Division I Academic Requirements

If you're first entering a Division I college on or after August 1, 1996, in order to be classified a "qualifier," you're required to:Division I Academic Requirements

Graduate from high school; (home-schooled student-athletes click here for additional information)

Successfully complete a core curriculum of at least 13 academic course units as follows: English ... 4 years

Mathematics (two years of mathematics courses at the level of Algebra I or above) ... 2 years

Natural or physical science (including at least one laboratory course, if offered by the high school) ... 2 years

Additional courses in English, mathematics, or natural or physical science ... 1 year

Social science ... 2 years

More division I academic requirements;

Additional academic courses [in any of the above areas or foreign language, computer science*, philosophy or nondoctrinal religion (e.g., comparative religion) courses] ... 2 years

Have a core-course grade-point average (based on a maximum of 4.000) and a combined score on the SAT verbal and math sections or a sum score on the ACT based on the qualifier index scale. *Note: For students first entering NCAA institutions on or after August 1, 2005, computer science courses cannot be used to meet initial-eligibility requirements.

A "partial qualifier" is eligible to practice with a team at its home facility and receive an athletics scholarship during his or her first year at a Division I school and then has three seasons of competition remaining. More division I academic requirements are-

A partial qualifier may earn a fourth year of competition, provided that at the beginning of the fifth academic year following the student-athlete's initial, full-time collegiate enrollment, the student-athlete has received a baccalaureate degree.

In order to be classified a "partial qualifier," you have not met the requirements for a qualifier but you're required to:

Graduate from high school;

Successfully complete a core curriculum of at least 13 academic courses in the appropriate core areas; and

Present a core-course grade-point average (based on a maximum of 4.000) and a combined score on the SAT verbal and math sections or a sum score on the ACT based on the partial qualifier index scale.

A "nonqualifier" is a student who has not graduated from high school or who has presented neither the core-curriculum grade-point average and SAT/ACT scores required for a qualifier.

A nonqualifier shall not be eligible for regular-season competition or practice during the first academic year in residence and then has three seasons of competition remaining. A nonqualifier during the first academic year in residence shall be eligible for nonathletics institutional financial aid that is not from an athletics source and is based on financial need only.

A nonqualifier may earn a fourth year of competition, provided that at the beginning of the fifth academic year following the student-athlete's initial, full-time collegiate enrollment, the student-athlete has received a baccalaureate degree.

A student with a diagnosed disability who was not a qualifier may earn a fourth season of competition, provided the student-athlete has satisfied specified procedures and has completed at least 75 percent of his or her degree program at the beginning of the fifth academic year after the student-athlete's full-time collegiate enrollment.