NCAA/NAIA ELIGIBILITY
Considering playing a sport at the college level? Not sure where to start?
The NCAA and NAIA are two organizations that govern college athletic programs. They are voluntary organizations that provide a framework for colleges to determine athletic and scholastic eligibility. Both the NCAA and NAIA have similar goals but their eligibility requirements differ significantly. We encourage students and families to consider both options -- there is bound to be an experience that's right for you!
NCAA
Students who are planning on participating in Division I or II athletics in college need to register and be certified with the NCAA Eligibility Center. It is recommended to complete the registration process as early as sophomore year. An account must be created to make official visits to Division I and II schools and to sign a National Letter of Intent. Once you create an account, NCAA will guide you through the rest of the process.
**Fee Waivers are available for students on Free/Reduced Lunch. Please reach out to Ms. Console at rconsole@cps.edu.
A high school transcript must be received by NCAA as part of the requirements. Lane will send transcripts at the end of every semester for all students who have registered with the NCAA.
The Eligibility Center also needs to receive your ACT and/or SAT scores sent directly from the testing agency in which you would request. All test scores are required to be sent and NCAA does superscore. It is best for students to list the NCAA Eligibility Center as a score recipient at the time of exam registration to avoid additional fees to send later.
For more information about NCAA eligibility, please contact Ms. Console at rconsole@cps.edu.
Helpful Links:
NAIA
If you are an athlete who has shown interest in playing at the NCAA level, then you will find the NAIA Clearinghouse to be very similar to the NCAA Clearinghouse. The NAIA requires athletes to submit transcripts and test scores to their eligibility center and maintain similar academic requirements. To be deemed eligible for participation in NAIA sports, an athlete must achieve a minimum score of 860 on the SAT, a minimum of 18 on the ACT, finish in the top half of his graduating class, and maintain a GPA of 2.00.
NAIA Website: http://naia.org/
NAIA Guide for the Student Athlete
If you have any questions about the courses you have taken and whether or not you are eligible to consider athletics at a college level, please be sure to schedule a time to meet with your counselor and coach!