Injuries are a fact of life in sports, but in college they carry extra weight. Serious injuries cause athletes to lose some of the precious time they have competing in college athletics. Time marches on, whether it’s the four seasons an athlete can play, the five-year clock in Division I, or the 10-semester/15-quarter rule in Divisions II and III.
The NCAA has a process for giving athletes back seasons they lose to injury. It is commonly called a medical redshirt, but the technical term is a medical hardship waiver. A student-athlete’s school must apply for the waiver, and it can be granted or denied. Every waiver that meets the published criteria is granted, with rare exceptions.
Medical Hardship Requirements
To be eligible for a medical hardship waiver, a student-athlete has to meet the following criteria:
- The student-athlete must suffer the injury during one of their four seasons of college competition or during the senior year of high school.
- The injury must be incapacitating. That means it must be a season-ending injury.
- The injury must occur prior to the start of the second half of the season.
- The student-athlete must not have competed in more than 30% of the season or three contests, whichever is greater.
All of these must be proven with documentation. That means medical documentation to prove the injury and that it was season-ending and participation information to show that the student-athlete did not play in too many contests.
This documentation is normally pulled together by the compliance office and training room. Some conferences require the athlete to submit a statement or letter as part of the request. There are cases where athletes need to take a more active role though. Most common are when an athlete transfers before getting the waiver or when an athlete received a second opinion on an injury.
Regardless of how much work athletes need to do, here are some tips to make sure getting a season back goes smoothly:
Take Rehab Seriously
The medical documentation needs to show that an athlete was unable to return to competition for the rest of the season. If an athlete is missing appointments, not following the rehab program, or not getting evaluated as scheduled, it is harder for the school to prove the injury was season-ending.
Be Honest About Your Injury
This goes both ways. If you think you might be seriously hurt, it is better to know your options than to try and keep playing and potentially lose a season you could have gotten back. On the flip side, be careful about trying to nurse a minor injury to get a season back, since it might backfire.
Keep the Training Room Informed
It is important to make sure the training room knows all about your injury and treatment, but it goes doubly so if you plan to apply for a medical hardship waiver. Be sure to inform the training room about any second opinions, additional treatments, or other medications you might be taking. And bring a copy of all records so everything is in one place for the waiver.
Include Non-Sport Related Injuries and Illnesses
You can also get a season back based on an illness or injury that is unrelated to sports. If you become seriously ill or injure yourself outside of practice and games, follow these same tips just as if it had happened on the field.
Take Care of Business Quickly on Your End
If you do need to complete a task to help prepare your medical hardship waiver, make it a priority. Some conferences have time limits on when waivers can be submitted, plus delays will add to your stress. This is especially important for athletes nearing the end of their eligibility.
Medical Redshirts and the Five-Year Clock
Athletes must keep in mind both the five-year clock and their four seasons of competition. Even if an athlete gets a medical hardship waiver, he or she needs to have time left on their five-year clock (10-semester/15-quarter clock in Divisions II and III) to use that season.
This is problematic for athletes took a normal redshirt season or sat out due to a transfer. An athlete can generally not use a medical redshirt in those cases unless they get a clock extension or sixth year waiver. To do that the athlete show they lost two seasons outside of his or her control. The medical redshirt would be one, but the athlete would still need to show another.
Finally, remember that getting the waiver is not the only consideration. The most important thing for an athlete is to get healthy and back out on the field again. Just because you might not qualify for a waiver is not an excuse to go back out there when you should not and risk losing the next season or your career.For that season, it is important that if an athlete redshirts or sits out after a transfer and it is at all possible that year might be used toward a sixth year, the athlete should document what happens during that year thoroughly. Make sure paperwork from injuries is in order, and keep up with rehab and doctors’ appointments. Any other hardship, like family financial difficulties, should be documented.
Do you have any questions about a medical redshirt? Leave them in the comments section below, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+!
I play football at a JuCo and i redshirted my freshman year. After spring ball, I was to be starting full back this year. Unfortunally, over the summer, I broke my 5th metatarsal in my right foot, had to get surgery, and now am out for the season. I am worried that losing this year of eligibility will harm my recruiting oppurtunities after next season. Am I eligible or a medical redshirt?
You injury is exactly why the medical redshirt was created. You want to contact your athletic department right away and begin the paper work for the waiver. Good luck.
