College Recruiting Education
The NCAA Eligibility Center certifies the academic and amateur credentials of all college-bound student-athletes who wish to compete in NCAA Division 1 or Division 2 athletics. Don’t jeopardize your chance to play college athletics, review this section!
NCAA Eligibility FAQs
The NCAA Eligibility Center is in place to make sure athletes and parents have an easier time understanding and navigating the eligibility steps that the NCAA requires. We have complied a list of the most common questions asked regarding the NCAA Eligibility Center.
NCAA Division 1 Sliding Scale
The NCAA Division One sliding scale is in place for those athletes that have lower GPA’s, but have higher ACT/SAT scores and vice-versa. This gives high school athletes some wiggle room to become eligible with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
NCAA Division 2 Sliding Scale
The NCAA Division Two sliding scale is in place for those athletes that have lower GPA’s, but have higher ACT/SAT scores and vice-versa. This gives high school athletes some wiggle room to become eligible with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Division 1 Courses
The NCAA requires ALL potential division one athletes to pass certain core courses while in high school. If you do not, you will not be eligible to play NCAA division one athletics coming out of high school. It is very important to know what core courses are required by the NCAA.
Division 2 Courses
The NCAA requires ALL potential division two athletes to pass certain core courses while in high school. If you do not, you will not be eligible to play NCAA division two athletics coming out of high school. It is very important to know what core courses are required by the NCAA.
Division 3 Courses
The NCAA does not have as many rules in place for Division 3 institutions. This helps division three programs recruit more easily without as many restrictions. Make sure you know what the division three requirements are.
Understanding College Financial Aid
Federal Student Aid
Federal Student Aid plays a central and essential role in supporting post-secondary education by providing money for college to eligible students and families.
Financial Aid Borrowing Tips
Millions of high school students borrow money every year to help pay for college, but most borrow without reading these very important tips! Make sure you know what you are signing! These tips will prepare you with the process of applying for and borrowing money through financial aid.
What is FAFSA?
FAFSA is the application used by nearly all colleges and universities to determine eligibility for federal, state, and college-sponsored financial aid, including grants, educational loans, and work-study programs. This section covers how to start the FAFSA process and the documents you’ll need.
Estimated Family Contribution
All students are expected to contribute toward the cost of their college education. How much you and your family will be expected to contribute depends on your financial situation—and is what is referred to as your Expected Family Contribution or EFC.
College Loan Info
The cost of college rises each year a few percentages, which means most families need to take loans out to help pay for college. Nearly every student is eligible for some sort of financial aid, including loans. This section examines the different type of college loans.
NCAA Recruiting Terms
Breaking Down the NCAA Recruiting Terms
As you start getting information from colleges you will need to know why coaches can and cannot do certain things. The NCAA has rules in place that limit a college recruiter’s exposure to high school athletes. Knowing what the NCAA recruiting terms mean will help you understand recruiting process.
Contact
A contact is classified as a face-to-face encounter between a college coach and the student athlete (or their legal guardians or relatives) where more than a greeting occurs. Anything beyond a hello is considered a contact. Another form of contact occurs when a college coach has any contact with you or your legal guardians at your high school, or any other location where you are competing or practicing.
Contact Period
College coaches are allowed to have in-person contact with you or your legal guardians. This period means coaches can watch you compete anywhere, and the coach can write and make telephone calls.
Dead Period
The college coach cannot make in-person contact with you or your legal guardians. This prevents the coach from making any evaluations of you whatsoever. However, the coach can make telephone calls to you or your legal guardians.
Evaluation
This is the process where a coach watches you compete in a game or practice, and makes a note on your athletic abilities.
Evaluation Period
It is permissible for the college coach to evaluate your playing abilities at your high school or any other place where you are competing. During this period the coach cannot have off-campus in-person contact with you or your legal guardians. The coach can still make telephone calls to you or your legal guardians, and you are allowed to make campus visits during this period.
Quiet Period
During this time a college coach cannot watch you compete at any location. It is allowed for the college coach to make in-person contact with you or your legal guardians if it occurs on the coach’s campus. The coach can still make telephone calls to you or your legal guardians, and you can make visits to college campuses during this time.
Telephone Call
An electronically transmitted voice exchange is considered a phone call. That includes videoconferencing and videophones. Emails and faxes are not considered a phone call.
