on the many aspects of paying for college is important to College Ave, and because of that, they continually create a broad array of educational content.

This time of year, often brings questions about the different types of student loans: federal student loans and private student loans. For those trying to figure out how they’re going to pay for school, they’ve likely thought about both and it’s important to know the difference.

Please click here to watch a video to learn more. To see more information about College Ave's student loan program, click here.

Opendorse



Opendorse is the Official Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) Partner of the NAIA. Check out the NAIA Marketplace, and click here to check out The Deal, An NAIA podcast sharing NIL insights from student-athletes, Opendorse, and more.

Help your high school athletes find their path to success in collegiate athletics with the NAIA!

• We want to help high school student-athletes #FindYourPath

• Share the NAIA options with your student-athletes

• Click here to learn more about their choices and why others have chosen the NAIA and to learn that there's No Place Like the NAIA

We want to hear from you!

• Please contact us with information that you would like more about regarding the NAIA or collegiate sports.

Thank you for the critical role you play in helping students achieve their dreams of playing intercollegiate sports. We hope you enjoy this quarterly newsletter.

Sincerely,

Your NAIA Eligibility Team

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has administered programs dedicated to championships in balance with the overall college educational experience. Each year more than 83,000 NAIA student-athletes have the opportunity to play college sports, earn over $1.3 billion in scholarships, and compete for a chance to participate in 28 national championships.