If I graduated can I till get a medical hardship??
Are you planning on going to graduate school and continuing your sport? How many years have to played already? It might be possible and the best place to get answers and begin the process will be with the university you are going to compete for as a graduate student. Their athletic department will be able to help you with the application process. Let us know if you have anymore questions.
I play college football at a division 2 my first year a red shirted the next year I got a knee injury the 3rd day of camp where I got 3 surgery’s and was out for the year but was still a full time student.This last year was my first year playing.which puts my clock at 3 years..I’m planning on going back to a JC. my 4th year…if i was to go to a division 1 school that would only leave me 1 year left because my 5 years would be up..but would I have a good case to get another year back by this waiver?…i meet all that is listed here
There is certainly a chances this could happen. What you want to do is contact your athletic department and have them help you with the process. Unfortunately, this isn’t a waiver you would be able to file on your own. Good luck and let me know if I can help.
can i get a medical redshirt for an injury that happned three seasons ago?? and it was a car accident??
Your situation is not a typical sounding medical shirt but you won’t know for use until you talk to you athletic department/compliance department. If you aren’t currently playing college sports then you won’t have the chance to get a medial shirt because you need to be an active athlete or getting recruited. Good luck.
A collegiate soccer (goalkeeper) player at a Division 3 college tore his ACL in the final minute of a semifinal championship game at the end of his junior season, November 2011. His surgeon released him in August 2012 at the beginning of his senior year. The coach and the player decided he was not ready to play for the first month of the season. After a month of practice, the player said he was ready to play, but the coach disagreed. The coach put that player in one game toward the end of his senior season for the last 5 minutes of the first half and the whole second half. This player will graduate May 2013 and is considering attending graduate school at a D2 college in Fall 2013. Could he be eligible for a medical waiver to play at the D2 college for a year?
It is possible, but it will be complicated by the fact he played in a game. You are going to want to contact the coach at the D2 school right away. The waiver process can take a while and getting started sooner rather than later is best.
I am a collegiate basketball athlete at the Division III level and I
tore my patella tendon in my right knee around the end of December 2011.
My surgery was on March 9, 2012. My doctor released me, allowing me to
practice with no restrictions on September 25, 2012. I practiced for one
week and had a major set back and sat out for about a month. After a
month passed, I came back for one practice and started limping a lot. I
took a week off and came back again and practiced 2 days in a row and
was experiencing increased pain. The next week, I tried running on my
own and my knee has not been responding. In the beginning of the year, I
was going to the weight room on my own, but the trainers had no idea,
but now I am working with them a lot. The pain has increased a lot. I
also have not played in a game. I’m not sure if I will be able to get my
year back simply because my doctor said I am cleared with no
restrictions. As of now, I have not been practicing and am trying to
figure out what I can do. Will I be eligible for a medical red shirt?
Your case sounds like one what would be eligible for a medical red shirt, but the final decision will come from the NCAA with the help of your athletic department. I would contact the athletic department at your school and let them know you want to petition for a medical red shirt. They should be able to take you through the process. Good luck!
I went to a juco in (2011). I wrestled in one tournament and left school for personal reasons. I went back last fall (2012) and redshirted. I wrestled in one open tournament and injured my knee. It didnt need surgery but the slight tear and sprained ligiment put me out 10-12 weeks. This is the entire season as redshirts can not compete in dual meets or nationals. Where the injury occured during a redshirt season, could a medical hardship be granted essentially giving me 3 full seasons of eligibility plus a redshirt?
Getting a medical red shirt several years later can be difficult. Your best resource is going to be talking to your athletic department about the process. Unfortunately, you are not going to be able to apply for a medical red shirt on your own, so starting the process with your athletic department is best.
Thank you for the response. However, my injury happened in 2012 just 3 months ago. Is it possible to get a medical redshirt because of an injury during a redshirt yr.
I am not sure. I think it is, but your best resource will be the athletic department. If they can’t get you an answer please let us know and we will find another option.
In college softball what is considered the “season”? As most schools will play 4-7 games in the fall with no official records being kept and none of the games counting towards any conference qualifications. Compared to the spring where they will play 45-60 games and the College World Series at stake. Can the student athlete be red shirted although she played in 4 games in the fall, however had a season ending injury prior to playing any games in the spring when the “real season began”?