Official Visit
Any visit to a college that is paid for by that university. You and/or your legal guardians will have your transportation to and from the college paid for. Also paid for by the college will be your room, meals (three per day), and entertainment expenses. Generally, you will receive three free passes to that college’s home game the weekend you are in town.
Unofficial Visit
Anytime you or your legal guardians visit a college campus that is funded by you. You can take as many unofficial visits as you would like. During dead periods you cannot speak to any of the coaches while visiting the campus. Three free tickets to a home game is the only thing a coach can give you during an unofficial visit.
Some of the more frequently asked NCAA recruiting questions by parents and student-athletes about the recruiting process.
Do I have to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center?
When do I need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center?
What is involved with the registration process?
Does it cost to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center?
What are core courses?
Can I use a core course taken after I graduated?
How is my GPA figured to determine my eligibility status?
What are the core courses that I need to take to become eligible for Division I and Division II?
You can find that information on this page, under “NCAA Eligibility Info”.
What is a sliding scale?
It is a scale that allows you to have lower test scores but a higher GPA and vice versa to qualify for your academic eligibility. If your GPA is very high then your ACT and SAT test scores can be relatively low and you can still be eligible. You need to make sure you fall within this scale provided by the NCAA. You can find the sliding scale information on this page under “NCAA Eligibility Info”.
What is the sum score that is mentioned when determining my ACT or SAT scores?
Why is there no talk about Division III and the eligibility center?
Red Shirt / Green Shirt / Gray Shirt
Red Shirting
A red shirt athlete does not compete in any competition for a full academic year, which will maintain their four seasons of college eligibility.
If a college athlete plays in even just a minute of one game or match against another team, they can no longer be red-shirted.
Green Shirting
The term is used for Fall sport athletes (primarily in football) who graduate from high school a semester early. The reason is to enroll in college and participate in spring practice in their sport so that they can learn the plays, train with their team, and start attending classes before their initial Fall season.
Gray Shirting
This term is used to designate a high school athlete who is delaying their initial enrollment in a college. The athlete, usually an NCAA Division I football athlete, doesn’t enroll in college in the Fall immediately after high school graduation, but will delay enrollment until the Spring semester. The advantage in gray shirting is giving the player an additional spring semester to use during their eligibility. So, rather than entering school during the semester in which competition will begin, you enter the school in a spring semester giving you more preparation time before your first semester of competitive play.
What does the grey shirt mean to the individual athlete? Typically, the athlete goes to junior college where they can begin taking college courses. The athlete can not take 12 credits or more. Taking 12 credits or more of college courses will essentially start that athlete’s “eligibility clock”. Athletes are also responsible for paying for the classes they are taking at the junior college.
Any high school athlete looking to play college sports must take the ACT and/or SAT. Receiving high test scores will increase a recruit’s chances of an athletic and/or academic scholarship.
What Athletes Need to Know About the SAT
The SAT is designed to assess your academic readiness for college.
Go to www.collegeboard.com and register to take the SAT.
- – Colleges require that you take the SAT Reasoning Test. You may also be interested in the
SAT Subject Test as they offer you additional opportunity to show college what you know and what you know you can do. - – Many colleges use the SAT Subject Tests for admission, for course placement, and to advise students about course selection. Some colleges specify the SAT Subject Tests that they require for admission or placement; other allow applicants to choose which tests to take.
- – The SAT test on reading (reading passages and sentence completions), writing (short essay and multiple-choice questions on identifying errors and improving grammar and usage) and math (questions on arithmetic operations, algebra, geometry, statistics and probability) that you learn in school and that are critical for success in college and beyond. It gives both you and colleges a sense of how you’ll be able to apply the thinking, writing and study skills required for college course work.
- – The SAT also provides the opportunity for you to connect to scholarship opportunities, place out of certain college courses and learn more about your academic strengths.
- – The SAT tests are offered several times a year. Most students take the SAT for the first time during the spring of their junior year and a second time during the fall of their senior year.
- – It is a good idea to practice before taking your SAT. The College Board website has free practice tests as well as study guides available to purchase. For more help visit: CollegeBoard.org/Practice
- – IMPORTANT: On the day of the SAT you will have to have an admission ticket to write your SAT. Print this out from the College Board website when you register. Bring it to the testing center where you will be taking your SAT.
- – IMPORTANT: Your SAT scores have to be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center. Use code 9999 when filling out your form so they get sent there.
