Important Information About Division I and
Division II Initial-Eligibility Changes
Written by the
NCAA.
The Division I and Division II initial-eligibility
requirements have changed.
WHAT IS THE NEW RULE? The new requirements
increase the number of required core courses from 13 to 14. The
additional course may come from any of the following areas:
English, mathematics, natural/physical science, social science,
foreign language, non-doctrinal religion or philosophy. Please
see the important notice below about the
elimination of computer science.
For the classes of 2005, 2006 and 2007: Division I and
Division II
If you plan to enter college in 2005 or after, your
eligibility will be determined under the new rule. That means
that you must have 14 core courses to be eligible to practice,
play and receive financial aid at a Division I or Division II
school.
- Click
here to read about the rule changes for Division I and II.
For the class of 2008: Division I only -- 16 core courses
If you plan to enter college in 2008 or after, you will need
to present 16 core courses in the following breakdown:
Click
here to read more about this new rule.
Hot issues
Information for home-schooled students
Students who were home schooled for any
part of high school (grades nine through 12) must now register
with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. The clearinghouse
will determine whether they will be eligible for practice,
competition and institutional financial aid at an NCAA Division
I or Division II institution during their freshman year.
The clearinghouse will perform preliminary and final
certification reports for home-schooled students. The
preliminary analysis of a student's academic record will enable
the student to become aware of any deficiencies in their
academic record and allow the student to rectify those
deficiencies prior to high-school graduation.
It is important to note that before a preliminary
certification may be performed, the clearinghouse must receive
the student release form (or registration form, which may be
completed via the Internet), the registration fee, a transcript
with at least six semesters represented, and official test
scores on the ACT and/or SAT.
After high-school graduation, once the clearinghouse receives
the student's final transcript and proof of graduation, the
clearinghouse will perform a final certification.
Home-schooled students should
register with the clearinghouse by visiting the clearinghouse
Web site at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. From
there, click on "Prospective Student-Athletes," then "Domestic
Student Release Form" and follow the prompts.
Computer science being eliminated for core-course purposes
Computer science courses will no longer be able to be used
for initial-eligibility purposes. This rule is effective August
1, 2005, for students first entering a collegiate institution on
or after August 1, 2005. Computer science courses (such as
programming) that are taught through the mathematics or
natural/physical science departments and receive either math or
science credit and are on the high school's list of approved
core courses as math or science may be used after the August 1,
2005, date.
Register online!
Prospective student-athletes may register with the NCAA
Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse on-line. Simply go to the
Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse Web site by clicking
here or on the clearinghouse link on the right side of this
page. By registering on-line, prospects will be able to view
their eligibility information on-line, and will not have to call
the clearinghouse for eligibility updates. On-line registration
saves time, and allows prospective student-athletes to view
their eligibility status up to six weeks faster than through the
paper registration process.
Changes in SAT/ACT tests
The SAT and ACT have made changes their tests; one of the
most significant changes is the addition of a writing component. On
both the SAT and ACT, students will be asked to write an
essay. The SAT writing section is mandatory, while the ACT
writing section is optional.
The SAT will now have three parts: critical reading
(formerly known as verbal), mathematics, and writing. Since
each section is worth 200-800 points, the SAT score will now
range from 600-2400.
Will the NCAA require a writing test as part of its
initial-eligibility requirements?
The NCAA had determined that the writing component should
not be required at the present time. The NCAA has noted the
importance of reviewing research related to the impact of the
writing component.
How will the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse use
the scores on the new SAT?
Because the critical reading and math sections will still
be scored on a 200-800 point scale, the clearinghouse will
still combine those two sections for the combined score. The
writing section will not be used. The clearinghouse will
use scores from the new SAT in combination with scores from
the current SAT for the combined score.
What about ACT?
ACT is also adding a writing component, but the ACT writing
component is optional. The scores on the ACT will remain the
same.
Where can I get more information?
The College Board has information about the new SAT on its
Web site at www.collegeboard.com,
and ACT has information at
www.act.org.
Specific questions regarding any of the
information on this page may be answered by contacting the NCAA
Membership Services staff at 317/917-6222. |