I don’t believe spring games count towards an official season, but you are going to want to check with your athletic department and specifically your compliance office to be sure.
I was a track and field athlete at the JUCO level and I competed my first year, redshirted my second year, and competed my third year, leaving me with 2 season left. Now I am at a division 2 school and I might’ve torn my labrum which will require surgery. Can I get a medical redshirt for this, even though I’ve already used my redshirt, which will ultimately grant me 6 season (4 competition seasons)?
That is exactly what a medical shirt does. It gives you an extra year beyond the five and four rule. Check with your athletic department. Good luck on your recovery.
thank you so much! @DavidRFrank:disqus
my son plays football at a DI FCS school. He redshirted his freshman season He played the next 3 seasons without any problems. His Senior year (5th) he suffered a season ending injury in fall camp and missed the entire season. The compliance office applied for a medical hardship waiver which was granted by the conference. They said because it was his 5th year they would have to apply for a 6th year with the NCAA. His 6th year was denied because he did not have 2 years of hardship. We have appealed and are waiting for an answer from the NCAA. I don’t understand why he had to apply for a 6th year. If this injury had occurred any year other than his senior year he would only have had to apply for a medical hardship waiver and have that season of eligibility restored which would still be 6 years. Why is the process different? They should only need to restore his season of eligibility. Can you help me understand?
Here is the answer from our NCAA expert:
“He needs the sixth year because of the two eligibility limits in Division I. The medical hardship waiver is about his 4 seasons of competition, to get a season lost to injury back. The sixth year waiver is about his five year clock. Because he was injured in his fifth year and is trying to get the season back, he needs an extension of his five-year clock in order to be able to use the year he is getting back.
Technically, he did not even need the medical hardship waiver, because he never played his fifth year. So he did not need to apply to get the year back. What the conference did was certify that he missed the season due to injury, which is normally done solely in anticipation of a sixth year waiver.
So to sum up, he actually only needs one waiver because he has only used three seasons of competition, but his five-year clock has expired. Unfortunately sixth-year waivers require two seasons where the athlete could not participate due to circumstances beyond his control. His second redshirt would count, but if his first redshirt was his or the coaches’ decision, he is unlikely to get the waiver.”
I was a basketball player at a JUCO, and in late September I got a concussion. It was so so serious that I was unable to attend classes for the rest of the semester and had to drop all classes and recieved only one credit hr. The next semester I enrolled at a local college and I am feeling better. My previous coach had called the local NAIA college and told the coach good things about me and now there is some interest and I may have a chance to play again. The problem is that after this spring semester I will only have a total of 14 credit hrs. I know I will have to take some summer classes to get caught up, but do I have to have the required 24 hrs. before this coming fall to be eligible to play?
I have plenty of doctor bills and have taken plenty of tests to show the concussion is legit. I know my previous coach will also testify that the concussion was severe. I am worried about the 24 hrs before this coming fall and don’t know if it attainable. That would mean that I would have to figure out how to get 10 hrs. this summer. I don’t know if the local college coach will give scholarship for a player that will not be eligible. Please help with any infomation.
I would talk to the coach at the NAIA school and let them know the situation. At this point you are going to want them (the NAIA coach) to tell you want to do. Get your transcripts to him and see exactly what you are going to need to be eligible.
I started school in 2008 and graduated in three years. During that time, I faced medical hardship due to complications from diabetes, as well as my mother becoming disabled. Would I be able to apply for a sixth year while in graduate school?
It’s possible. Have you talked to the coach at the school you are attending for grad school? You will want to get started as soon as possible on the medical/hardship waiver. Talk to your coach and athletic department, you won’t be able to apply for a waiver on your own. Good luck.
My son is a freshman D1 athlete in a major sport and has a medical condition that requires surgery. He was diagnosed with the condition at his physical prior to the start of the school year. The doctor wanted to do the surgery then, but since there is a two-month recovery period, my son wanted to wait until next summer. The doctor said that was fine, as long as the condition didn’t worsen. It did and the doctor said he shouldn’t wait. My son scheduled the surgery and his coaches told him he was going to redshirt. An injury to another player has led the coaches to saying my son may play prior to his surgery even though there are only a handful of games. I know he can apply for a medical waiver, but he may not return to this school; he may bounce-back to a JC. It appears that only his current school can apply for the medical waiver, but he may not be attending there anymore. When is a medical waiver applied for and granted or denied? Although I would prefer to be completely above board, I’m wondering whether my son should wait on telling his coaches he won’t return until he finds out if he has been granted the medical waiver.