What Athletes Need to Know About the ACT
The ACT test assesses high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.
Go to www.actstudent.org and register to take the ACT.
- – The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.
- – The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.
- – The ACT includes 215 multiple-choice questions and takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete, including a short break (or just over four hours if you are taking the ACT Plus Writing).
- – The main four tests are scored individually on a scale of 1-36, and a composite score is provided which is the whole number average of the four scores.
- – The ACT is administered on six test dates within the United States each year, and you cannot take the ACT more than 12 times.
- – Basic registration to take the ACT cost $36.50
- – For practice visit the ACT Test Prep Center: Click Here
- – IMPORTANT: Your ACT scores have to be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center. Use code 9999 when filling out your form so they get sent there.
- – IMPORTANT: After registering, print your admission ticket. You will need your admission ticket, and your Personal ID to be allowed to take the test.
Official & Unofficial Visits, Verbal Offers, Walk-ons, National Letter of Intent
National Letter of Intents
By signing a National Letter of Intent, a prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the designated college or university. The National Letter of Intent has many advantages to both prospective student-athletes and participating educational institutions. Find out what they are.
Verbal Offers
A verbal offer is a commitment to a school before the student-athlete signs a National Letter of Intent. The commitment is NOT binding on either the high school athlete or the college. So what does that mean?
College Walk-On
Walking-on to play college sports is very common. Athletes are finding the opportunity to walk-on a better option than playing at a school that isn’t a good fit. What does it mean to be a college walk-on?
Official Visits
If you are taking official visits to colleges, you are high on a college’s recruiting board. This is a great sign if you are a recruit. What are official visits, and what should you expect on your visit?
Unofficial Visits
Unofficial visits are a great opportunity to learn more about schools you are wanting to possibly attend. Recruits should take unofficial visits throughout high school. How can recruits use an unofficial visit to their recruiting advantage?
Sport-by-Sport Scholarship Stats
What are the odds of you playing College or Pro Sports?
Most high school athletes have the goal of playing sports in college, but what are the odds of playing college sports? There are millions of high school athletes across the country seeking college scholarships, but the truth is, there just aren’t that many spots available in college. It gets even more limited when trying to go from college to professional.
Football Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering football scholarships
- NCAA FBS = 120
- NCAA FCS = 118
- NCAA Division III = 239 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 91
- Junior College = 69
Number of available football scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA FBS = 85
- NCAA FCS = 63
- NCAA Division III = 0
- NAIA = 24
- Junior College = 85
Men’s Basketball Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering basketball scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 346
- NCAA Division II = 289
- NCAA Division III = 416 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA Division I = 112
- NAIA Division II = 148
- Junior College = 434
Number of available basketball scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 13
- NCAA Division II = 10
- NCAA Division III = 0
- NAIA Division I = 11
- NAIA Division II = 6
- Junior College = 15
Women’s Basketball Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering women’s basketball scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 344
- NCAA Division II = 290
- NCAA Division III = 439 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA Division I = 111
- NAIA Division II = 148
- Junior College = 397
Number of available women’s basketball scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 15
- NCAA Division II = 10
- NCAA Division III = 0
- NAIA Division I = 11
- NAIA Division II = 6
- Junior College = 15
Baseball Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering baseball scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 298
- NCAA Division II = 259
- NCAA Division III = 374 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 212
- Junior College = 511
Number of available baseball scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 11.7
- NCAA Division II = 9
- NCAA Division III = 0
- NAIA = 12
- Junior College = 24
Cross Country Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering cross country scholarships
- NCAA Division I = TBD
- NCAA Division II = TBD
- NCAA Division III = TBD (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = TBD
- Junior College = TBD
Number of available cross country scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = TBD
- NCAA Division II = TBD
- NCAA Division III = TBD
- NAIA = TBD
- Junior College = TBD
Field Hockey Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering field hockey scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 79
- NCAA Division II = 26
- NCAA Division III = 158 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
Number of available field hockey scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 12
- NCAA Division II = 6.3
- NCAA Division III = 0
Golf Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering Men’s golf scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 300
- NCAA Division II = 231
- NCAA Division III = 293 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 170
- Junior College = 193
Number of schools offering Women’s golf scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 263
- NCAA Division II = 181
- NCAA Division III = 184 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 146
- Junior College = 54
Number of available Men’s golf scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 4.5
- NCAA Division II = 3.6
- NCAA Division III = 0
- NAIA = 5
- Junior College = 8 (varies per school)
Golf is an equivalency sport for NCAA scholarship purposes, so partial scholarships can be awarded to meet the limit per school. For example, an NCAA Division I school can award 9 male golfers each a 1/2 scholarship and still meet the limit of 4.5 per school.
