NCAA Eligibility Center 101 AACRAO Session ID#1676.0 Holly Smith Assistant Director International Academic Certification NCAA Eligibility Center
Overview NCAA Overview. NCAA Eligibility Center Overview. Academic Certification. Initial-Eligibility Information NEW 2016 and 2018 Initial-Eligibility Requirements. Amateurism. Academic Review. High School Review. Customer Service. Operations. Best Practices and Resources. Questions.
Overview of NCAA
Overview of NCAA Organization of the NCAA. Division I: Highest level of intercollegiate athletics. Typically large student-body size. Athletics grants-in-aid available. Division II: Smaller to medium populated schools, smaller athletics budgets. Athletics grants-in-aid available. Division III: Largest of the three divisions, typically small student body. Athletics grants-in-aid not available, generally students participate for the love of the sport.
Who Makes the Rules? NCAA Membership. Representative structure in Division I. Convention voting in Divisions II and III. Academic rules generally vetted through academic committees. The NCAA Eligibility Center supports the International Student Records Committee (ISRC), High School Review Committee (HSRC) and the Student Records Review Committee (SRRC).
NCAA Eligibility Center
NCAA Eligibility Center Mission Statement To ensure prospective student-athletes, member institutions and high schools understand the requirements to participate in NCAA Divisions I and II athletics and to certify their academic and amateur credentials in accordance with NCAA standards and philosophy.
NCAA Eligibility Center Responsibilities Pre-enrollment initial-eligibility services: Initial-eligibility certification. o Academic; and o Amateurism. Initial-Eligibility Waivers (IEW). Prospective Student-Athlete Review (PSA Review). High school review and core-course review. Customer Service. o Full service inbound contact center, membership outreach and support, high school outreach and support and prospective student-athlete outreach and support. Operations. Website development and maintenance.
NCAA Eligibility Center Responsibilities The NCAA Eligibility Center is responsible for determining the eligibility of prospective studentathletes in NCAA Divisions I and II using two prongs: Academic certification. o Does the prospective student-athlete meet the legislated minimum academic requirements? Amateurism certification. o Has the prospective student-athlete maintained his or her amateur status?
Academic Certification
Academic Certification The NCAA Eligibility Center completes academic certifications for NCAA Divisions I and II only. Ideally, academic certification is a two-step process: Preliminary certification - includes coursework through junior year. o Preliminary certification provides pre-graduation snapshot to identify deficiencies. Final certification - after graduation. International academic certification may not include a preliminary certification depending on the educational system and credential received.
Academic Certification Institutional Request List (IRL) required*. Must receive official transcript(s) from all high schools attended (domestic/international) or leaving examinations from various examination boards or Ministry of Education (international). Documentation related to nontraditional or online courses completed. Official test scores from ACT and/or SAT. Proof of graduation required for final certification. *Junior college transfer students may be reviewed if required for recruiting.
Academic Certification Processing order Domestic/Canadian (not including Quebec). National Letter of Intent. IRL activation date. Ready-to-Process date. Official transcripts from all schools attended and final transcript received. Official test score received. Standard of Operation = 10 days from Ready-to-Process date. Cases may be suspended for missing or incomplete information. Student task created to request missing information. Sent by e-mail to the student. Prospective student-athlete (PSA) review.
Academic Certification Processing order - International. National Letter of Intent. IRL activation date. Ready-to-Process date. Official transcripts, academic records in original language and English translation. Official test scores. Standard of Operation = 10 days from Ready-to- Process date. Certifications completed for students from more than 175 different countries. United Kingdom most common. Quebec processed by international staff.
International Academic Certification Numbers Total international registrants: Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 Canada 2,819 (32.1%) 3,005 (30.9%) 3,079 (29.2%) 3,180 (29.1%) Grand Total international/total Registrants 8,787 / 205,389 9,711 / 204,392 10,514 / 206,520 10,937 / 204,745 7,431 (total minus Canada)
International Academic Certification Numbers 3500 International Mail Volume 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 Month 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 October Not tracked 1462 1287 November Not tracked 1332 1046 December Not tracked 962 1055 January 827 979 0 February 1172 1219 0 March 1216 1360 0 April 1174 1456 0 May 1252 1284 0 June 2009 1616 0 July 3088 2973 0 August 2103 1904 0 September 1298 1301 0 Yearly Total 10,738 17,848 1287
Initial-Eligibility Information - Academics Academic initial-eligibility requirements are different for each of the three divisions. It is possible for a prospective student-athlete to be eligible in one division and not another. The NCAA Eligibility Center does not evaluate (academic and amateurism) prospective student-athletes who attend Division III member institutions. The actual member institution does the evaluation.