I would strongly encourage your son not to play this year before surgery. Medical waivers can be applied for years later, they don’t have to be done the year you are injured. Also, you generally do not get a medical waiver until after you have used your red shirt. The misnomer about medical waivers are that if you are injured you can get the waiver. There are more circumstances than that, most notably, that you are applying for a sixth year of eligibility (after playing four years, plus using your red shirt year) Unfortunately, there is not set timeline on waiver decisions, but generally they take several months.
My advice is to use your red shirt year this year (don’t play) and don’t focus on the waiver process until if/when he needs it for a sixth year of eligibility.
I originally played two seasons at a Juco with no problems. I then transferred to a NCAA D1 school in which I had a severe ankle injury. This should have been a season ending injury with bone chips into my ankle. I feel our training room staff as well as the coaching staff mishandled the situation and never informed me of options. I felt that in my situation since the season had started it was better to try and play on it anyways without having a corrective surgery for the pain considering I couldn’t redshirt at this point. It was in the first half of the season, and I ended up playing very low minutes the rest of the season anyways. I since transferred and completed my eligibility at the end of the season in 2012. Are there any options to regain a year of eligibility or play again? Thanks for your help.
It doesn’t sounds like you have any options because you played. Possibly, had you not played one of those years because of the injury. Sorry for the bad news, best of luck.
My son was diagnosed with a severe form of mono which led to complications right before the beginning of the 2012-13 regular season. He is a DIII basketball player and a freshman. He did participate in the pre-season but then missed 10 weeks of practice/games. He was cleared to begin practicing in mid-January but was not deemed healthy enough to play on the varsity. Instead, he participated for a few minutes in 5 or 6 “jv” games. I call them “JV” games because they were more like scrimmages with no statistics being kept although they were against other schools like community colleges, club teams or other DIII jv teams. There is no formal jv league or season. He was never able to play for the varsity this season as he was not healthy enough to do so. He has medical documentation supporting his illness and that he was not cleared to even practice until mid-January. Can he get a medical redshirt year.
It is possible, your son is going to need to work with high college coach and athletic department in order to get the waiver filed and ultimately approved. Have him approach his coach or someone within the athletic department for help. Good luck.
Hi, i am a division one athlete that is in season right now. at this moment i am dealing with a lot of family issues and my coach has given me a leave of absence so I can deal with what is going on because I was becoming too overwhelmed with everything that is going on. I have competed in the first 3 games already but have missed about 4 for being on leave, and will be missing a good chunk of the games. I am seeing a counselor and all now to help guide me through getting mentally okay. do you know what I would need to do to get a redshirt for this year?
Contact your athletic department and see what your options are. You are going to need their help in filing for the waiver. Good luck with everything.
I am currently being recruited to play for a D1 school. I was in a serious accident after my senior year of highschool in 2010 that kept me out of the game for about 2 1/2 years. I went away to a d3 school that had a football team so technically my clock started. I had to leave after my first semester in 2010 and then enrolled as a full time student in a community college and was a full time student for 3 more semesters. In total, I was enrolled full time for 4 semesters. Is there any way possible that a D1 school can appeal or go thru the waiver process so that I can have 3 years of eligibility left for D1 football.
The most important thing is that you find a program that wants to have you play for them really badly. Programs are only willing to file waivers and attempt to get years of eligibility back for athletes they really want to have on the team. Are you talking to any coaches now? Are there DI coaches recruiting you?
I will be requesting a graduate student transfer waiver for 2013-2014, because I have transferred once during my freshman year. I incurred an injury prior transferring and I only played in 7 games before transferring. The season consisted of 30 games. I have one year of eligibility left which will conclude my fourth year. I did a year in residence, but I was in a boot the second half of the season which was my first semester in my year I had to sit out. Can I get a medical hardship waiver for my freshman year 2010-2011 because I only played in 7 games and I had an injury that occurred during prior to my transfer to the second D1 school where I will graduate in May 2013 & my scholarship will not be renewed. I’m 3 years in to my 5 year clock.
I doubt you will get the year of eligibility where you played 7 games. The most important thing is that you get enrolled and on the team where you will be playing your final year of eligibility. Once you are there, the coaches and athletic department will do everything they can in order to get you another year of eligibility. Good luck.