Number of available Women’s golf scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 6
- NCAA Division II = 5.4
- NCAA Division III = 0
- NAIA = 5
- Junior College = 8 (varies per school)
Golf is an equivalency sport for NCAA scholarship purposes, so partial scholarships can be awarded to meet the limit per school. For example, an NCAA Division I school can award 12 female golfers each a 1/2 scholarship and still meet the limit of 6 per school.
Men's Lacrosse Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering men’s lacrosse scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 60
- NCAA Division II = 38
- NCAA Division III = 166 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- Junior College = 44
Number of available men’s lacrosse scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 12.6
- NCAA Division II = 10.8
- NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- Junior College = 20 (varies per school)
Women's Lacrosse Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering women’s lacrosse scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 91
- NCAA Division II = 54
- NCAA Division III = 202 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- Junior College = 17
Number of available women’s lacrosse scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 12
- NCAA Division II = 9.9
- NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- Junior College = 20 (varies per school)
Men's Ice Hockey Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering men’s ice hockey scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 58
- NCAA Division II = 6
- NCAA Division III = 72 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NJCAA = 9
- ACHA = 346
Number of available men’s ice hockey scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 18
- NCAA Division II = 13.5
- NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NJCAA = 16
Women's Ice Hockey Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering women’s ice hockey scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 35
- NCAA Division II = 2
- NCAA Division III = 47 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- ACHA = 46
Number of available women’s ice hockey scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 18
- NCAA Division II = 18
- NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
Soccer Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering soccer scholarships
Men’s Soccer:
- NCAA Division I = 204
- NCAA Division II = 181
- NCAA Division III = 407 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 218
- Junior College = 221
Women’s Soccer:
- NCAA Division I = 322
- NCAA Division II = 228
- NCAA Division III = 428 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 219
- Junior College = 186
Number of available soccer scholarships (per school) at each level
Men’s Soccer:
- NCAA Division I = 9.9
- NCAA Division II = 9
- NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 12
- Junior College = 18
Women’s Soccer:
- NCAA Division I = 14
- NCAA Division II = 9.9
- NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 12
- Junior College = 18
Softball Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering softball scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 289
- NCAA Division II = 268
- NCAA Division III = 411 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 210
- Junior College = 361
Number of available softball scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 12
- NCAA Division II = 7.2
- NCAA Division III = 0
- NAIA = 10
- Junior College = 24 (varies per school)
Swimming Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering swimming scholarships
Men’s Swimming:
- NCAA Division I = 143
- NCAA Division II = 58
- NCAA Division III = 200 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 22
- Junior College = 20
Women’s Swimming:
- NCAA Division I = 200
- NCAA Division II = 77
- NCAA Division III = 242 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 31
- Junior College = 21
Number of available swimming scholarships (per school) at each level
Men’s Swimming:
- NCAA Division I = 9.9
- NCAA Division II = 8.1
- NCAA Division III = 0
- NAIA = 8
- Junior College = 15 (varies per school)
Women’s Swimming:
- NCAA Division I = 14
- NCAA Division II = 8.1
- NCAA Division III = 0
- NAIA = 8
- Junior College = 15 (varies per school)
Tennis Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering tennis scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 264
- NCAA Division II = 167
- NCAA Division III = 328 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 102
- Junior College = 77
Number of available tennis scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 4.5
- NCAA Division II = 4.5
- NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 5
- Junior College = 0
Track and Field Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering track and field scholarships
Men’s Track & Field:
- NCAA Division I = 279
- NCAA Division II = 164
- NCAA Division III = 271 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 157
- Junior College = 78
Women’s Track & Field:
- NCAA Division I = 319
- NCAA Division II = 175
- NCAA Division III = 279 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 162
- Junior College = 82
Number of available track & field scholarships (per school) at each level
Men’s Track & Field:
- NCAA Division I = 12.6
