NCAA CORE CLASS INFORMATION FOR COLLEGE BOUND STUDENT ATHLETES

Student athletes attending Swartz Creek High School must be aware of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), eligibility requirements for college athletics.  The following information is to inform you of the standards set by the NCAA.  IT WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF A STUDENT TO MEET WITH A COUNSELOR TO BE SURE HE/SHE IS TAKING CORE CLASSES NEEDED FOR NCAA ELIGIBILITY.  THIS SHOULD BE DONE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, PREFERABLY IN THE FRESHMAN OR SOPHOMORE YEAR.

Many college athletic programs are regulated by the NCAA, an organization founded in 1906 that has established rules on eligibility, recruiting, and financial aid.  The NCAA has three-membership divisions-Division I, Division II, and Division III.  Institutions are members of one or another division according to the size and scope of their athletic programs and whether they provide athletic scholarships.

If you are planning to enroll in college as a freshman and you wish to participate in Division l or Division ll athletics, you must be certified by the NCAA Initial – Eligibility Center.  The Center was established by the NCAA member institutions in January 1993.  The Center ensures consistent application of NCAA initial-eligibility requirements for all prospective student athletes at all member institutions.  See their website:  www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

IT IS ALSO YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A PROSPECTIVE STUDENT ATHLETE TO MAKE SURE THE ELIGIBILITY CENTER HAS THE DOCUMENTS IT NEEDS TO CERTIFY YOU.

THESE DOCUMENTS ARE:

·                     Your completed and signed student release form and fee

·                     Foreign student application

·                     Your official transcript mailed directly from every high school you have attended

·                     Your ACT or SAT Scores

Listed are all courses offered in grades 9 through 12 that meet NCAA core course requirements.  A core course is defined as a recognized academic course (as opposed to a vocational or personal-service course)  that offers fundamental instructional components in a specified area of study.  At lease 75 percent of the instructional content in the course must be in one or more of the specified areas.  Dual Enrollment courses taking the class for NCAA Core Course requirements.  If you have questions regarding college eligibility, see your counselor or the Athletic Director.

The NCAA has stipulated the following:

1.        Courses taught at a level below the high school’s regular academic instructional level may not be listed as core courses regardless of course content.

2.        Courses labeled “lower level or remedial” by the Texas Education Agency and completed after the spring semester of 1991 cannot be used to fulfill NCAA core course curriculum requirements.

3.        Effective with courses taken during the 1993-94 academic year and thereafter, “preparatory course (for example, pre-algebra) taken prior to the first course abnormally taken to fulfill the progression of a core curriculum sequence will not be acceptable as core courses, regardless of course content.

      CORE COURSES***

                                                                                                                Calculus

*** This list is subject to curriculum changes and/or changes in NCAA policy.  Please contact the athletic director and a school counselor with any questions relative to Core Curriculum as it applies to the NCAA.

Remember:  Meeting the NCAA academic rules does not guarantee your admissions into a college.  You must apply for admission.                                                                               

Division I                                                                                               Division II

2008 and Later                                                                                      2005 and Later

If you enroll in a Division I college on or after                                       If you enroll in a Division II college and want to

August 1, 2008, and want to participate in                                            participate in athletics or receive an athletics

athletics or receive an athletics scholarship                                            scholarship during your first year you must:

during your first year you must:

*  Graduate from high school;                                                               * Graduate from high school;

*  Complete these 16 core courses:                                                        *  Complete these 14 core courses:

    - 4 years of English                                                                                 - 3 years of English

    - 3 years of math (algebra 1 or higher)                                                    - 2 years of math (algebra 1 or higher)

    - 2 years of natural or physical science                                                  - 2 years of natural or physical science (including

       (including one year of lab science if                                                       one year of lab science if offered by your high

       if offered by your high school)                                                              school)

    - 1 extra year of English, math or natural                                                - 2 extra years of English, math or natural or

       or physical science                                                                                  physical science

    - 2 years of social science                                                                       - 2 years of social science

    - 4 years of extra core courses (from any                                               - 3 years of extra core courses (from any category

      category above, or foreign language,                                                     above, or foreign language, nondoctrinal religion

      nondoctrinal religion or philosophy);                                                     or philosophy);

*  Earn a minimum required grade-point average                                      *  Earn a 2.000 grade-point average or better in your

    in your core courses; and                                                                          core courses; and

*  Earn a combined SAT or ACT sum score that                                     * Earn a combined SAT score of 820 or an ACT sum

    matches your core-course grade-point average                                        score of 68.

    and test score sliding scale on page 9 (for                                                There is no sliding scale in Division II.                             

    example, a 2.400 core-course grade-point

    average needs an 860 SAT).

