Prospective Student Athlete—Initial Eligibility Reports

How Your NCAA Certification Report is Formatted

The certification report is based on your academic record from ninth grade up to this point and was evaluated using the Division I rule. The new rule and the former rule are detailed and compared on our NCAA Eligibility page.

After you graduate from high school, your final certification report, which is based on your academic record from grades 9 through 12, will also be evaluated under the new rule. If you are ineligible under the new rule, the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse will automatically reevaluate your academic record under the former rule to obtain your best possible result. It is not possible to mix-and-match rules. For example, you cannot use the 13 core course standards of the former rule and the sliding scale from the new rule.

How to Read Your Initial Eligibility Certification Report

Side 1

Look first at your identifying information. Are your birth date, social security number, name, and address correct? If anything is wrong, please write to the Clearinghouse so that your record can be corrected. Next, review the information in the box at the top right of the report. The information on the report is current as at the date in this box.

Certification Type

If your report is PRELIMINARY, it is based on information available before graduation. Preliminary certification provides you with an early indication of any potential reasons that you may not be certified. It is not a final result but allows you to address any deficiencies before graduation. If your report says final, the report is based on all preliminary information plus your final transcript. Certification cannot be final unless your transcript includes proof of graduation.

Initial-Eligibility Status

Your report shows whether, based on the information the NCAA has on file as of the date of the report, you are “certified” or “not certified” for Division I and for Division II.

Eligibility Codes

If any codes appear, check below for an explanation of that code. The codes help you identify and address deficiencies in order to meet the initial-eligibility requirements.

I: NCAA Test Score Composite/Total

This section lists your test scores achieved and reported to the Clearinghouse either on an official copy of your transcript or directly from the testing agency. The ACT Composite/Sum and/or SAT Total used for your initial-eligibility status appears in the box. Test scores taken subsequent to graduation may need to be accompanied by a signed statement by the student attesting to no prior full-time collegiate enrollment.

II: NCAA Core Course Requirement

The Clearinghouse has reviewed your transcript and recorded the grades you earned in courses, which meet the NCAA definition of a core course. Your grade point average in those courses was then computed. The specific courses and grades used are listed on the back of your report (except for international students).

Read more:

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Important Changes to Eligibility Rules

Training for Sports Coaches in CPR

Bay Path College Sports Recruiting

Author: David Frank


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