- NCAA Division II = 12.6
- NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 12
- Junior College = 20
Women’s Track & Field:
- NCAA Division I = 18
- NCAA Division II = 12.6
- NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 12
- Junior College = 20
Volleyball Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering volleyball scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 329
- NCAA Division II = 277
- NCAA Division III = 430(however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 240
- Junior College = 303
Number of available volleyball scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 12
- NCAA Division II = 8
- NCAA Division III = 0
- NAIA = 8
- Junior College = 14 (varies per school)
Water Polo Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering water polo scholarships
Men’s Water Polo:
- NCAA Division I = 21
- NCAA Division II = 9
- NCAA Division III = 16 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
Women’s Water Polo:
- NCAA Division I = 31
- NCAA Division II = 10
- NCAA Division III = 20 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
Number of available water polo scholarships (per school) at each level
Men’s Water Polo:
- NCAA Division I = 4.5
- NCAA Division II = 4.5
- NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
Women’s Water Polo:
- NCAA Division I = 8
- NCAA Division II = 8
- NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
Wrestling Scholarship Stats
Number of schools offering wrestling scholarships
- NCAA Division I = 84
- NCAA Division II = 47
- NCAA Division III = 89 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 38
- Junior College = 44
Number of available wrestling scholarships (per school) at each level
- NCAA Division I = 9.9
- NCAA Division II = 9
- NCAA Division III = 0 (however D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships)
- NAIA = 8
- Junior College = 16 (varies per school)
NAIA Recruiting Information
The NAIA recruiting information is less cumbersome, with few restrictions on the contact between a student-athlete and a college coach. This levels the playing field for NAIA institutions to compete against NCAA schools.
The NAIA has around 300 colleges and universities. The appeal that the NAIA has to offer is their smaller class sizes and tight-knit campus communities, the ability to transfer and not lose any eligibility, there are fewer recruiting rules and restrictions, and you have the opportunity to compete for championships. Not everyone has the ability or academics to play NCAA sports. The NAIA is a terrific chance for any student-athlete looking to earn a scholarship.
Each NAIA institution will have its own academic requirements that you must meet, and the NAIA association has an overview of recruiting rules and requirements that student-athletes must meet.

Student-athletes must meet 2 of the 3 requirements below in order to be eligible for the NAIA...
- Achieve a minimum of 18 on the ACT or 860 on the SAT.
- Achieve a minimum overall high school GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Graduate in the top half of your graduating class.
If you are looking to play college athletics at the NAIA level, you must follow these steps.
- Register with the NAIA Eligibility Center and pay the $70 fee ($120 for international students).
- Submit your info: contact info, address, high school attended, sport(s) played.
- Insert the code: 9876 when taking the ACT and/or SAT on the lists of places test scores should be sent.
- Have your guidance counselor send your official transcripts to the NAIA Eligibility Center (address below)
NAIA Eligibility Center – Transcripts
P.O. Box 15340
Kansas City, MO 64106
The NAIA and NCAA are two separate associations, with different rules and eligibility process. Your eligibility with the NCAA is separate from your eligibility with the NAIA.
Quick Facts About The NAIA
- The NAIA sponsors 13 sports and determines 23 national championships.
- 60,000 student athletes compete at NAIA member schools.
- There are nearly 300 NAIA colleges and universities.
- NAIA schools award more than $500 million in financial aid each year.
Does The NAIA have national letters of intent?
As an association, the NAIA does not have a letter of intent program in which students sign a binding agreement to participate in athletics at a particular institution. Student-athletes may sign letters of intent with an individual NAIA school, however, they aren’t obligated to attend that institution. That said, some NAIA conferences require their member schools to recognize letters of intent that are signed with other institutions within the conference. Please check with your prospective school to see if any conference programs apply.
What are the amount of scholarships awarded at the NAIA level?
Each sport has scholarship limits set by the NAIA, but those scholarships can be dispensed as partial awards to spread financial aid around among athletes. Each sport has an overall limit on the amount of financial aid it can award as full or partial.
For example, the overall limit in Track & Field is 12. Track & Field scholarships can be awarded to any number of students (for example, 2 full scholarship, 9 half awards and 24 quarter awards) as long as the combined total does not exceed 12.
Limits on the total amount of aid that can be given to varsity athletes in each sport...