I finished 2 seasons of D1 juco baseball last year. Four games into my second year, I was hit by a pitch that broke my arm. I have a doctors note still that says my surgery was on February 28th and I was not allowed to return to sports for at least three months, well after the end of the season. My coach told me he would take care of the situation. I had already signed with a university, where I currently play. I just found out a week before this season that my red shirt was never pushed through. Is there a way for me to go back and appeal the process since it’s barely been a year? I don’t want to lose a whole year of eligibility because of my coach.
I would contact your athletic department and find out what the process would be. You can also contact the Juco athletic department and tell them your story. Good luck.
If I was hurt the 6th game of the season and diagnosed with a torn meniscus but played anyways minamal minutes and under excruciating pain because the team need me shouldn’t the school be obligated?I played no more than 8 minutes a game 4 game over the limit but each game was a week away so i rested and tried to force the act instead of sitting out.I stopped before the winter break and got surgery that week. Did not participate in one conference game. The rule is 20% and I was at 34% with 7-8 min in those four games i played which they practically made me play in. now my year is in danger of being returned. shouldnt i get it back?
It will come down to a judgement call from the NCAA. It sounds like an unfortunate situation and something too many athletes experience. The pressure to continue to play is hard to ignore and many times the schools aren’t doing what might be best for the athlete. Sorry to hear about your situation, hopefully the NCAA rules in your favor.
I am a Division III baseball player. I appeared in 9 games so far and just tore my hamstring. Am I eligible for a medical red-shirt for this year. I am a sophomore.
You want to check with your coach and athletic department. Hamstrings are a tricky injury for medical shirts because you would need a doctor to diagnose it as sever enough to be season ending. Again, your best resource will be your coach and athletic department. Best of luck.
I missed the fall tennis season because of a concussion. The fall season is very short and not very important when compared to the spring season. Is it possible to redshirt that fall season and use it for a fifth year spring season?
No. You can’t use one seasons of eligibility for another.
I play D1 lacrosse and I tore my abdomin 5 games in, I did the math and I was at 38 percent cause I played 5 games, but the fifth game I was somewhat forced and didn’t play that much minutes. I meet the criteria for the other 3 though and I didn’t even play a conference game. Any chance I can get a medical red shirt from the board?
My daughter is 4 games over the 20% she broke her tibia and had to have rod and screws to repair it. She is a senior. It occurred during final game of spring trip. She had played only 4 conference games. The injury occurred as a result of a collision with the catcher; she was 5-8 feet up the line. It was ruled obstruction. Is their any hope of red shirt?
The rules are pretty black and white around the 20% rules. Your best resource would be the athletic department and specifically the compliance office at her school. She should contact them and see if there are any special waivers available to her. Best of luck.
Has any D1 football player ever received a waiver and got a medical redshirt for an injury that occured in the second half of a season? The team was trying to redshirt him but had injuries so they put him in. My son played less than 1 quarter…approx 15 plays in the second to last game of the season. He was hit and seperated his shoulder ending his season. Why do they have this 2nd half of the season rule? What difference does it make if they play 15 plays in the first game or the second to last game. It is not his fault that the coach put him in and he loses a whole year of eligibility over 15 plays.
The second half rule is to prevent coaches from taking advantage of the medical red shirt rule. If the rule wasn’t in place, programs could keep players on the roster, play them sparingly and then simply claim an injury near the end of the year and get their full year of eligibility left.
It sounds like your son’s coach didn’t do a very good job of explaining to your son the implications of him playing at that point in the season. It was very selfish of the program to use a players year of eligibility that late into the season. I am sorry to hear about the injury, I hope he can make a full recovery and play out his remaining eligibility.
My son plays baseball for a JUCO, this is his second year. He got injured the 3rd week of season play with an ACL injury so is out the rest of the season. They had played 2 schools so far when he was injured, so 8 season games. What are his chances of getting Medical Red Shirted he is going to a D1 school next year so will possibly be ready to play next February, if the recovery goes as planned.
As long as he didn’t play more than 20% of the season and didn’t play in the second half of the season there is a good chance he could get the year back. Have him work with his coach and athletic department right away to find out everything he is going to need from the doctors in order to get the medical shirt.
