NCAA Eligibility Checklist for Parents
By Next College Student Athlete
When it comes to the NCAA Academic Eligibility Center, many parents are left confused and oftentimes, overwhelmed. The following checklist will help you tackle this part of the recruiting process with ease.
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER?
Simply put, the
NCAA Eligibility Center determines the academic eligibility and amateur status for all NCAA Division I and Division II athletes by evaluating their high school records. Coaches can’t overlook academics or amateur status, and the NCAA Eligibility Center helps ensure student-athletes are college qualified and classroom ready.
STEP NO. 1: SIGN UP!
Visit the
Eligibility Center’s website to register and tackle the initial questions about your child’s personal information, and education and sports history. If you’re not sure whether your child will play Division I or II sports, you can always create a free profile first before moving to a certification account, which requires a payment. Once you’ve completed the registration, you’ll be provided with your NCAA ID number. This is the number any college recruiting your athlete is going to want.
Here are more details about signing upSTEP NO. 2: SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH YOUR ATHLETE’S HIGH SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
Check with their high school guidance counselor to ensure your athlete is on track to meet the NCAA Core Course requirements. Don’t assume because they get good grades they’ll be eligible.
Your child must complete 16 core course requirements before graduation. And, if they’re headed to a Division I program, they need to take 10 of the 16 core courses before their senior year, with seven of those 10 being an English, math or science class. Did you catch all that? Here’s the bottom line: get familiar with what’s required — and by when — early to avoid any unwelcome surprises. Remember that the requirements differ slightly between Division I and Division II.
Read more about the Eligibility Center requirements
STEP NO. 3: URGENT TASK FOR THE END OF JUNIOR YEAR
Before your student’s junior year, ask your high school administration office to send official transcripts to the Eligibility Center by uploading them on the High School Portal (this needs to be done through the office — you’re not allowed to send copies). Your file is ready for preliminary certification once the NCAA receives your child’s transcripts through the 10th grade and you have submitted an SAT or ACT score.
STEP NO. 4: HAVE ALL SAT OR ACT TEST SCORES SENT TO THE NCAA
When your child registers for the SAT or ACT, use the code 9999 to send results directly to the NCAA Eligibility Center. You should send all their test scores as the NCAA will only use the best scores when calculating their eligibility. There is no penalty for submitting multiple tests.
STEP NO. 5: FINAL TASKS YOUR SENIOR YEAR
At the conclusion of your athlete’s senior year, you need to make sure their guidance counselor sends an official version of their final transcripts. Once that is done, log into your account and request final amateurism certification. For student-athletes, this is the final step that tells the NCAA “please determine my eligibility status.”
TIP: If your child is enrolling in the fall, they can request final certification starting April 1 of that year. Spring enrollees can start on Oct. 1 of the year before they attend college. Like any other part of the recruiting game, the more you know and the earlier you begin to plan, the less stressful it becomes.
See a complete list of amateurism rules