Initial-Eligibility Information - Academics NCAA Division I Academic Requirements In order to compete as a freshman, a prospective student-athlete must: Graduate from high school; Earn a minimum required grade-point average (GPA) in a prescribed distribution of 16 approved core courses; and Earn a combined SAT or ACT sum score that matches the core-course GPA (refer to the sliding scale on the NCAA Quick Reference Sheet).
Initial-Eligibility Information - Academics Division I Qualifier: Being a qualifier enables you to: Practice or compete for your college or university during your first year of college; Receive an athletics scholarship during your first year of college; and Play four seasons in your sport if you maintain your academic eligibility from year-to-year. Division I Nonqualifier: As a nonqualifier, you will not be able to: Practice or compete for your college or university during your first year of college; or Receive an athletics scholarship during your first year of college, although you may receive need-based financial aid. You may be able to play only three seasons in your sport if you maintain your eligibility from year-to-year. To earn a fourth season, you must complete at least 80 percent of your degree requirements before beginning your fifth year of college.
Initial-Eligibility Information - Academics NEW Fall 2016 Initial-Eligibility Requirements: (For prospective student-athletes first entering a Division I college or university on or after August 1, 2016.) Full Qualifier must: Complete 16 core courses (same distribution as in the past); Have a minimum core-course GPA of 2.300; Meet the competition sliding scale requirement of GPA and ACT/SAT score (this is a new scale with increased grade-point average/test-score requirements); and Graduate from high school. Domestic and split files will be held to the 7/10 prior to the seventh semester. Academic Redshirt must: Complete 16 core courses (same distribution as in the past); Have a minimum core-course GPA of 2.000; Meet the academic redshirt sliding scale requirement of GPA and ACT/SAT score; and Graduate from high school. Nonqualifier: Fails to meet the standards for a qualifier or for an academic redshirt.
Division I Sliding Scale Present and New 2016 Sliding Scale GPAs between 2.000 and 2.299 will be considered in the academic redshirt tier beginning 8/1/2016.
Initial-Eligibility Information - Academics NCAA Division II Academic Requirements In order to compete as a freshman, a prospective student-athlete must: Graduate from high school; Earn at least a 2.000 GPA in a prescribed distribution of 16 core courses; and Earn a combined SAT score of at least 820 (critical reading + math) or an ACT sum score of at least 68. o No sliding scale for Division II. Beginning August 1, 2013, students planning to attend an NCAA Division II college/university will be required to complete 16 core courses. Beginning August 1, 2018, the minimum GPA increases to a 2.200 for qualifiers and establishes a sliding scale for full and partial qualifiers similar to Division I.
Initial-Eligibility Information Academics Division II Qualifier Being a qualifier enables you to: Practice or compete for your college or university during your first year of college; Receive an athletics scholarship during your first year of college; and Play four seasons in your sport if you maintain your academic eligibility from year-to-year. Division II Partial Qualifier You will be considered a partial qualifier if you do not meet all of the academic requirements listed above, but you have graduated from high school and meet one of the following: The combined SAT score of 820 or ACT sum score of 68; or Completion of the 16 core courses with a 2.000 core-course grade-point average. As a partial qualifier, you: Can practice with your team at its home facility during your first year of college; Can receive an athletics scholarship during your first year of college; Cannot compete during your first year of college; and Can play four seasons in your sport if you maintain your academic eligibility from year-to-year
Initial-Eligibility Information Academics Division II Nonqualifier: You will be considered a nonqualifier if you did not graduate from high school, or, if you graduated and are missing both the core-course GPA or minimum number of core courses and the required ACT or SAT scores. As a nonqualifier, you: Cannot practice or compete for your college or university during your first year of college; Cannot receive an athletics scholarship during your first year of college, although you may receive need-based financial aid; and Can play four seasons in your sport if you maintain your academic eligibility from yearto-year.