Requirement to graduate with your high school class                    You will be a qualifier if you meet the academic

Beginning in 2007 and thereafter, you must graduate                             requirements listed above.  As a qualifier, you:

from high school on schedule (in eight semesters)                                  *  Can practice or compete for your college or

with your incoming ninth grade class.  You may use                                 university during your first year of college;

one core course completed in the year after graduation                         *  Can receive an athletics scholarship during your

(summer or academic year).                                                                        first year of college; and

                                                                                                                * Can play four seasons in your sport if you maintain

You may complete the core course at a location other                              your eligibility from year to year.

than the high school from which you graduated and

may initially enroll full time at a collegiate institution                           You will be a partial qualifier if you do not meet all

at any time after completion of the core course.                                    of  the academic requirements listed above, but you have

                                                                                                                graduated from high school and meet one of the following:

You will be a non-qualifier if you did not graduate from                   *  The combined SAT score of 820 or ACT sum score of

High school, or, if you graduated and are missing both the                        68; or

core-course grade-point average or minimum number of                        *  Completion of the 14 core courses with a 2.000

core courses and the required ACT or SAT scores.                                   core-course grade-point average.

As a non-qualifier, you;                                                                          As a partial qualifier, you:

  Cannot practice or compete for your college or                                   *  Can practice with your team at its home facility during

  university, during your first year of college;                                            your first year of college;

  Cannot receive an athletics Scholarship during your                            *  Can receive an athletics scholarship during your first

  First year of college, although you may receive need-                              year of college;

  based financial aid; and                                                                         *  Cannot compete during your first year of college;

  Can play four seasons in your sport if you maintain                           *  Can play four seasons in your sport if you maintain

  your eligibility from year to year.                                                            eligibility from year to year.

                                                                                                                Division III

                                                                                                                  Division III does not use the eligibility center. Contact

                                                                                                                  your Division III college regarding its policies on

                                                                                                                  admission, financial aid, practice and competition.  

Division I Core GPA and Test Score Sliding Scale

WHAT IS THE NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER?

The establishment of the NCAA Eligibility Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, was first announced by Dr. Myles Brand, president of the NCAA, in January 2007.  Succeeding the current NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse in Iowa City, Iowa, the eligibility center will certify the academic and amateur credentials of all college-bound student-athletes who wish to compete in NCAA Division I or II athletics.

To assist with this process, the eligibility center staff is eager to foster a cooperative environment of education and partnership with high schools, high school coaches and college-bound student-athletes.  NCAA regulations are set by NCAA colleges and universities and require all incoming student-athletes to meet a prescribed level of academic performance while maintaining their amateur status before entering college.  The eligibility center will collect data from high schools, sport-sanctioning bodies and, most importantly, high school student-athletes in order to make eligibility decisions.  Ultimately, the individual student-athlete is responsible for achieving and protecting his or her eligibility status.

HOW TO FIND ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS

The answers to most questions can be found in this guide, at our Web site, www.ncaaclearinghouse.net, or by accessing the eligibility center’s resource page at www.ncaa.org and then by clicking on “Information for College-Bound Student-Ahtletes” in the “My Links” section on the right-hand side of the page.

If you have additional questions that cannot be answered by this guide or one of the Web sites mentioned above, please contact the eligibility center at the address and phone number below.  In addition, if you are sending transcripts or additional information to the eligibility center, please use the following address.

NCAA Eligibility Center

Certification Processing

P.O. Box 7136

Indianapolis, Indiana 46207-7136

www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

877/262-1492 (customer service Monday – Friday),

8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Eastern time)

317/223-0700 (international callers)

WHEN TO CALL THE NCAA

Please contact the NCAA when you have questions like these:

            What are the rules and regulations related to initial eligibility?

            What are the rules and regulations related to amateurism?

            What are the regulations about transferring from one college to another?

            What are the rules about athletics scholarships and how can they be reduced or canceled?

            I have a learning disability.  Are there any other requirements for me?

NCAA

P.O. Box 6222

Indianapolis, IN  46206-6222

317-917-6222 (customer service Monday – Friday, noon – 4 p.m. Eastern time)