Baseball = 12 scholarships
Golf = 5 scholarships
Tennis = 5 scholarships
Basketball (Division I) = 11 scholarships
Basketball (Division II) = 6 scholarships
Softball = 10 scholarships
Wrestling = 8 scholarships
Soccer = 12 scholarships
Track & Field = 12 scholarships
Cross Country = 5 scholarships
Swimming & Diving = 8 scholarships
Volleyball = 8 scholarships
Football = 24 scholarships
Junior College Recruiting Information
National Junior College Athletic Association
Going the junior college route gives you the opportunity to improve your athletic skills while earning credits toward a degree. You can transfer after two years, and still, have two years of playing eligibility. Many coaches are now looking for junior college prospects to come in and compete right away.
The NJCAA serves as the national governing body for two-year college athletics in the United States and is the nation’s second-largest national intercollegiate sports organization (second to the NCAA). Each year nearly 60,000 student-athletes from 525 member colleges compete in 28 different sports.
What are the eligibility requirements for junior college?
- ● Every student must be a high school graduate with an academic diploma, general education diploma or a State Department of Education approved high school equivalency test.
- ● Each institution is different when it comes to academic eligibility requirements. It is recommended that each potential student-athlete discuss their athletic eligibility with the specific college.
What are the junior college recruiting rules?
- ● No institution shall permit an athlete to be solicited to attend by the promise of a gift or inducement other than an athletic scholarship.
- ● An institution may pay for one visit to its campus by direct route, for a stay not to exceed two days and two nights. The paid visit must be limited to the campus and local community where the college is located.
- ● A student-athlete must have completed his/her junior year in high school in order to receive an official recruiting visit by a member NJCAA college.
- ● While recruiting a potential athlete on campus, a college representative may purchase meals for the athlete. The value of the meals may not exceed the amount provided to a college employee while traveling on college business.
Does the NJCAA have National Letter of Intents?
The NJCAA Letter of Intent is used to commit an individual to a specific institution for a period of one academic year. The form is only valid for NJCAA member colleges and has no jurisdiction over NCAA or NAIA colleges. The student may not, however, sign an NJCAA Letter of Intent with two NJCAA colleges. If a student does sign with two NJCAA colleges, that student will become immediately ineligible to compete in NJCAA competition for the next academic year in any sport.
What type of scholarship funds can NJCAA schools offer?
Each institution belonging to the NJCAA can choose to compete on the Division I, II or III level in designated sports.
- ● Division I colleges may offer full athletic scholarships
- ● Division II colleges are limited to awarding tuition, fees, books and up to $250 in course required supplies
- ● Division III institutions may provide no athletically related financial assistance.
What sports are offered by the NJCAA?
The NJCAA provides opportunities for participation, including National Championships, for student-athletes in the following sports:
- ● Fall Baseball – Men’s
- ● Spring Baseball – Men’s
- ● Basketball – Men/Women
- ● Bowling – Men/Women
- ● Cross Country – Men/Women
- ● Football – Men’s
- ● Fall Golf – Men/Women
- ● Spring Golf – Men/Women
- ● Half Marathon – Men/Women
- ● Ice Hockey – Men’s
- ● Indoor Track and Field – Men/Women
- ● Outdoor Track and Field – Men/Women
- ● Spring Lacrosse – Men/Women
- ● Fall Lacrosse – Men/Women
- ● Fall Softball – Women’s
- ● Spring Softball – Women’s
- ● Fall Soccer – Men/Women
- ● Spring Soccer – Men/Women
- ● Swimming & Diving – Men/Women
- ● Fall Tennis – Men/Women
- ● Spring Tennis – Men/Women
- ● Fall Volleyball – Women’s
- ● Spring Volleyball – Women’s
- ● Wrestling – Men’s
NCAA Transfer Rules
How to Make Sure You Are a Transfer Athlete
Common Ways That an Athlete Can Trigger Transfer Status
To be a transfer, you meet one of the conditions in these lists at one school, and then enroll at another school. Here are the common ways to trigger transfer status: (from most common to least common)
- You were officially enrolled full-time for a regular term (fall or spring semester, fall, winter, or spring quarter) and present at the school on the first day of classes for that term (this is most common)
- You reported for a regular squad practice prior to the start of classes (this is second most common)
- You participated in practice or competed even if you were not enrolled full-time (this is third most common)
Less Common Ways That an Athlete Might Trigger Transfer Status
- You attended a class while enrolled full-time, even if you were only provisionally admitted and later denied admission
- You attend a night school enrolled full-time if the night school has the same terms as the institution’s day school and considers you to be a regular full-time student
- You received financial aid from the school to attend summer school prior to starting classes (unless you are denied admissions).