Initial-Eligibility Information - Academics Division I 16 Core Courses 4 years English 3 years math (Algebra I or higher) 2 years natural/physical science (1 year of lab if offered by high school) 1 year additional English, math or natural/physical science 2 years social science 4 years additional courses (from any area above, foreign language or comparative religion/philosophy. New 2016 sliding scale effective for fall 2016 enrollees and after. 16 Core Courses 3 years English Division II 2 years math (Algebra I or higher) 2 years natural/physical science ( 1 year of lab if offered by high school) 3 years additional English, math or natural/physical science 2 years social science 4 years additional courses (from any area above, foreign language or comparative religion/philosophy) Beginning August 1, 2018, the minimum GPA increases to a 2.200 for qualifiers and establishes a sliding scale for full and partial qualifiers similar to Division I.
Initial-Eligibility Information - Academics What is a core-course? Qualifies for high school graduation in one or more of the following areas: English, mathematics, natural or physical science, social science, foreign language or comparative religion or philosophy; Is considered academic, four-year university preparatory; Is taught at or above the high school's regular academic level; For mathematics courses, is at the level of Algebra I or a higher level mathematics course; and Is taught by a qualified instructor as defined by the appropriate academic authority.
Amateurism
Amateurism Amateurism certification purpose. Provide institutions with consistent amateurism information regarding prospective student-athletes. Assist in maintaining competitive equity in recruiting. Reduce some of the burden on institutions. To promote student-athlete well-being.
Amateurism The NCAA Eligibility Center staff process 13,000 amateurism cases for Divisions I and II. Over 90 percent of penalty cases are international prospective student-athletes.
Amateurism Numbers Men s soccer has the most amateurism certifications manually reviewed by staff and also has the most amateurism conditions. 2013-14 cycle 165 out of 1,320 prospective studentathletes were certified with conditions. Men s tennis and women s tennis follow with over 10 percent of the prospective student-athletes certified with amateurism conditions.
Amateurism Amateurism issues, which may impact eligibility: Signing a contract with a professional team. Receiving money for participating in athletics. Receiving prize money above actual and necessary expenses. Playing with professional athletes. Trying out, practicing or competing with a professional team. Receiving benefits from an agent or prospective agent. Agreeing to be represented by an agent. Participating in organized competition after your first opportunity to enroll in college.
Academic Review
Academic Review Initial-Eligibility Waiver Process (IEW). Potentially provides student-athletes relief from the legislated initial-eligibility standards. Places emphasis on the student-athlete s likelihood of academic success during the initial year of enrollment. Considers the mitigating circumstances that may have resulted in the student-athlete s failure to satisfy the minimum initial-eligibility requirements.
Academic Review IEW Process Required Documentation: Evidence of the student-athlete s academic record (e.g., transcripts, ACT/SAT scores, final certification report). Statement from student-athlete describing the facts and circumstances surrounding the request. Letter of explanation from the institution that includes a timeline of key dates, schools attended, academic performance, recruitment/advising, facts and mitigating circumstances. Evidence of mitigating circumstances. Academic support plan (if applicable). Initial-Eligibility Waiver Directive. Considers a data-based analysis of a student-athlete s likelihood of academic success during the initial year of full-time collegiate enrollment.
Academic Review Numbers 2013-14 academic year. 789 IEW s. 500 Division I, 289 Division II (including 152 international prospective student-athletes). Top 10 highest volume sports. Football, men s basketball, men s soccer, baseball, men s track and field, women s soccer, women s basketball, women s tennis, men s tennis and women s track and field.
High School Review
High School Review The high school and core-course review team is responsible for the review of new and existing high schools to ensure the academic integrity of programs used in certifications. The team reviews core-course submissions from approximately 30,000 U.S. high schools annually and evaluates whether these courses meet the criteria to be used according to NCAA standards. Related work includes monitoring grading scale changes, weighted grades, academic fraud, and high school policy issues.
High School Review Challenges: Only about 50 percent of U.S. high schools regularly send prospective student-athletes to Division I or II institutions. Fundamental lack of awareness at high school level of requirements early enough in the student s high school career. Turnover of high school staff. Constant change in course offerings. Evolution of nontraditional coursework and programs. Impacts of nontraditional legislation and getting the message out to educators.
