Students who plan on participating in NCAA Division I or II college athletics must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Students who participate in NCAA Division III college athletics do NOT need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.  To register, students will visit the website www.eligibilitycenter.org where they will develop a login and password during their junior or senior year of high school.

GPA:

Student athletes must have a GPA of at least 2.3 in NCAA approved core courses.  Generally, these are just core classes (math, science, history, and english).  For more information about NCAA GPA requirements, visit the NCAA website: 2.3 or take a Knee.

ACT and SAT Tests:

Students may take the ACT or the SAT an unlimited number of times prior to full-time collegiate enrollment. All ACT and SAT scores should be reported to the NCAA Eligibility Center. 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. Please note only official test scores sent from the testing agency (ACT/SAT) are acceptable. Test scores on your high school transcript will not be used.

Here is the step-by-step process to have your test scores sent.

SAT Scores:

1. Log in to the testing agency website at: http://sat.collegeboard.org/scores/send-sat-scores.
2. The code is “9999” to select the NCAA Eligibility Center as a score recipient (either during exam registration or after exam registration).
3. After submitting the request, your official test scores will be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center and the test score and status report sections of your account will be updated.
4. Time frame for the NCAA Eligibility Center to receive scores depends on the testing agency's service standard.
5. If you need additional assistance, you can contact College Board's customer service at 866-756-7346.

ACT Scores:

1. Log in to the testing agency website at http://www.actstudent.org/scores/send/.
2. The code is “9999” to select the NCAA Eligibility Center as a score recipient (either during exam registration or after exam registration).
3. After submitting the request, your official test scores will be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center and the test score and status report sections of your account will be updated.
4. Time frame for the NCAA Eligibility Center to receive scores depends on the testing agency's service standard.
5. If you need additional assistance, you can contact the ACT's customer service at 319-337-1270.

Requesting Transcripts:

Initial Transcripts:
Once students have registered with the Eligibility Center, they must request a transcript to be sent from Bearden High School to the Eligibility Center. This can be done by requesting a transcript through Parchment directly to make this request.  The NCAA has its own system for transcript management and works with parchment.  Receipt of the document will show up in the "my tasks" section of the student's Eligibility Center account. 

Final Transcripts:
On roughly June 1 of each year, a final transcript will be sent to the NCAA for every graduating senior who has created an Eligibility Center account.  

A Note of Caution:

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the classes they are taking will meet the outlined NCAA Eligibility Center needs. Mr. Tanner is available to assist students in the process, but cannot guarantee that a student will be cleared by the NCAA. Through the Eligibility Center website, students can see a complete list of all approved courses by looking up each school they have attended and reading its 48H Form.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association contact information is below:

P.O. Box 6222 Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-6222
317-917-6222
NCAA Hotline: 800-638-3731
NCAA Eligibility Center: 319-337-1492
www.eligibilitycenter.org

Want to play NAIA? In the NAIA, student-athletes have the opportunity to compete for one of 25 National Championships. Find out more about the sports offered by NAIA schools across the country.

What are the recruiting rules in the NAIA? How much scholarship money is available? What GPA do I need to be eligible to play? The answers to all these questions, and more, are in the NAIA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.

What is the NAIA Eligibility Center?

The NAIA Eligibility Center is responsible for determining the NAIA eligibility of first-time student-athletes. Any student playing NAIA championship sports for the first time must meet the eligibility requirements. Students must have their eligibility determined by the NAIA Eligibility Center, and all NAIA schools are bound by the center's decisions.

Who needs to register?

Every student interested in playing championship sports at NAIA colleges for the first time needs to register and receive an eligibility determination. 

NAIA Student Checklist

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is committed to providing quality athletic opportunities to enhance the entire collegiate learning experience for its students. The Association and its member colleges strive to provide equal opportunities for all concerned student-athletes. The Association is sensitive to the special needs and circumstances of the Two-Year College student while keeping within the high academic standards of our 500+ member institutions.

For more information about the NJCAA, please visit the NJCAA handbook.