How to Know What Type of Transfer You Are
2-4 Transfers (Junior College or Community College Transfer)
A 2-4 transfer is a transfer from a two-year college (junior or community college) to a four-year college. There are two different types of 2-4 transfers with different requirements to play right away.
A 2-4 qualifier transfer is a transfer from a two-year college who has been certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center as a final academic qualifier. If an athlete has not been certified yet as a qualifier, he or she may go through the Eligibility Center process after starting at the two-year college. However, an athlete may not use any course work or standardized tests (SAT/ACT) taken after starting college to become a qualifier.
Non-Qualifiers 2-4 Transfers
A 2-4 non-qualifier transfer is a transfer from a two-year college who has not been certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center as a final academic qualifier. This includes athletes who received final certification in Divisions One and Two, athletes who received final certification in Division Two, and athletes who have not received any final certification from the Eligibility Center.
4-4 Transfers (Four Year Transfer)
A 4-4 transfer is a transfer from one four-year college to another four-year college. This includes transfers from one NCAA school to another, transfers from NAIA schools to NCAA schools (or vice versa) and transfers from colleges that do not offer athletics (like international colleges) to NCAA or NAIA schools.
4-2-4 Transfers
A 4-2-4 transfer is a transfer from a four-year college to a two-year college then to another four-year college. In Division One, 4-2-4 transfers have an entirely separate set of transfer rules. In Division Two, the 4-2-4 transfer rules are mixed up with the 2-4 transfer rules and are most similar to the rules that apply to non-qualifiers.
This guide is designed to explain the NCAA transfer rules for college student-athletes. This will help breakdown the process athletes will go through when determining their eligibility should they decide to transfer. RecruitLook has outlined the information to assist you in determining what kind of transfer you are and what you’ll need to do.
NCAA Four Year Transfer Rules
Transferring from one 4-year school to another 4-year school, also known as 4-4 transfer, is one of the more complex situations for an athlete when looking to transfer. There has been a significant jump in athletes transferring schools recently, and RecruitLook Scouts think a lot has to do with the lack of research athletes do when making a decision on college. Too many athletes focus in on going to a school based on the name on the jersey and not what is the best fit for the athlete.
Here is information to help athletes know what their rights are, and to make sure they are eligible once the transfer is complete.
Junior College Transfer Rules
Junior college transfer rules, also known as 2-4 transfers, are not as abstruse as the NCAA 4-year transfer rules. However, it is critical you get the athletic departments from both the school you are transferring from and to involved early.
The information below better explains the transfer process based on your transfer status as a qualifier or non-qualifier. You cannot transfer on your own, you will need to enlist the help of your athletic department.
NCAA Transfer Exceptions
The NCAA transfer process is full of rules and regulations that can determine when and where athletes are eligible to transfer. It gets even murkier when scholarship monies start to get discussed. Below are some exceptions and petitions you can file to receive a more favorable outcome.
College Athlete Transfers Known As 4-2-4
Transferring from one 4-year school to JUCO and back to another 4-year school is known as a 4-2-4 transfer. This is common in college athletics nowadays. Several factors might be the cause as to why athletes transfer, but the goal of the transfer is ultimately to get a fresh start.
Once you get to college as a recruited athlete, college coaches in most cases stop tracking you; therefore, going the Junior College route is a great option to build up your recruiting ranking again. If you were at a 4-year school and didn’t see much action — college coaches don’t want to go back and recruit you based on your highlight resume and video. They’ll want to see you compete at the college level and JUCO is that option.
Here is information to help athletes know what their rights are, and to make sure they are eligible once the transfer is complete.
College Recruiting Tips For Athletes
Earning a full-ride athletic scholarship is every high school athlete’s dream.

Are you getting recruited?
Athletes have a hard time distinguishing what the level of recruiting interest they are actually receiving. Throughout high school, athletes will receive different recruiting interest from college coaches. It is important to know what all of it means. Click below to learn more about each grade level, the recruitment tactic, and what it means for an athlete’s recruiting.