High School Review Numbers New School Reviews. In the past eight months, 490 schools have begun the New School Review process. o o 168 schools are in the initial stages of gathering documentation. 322 schools have submitted documents. 119 schools are somewhere in the review process. 203 schools have rendered school decisions. Core-Course Submissions. 400-450 per day. Approximately 115,000 per year.
Customer Service
Customer Service Responsible for customer outreach, education and call center support for prospective studentathletes and their parents, high schools and advisors and NCAA member institutions. The International Academic Certification department conducts its own customer service for all international prospective student-athletes, parents, member institutions, non U.S.-based international schools and outside entities. ec-international@ncaa.org
Customer Service - Domestic Membership outreach and support. 600+ members with 65,000 roster spots annually. Work with collegiate compliance and athletics department staff on all things related to initial eligibility. Dedicated membership institution phone line. Prospective student-athlete outreach and support. NCAA Youth Clinics in conjunction with Final Four and men s and women s College World Series. Guide for College-Bound Student-Athlete. NCAA Eligibility Center poster and brochures. 2point3.org. The Bench Twitter @talkingbench.
Customer Service Domestic High school outreach and support. Monthly high school newsletter. NCAA Eligibility Center informational PowerPoint available through High School Portal or by request. Assist high school administrators on all things related to initial eligibility and core-course submission or review. Partnership with national federations and governing bodies. o o National Federation of State High Schools. NFL, NBA, multiple high school coaches groups.
Customer Service - Domestic Customer Service. Full-service inbound call center. Staffing levels adjust seasonally. Call volume 15,000 calls monthly. 750-1,000 calls daily. Call volumes spike seasonally. Who calls the NCAA Eligibility Center? Students/parents = 75-80 percent. Domestic High schools = 5 percent. Membership institutions = 15-20 percent.
Operations
Operations Document processing/imaging. Approximately 500,000 domestic-based high school transcripts each year. 50 percent of mail is processed during summer months. Student registration and account maintenance. Website development and maintenance. Education-impacting disability (EID) paperwork processing and notification. Workflow management. Reporting.
Operations Prospective student-athlete registration completed online at www.eligibilitycenter.org. Fee structure. Domestic students = $70. Canadian students = $70. International students = $120. Fee waiver available for students if validated by domestic high school.
Best Practices and Resources
Best Practices Encourage all prospective student-athletes to register as soon as possible at www.eligibilitycenter.org. It is OK to register in year nine or 10. Encourage prospective student-athletes to have all test scores sent from testing agency (SAT and/or ACT) and transcripts sent in a timely manner. ACT www.act.org. (319) 337-1313 SAT www.collegeboard.com. (866) 756-7346 NCAA Eligibility Center s score recipient code is 9999. The NCAA Eligibility Center does not accept TOEFL scores.
Resources NCAA Eligibility Center website (www.eligibilitycenter.org). Resources for prospective student-athletes. Accessible from the Resources tab on NCAA Eligibility Center s website. Guide to the College-Bound Student-Athlete. NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility. Accessible from the Resources tab on NCAA Eligibility Center s website. Canada country entry, specific Ontario information. NCAA college/university international admissions office and athletics compliance office. NCAA Eligibility Center international academic department (www.ec-international@ncaa.org) National Letter of Intent (www.national-letter.org). Academic and Membership Affairs (AMA) parent/student line. 317/917-6008 (e.g., transfer issues, educational-impacting disability).
NCAA Eligibility Center Registration Student-athletes click here to register and to visit the student website.
NCAA Eligibility Center Registration Students will click here to create or log into their account.
NCAA Eligibility Center Registration
Mailing Address Official documents (native language with certified line-by-line English translations for years nine and up if necessary) should be mailed to the NCAA Eligibility Center at the address listed below: Overnight or Express Mailing Address: NCAA Eligibility Center International Certification Processing 1802 Alonzo Watford Senior Drive Indianapolis, IN 46202 Mailing Address: NCAA Eligibility Center International Certification Processing P.O. Box 7136 Indianapolis, IN 46207 Reminder: Documents must be sent via mail. Credentials sent via fax or email will not be accepted.
Questions?
Thank you for attending!