Hi, I played for a junior college for two years but my freshman year I was I was forced to play junior varsity but if I was out of state I would of been able to take a medical red shirt. I was reading somewhere the other day and it said as of august 1st 2010 if you played JV in college you wouldn’t be charged a year of eligibility. Is that true? Is there any way I can get my year back?
I know the rule you are referring to is true for NAIA but I am not sure about NCAA. The most important thing to remember is that you have coaches at four year universities who want to recruit you. If you have a coach at a four year school who wants you to be on their team, they are going to do everything they can to get you every year of eligibility. Good luck.
My daughter has suffered a concussion in her freshman year of softball at a D3 school. It is her 3rd concussion in 8 months. She has played only three games. The school is going to file for redshirt status, especially since the doctor has said to not play the rest of this spring. In the meantime what are rules regarding attending practice and traveling with the team to games, to try and remain a part of the team?
The rules would be the same for any red shirt. You can practice and be part of the team but not play. If you have any doubt as to whether or not she should be doing something, check with the athletic department or coach.
My sister is a senior in HS she had great potential on scholarships that were going to be offered to her she’s an all around sports athlete. Unfortunately she was a victim to a horrific accident where she was ran over by a car caused by intoxication assault. Is there any programs or grants that u knw of that she could benefit from for college purposes being that she cant finish the year and pursue sports due to her injuries?
I do not know of any programs that would help her without her having been previously signed by a school for a scholarship. Her best options regarding the help an athletic department could provide would be to find a program that is willing to sign her once she is recovered. They will then outline what she needs to do to maximize her eligibility. Keep in mind, you can sit out one full year after you graduate before starting college and still maintain all of your eligibility. Best of luck in a difficult situation.
I’m a D1 athlete. I played the first four games of a 14 game season. Missed the fifth for a broken hand. Played in the sixth game with a broken hand, but suffered a concussion in that game.
What are my chances for the medical red shirt? Our compliance office said its somewhere 50-50 since it could be seen as a reinjury.
Your compliance office will know best. By the letter of the law, you played in more than 20% of the season. However, if your compliance office knows of a possible loop-hole with it being a repeat injury, your best opportunity will be with them.
In 2012 my son was a true freshmen qb at FCS (D1-AA) school. The starting qb was hurt before the season started which moved my son up the depth chart to backup qb and he played in 8 games. The previously injured qb received a medical redshirt so he has two more years (hes a jr). And if i understand the rules correctly, my son has three years since he played last year. My question is this. Can my son redshirt his sophomore year and still have three years of eligibility? If not, what are his options for transferring without losing another year??
The way eligibility works is you have 5 years to play 4 years. This means at any point you can sit out a year, which is known at a red shirt. So yes, he can use his red shirt this year and have three years left. If he was going to transfer, you would want to use it on a year when he could is red shirt year on the year he sits out. Good luck.
I am a D1 athlete and play baseball. I only had 9 appearance as a pitcher and got injured on our 38th game of our BP by getting hit by a line drive on my right arm(throwing arm). I am seeing a doctor and getting examined. we have 19 more games to go, but I was wondering if I can still get medical redshirt? I have not played more than 20% of the total games and this is a season ending injury by not being able to throw. Could you let me know if this is possible?
I would check with your coach and athletic department as well. That said, It is playing in 20% of games or any game after half way through the season. It sounds like you played in a game past the half way point so most likely you wont be eligible. Again, check with your coach and athletic department.
Thank you for your reply, but I still do not understand fully. I will check with the athletic department, but you are saying that my last appearance was our 30th game (9th appearance), which is 2 more games(overall of 56 games) after the half and I got injured on our 38th game. If we make it to playoffs of our conference, wouldn’t that extend the total games allowing me to be in boundaries of half the season game appearance? My doctor told me today that I have 6 weeks off which ends in late May and I am scheduled for MRI and prescribed medication for my arm. If my injury happened after the half way point of the season is that still possible? Thank you so much for your help.
My daughter is going to have to miss her senior year due to injury. If the program is already at it’s committed number of scholarships for next year is there anything in place to help her financially for her 5th year?
If the school is going to pull her scholarship due to injury she is gong to want to find out if she is still considered an athlete at the school. If she is no longer an athlete other forms of financial aid available through the financial aid department could be made available. One of the difficult things is that many forms of financial aid are not available to athletes because it would count against scholarship totals.