Freshman Year Recruiting
As you progress through high school you will need to know more about the recruitment process. However, for now, we need to prepare you for the next 4 years. Here are a few pointers that will help you prepare for the future.
Sophomore Year Recruiting
You will begin receiving brochures, questionnaires, and other collegiate information from college recruiters. Although coaches are limited with how they can contact you, you will still be getting evaluated on the field. Here are some pointers to get you prepared.
Junior Year Recruiting
Your junior year is the most critical year in the recruiting process. College coaches are spending majority of their recruiting efforts on junior recruiting classes. Be prepared!
Senior Year Recruiting
You need to stay focused on earning an athletic scholarship. If you are just now starting the recruiting process then you are a bit behind schedule; however, there is still time to get noticed. Let’s look at what athletes should be doing their senior season.

Student-athletes need to proactively market their skills in order to get seen by college coaches.
When should athletes start the college recruiting process?
It is essential for athletes to be proactive with their college recruitment. There is a lot of competition for a limited amount of scholarship money. It is the athletes that can effectively execute a marketing campaign that will receive the most recruiting attention. Make sure you know how to get recruited.
The earlier you start the better off you will be. You definitely do not want to wait until your senior year. Ideally, you should start prepping your sophomore year in high school, and by the time you are a junior, your marketing plan will be in full swing. The NCAA has rules that prohibit college recruiters from contacting high school athletes until they are finished with their junior year (emails are okay as a junior).
You can contact coaches via email or phone as a sophomore, and coaches can send you questionnaires and brochures about camps; however, the real recruiting starts when you become a junior in high school. That is when coaches start deciding what they need for the upcoming recruiting classes. Coaches begin to take more of an interest in your highlight videos and start to follow your press clippings as you become a legit prospect. The competitiveness of the recruiting game has changed with the advancements of technology. If you are not out there marketing your skills then there is a good chance that you’ll be looked over.
When your junior year begins you should email your recruiting profile to the schools on your target list. Depending on responses you can follow up with a phone call. Don’t sit back and hope college scouts are going to discover you; you need to be proactive and get your name out there early your junior year. Deciding on a school doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process and you want to allow plenty of time in case your target schools aren’t interested.
How to Start Your Recruiting
Online Recruiting Profile
Every college coach has used the internet in some form or fashion to recruit. That means it is important for athletes to have a recruiting profile that showcases their talents.
Target the Right Schools
It is important that you do some research on schools that are on your target list. A very small percentage of college athletes go on to play professionally, but they do go on to become professionals in some field.
Recruiting Questionnaire
Recruiting Questionnaires are important when athletes begin to research and contact schools. College coaches use these forms to recruit. Read why recruiting questionnaires are important, and read what college coaches had to say about the questionnaires.
Highlight Videos
It’s difficult for coaches to travel all over the country to see recruits play. The easiest solution to get around coaches’ busy lifestyle – send them a highlight video. It is much more convenient for a coach to sit in his office and watch a 3-5 minute video of you then it is to travel across the country. Read how to create the perfect video.
Contacting College Coaches
You have done everything you need to do to begin the college recruiting process. You now need to let the college coaches know how good you are on the field and in the classroom. There is a right way and a wrong to do that. How should athletes first contact a college coach?
Keeping in contact with college coaches is an essential part of the college recruiting process.
Texting
The NCAA rules on texting have changed to allow for more communication between college coaches and recruits. Coaches are using texting to frequently keep tabs on potential recruiting targets. There are some important rules to follow when texting with a college coach.
Calling
This is your best way to get answers from a coach while being able to develop a friendship/relationship with them, and getting the coaches to trust in you and to let them know you genuinely care about their program. What kind of conversations can an athlete expect from a college coach?
When Is the Best Time to Call a College Coach?
College coaches are extremely busy throughout the course of a day and/or week. There are strategies recruits should consider when attempting to make contact with a college coach. Find out the secrets.
What Questions Can an Athlete Expect to Hear from a College Coach?
A college coach is going to have certain questions that they’ll ask when talking with potential recruits. It is smart to be prepared for the conversation. It is important for the recruit to have a basic understanding of what questions the college coach is going to ask.
What Questions Should Athletes Ask College Coaches?
Recruits should have certain questions prepared to ask college coaches in order to learn more about the school and sports program. Getting important answers from college scouts will help in an athlete’s athletic recruitment process.
Our staff of former athletes, high school coaches, and college coaches wanted to share some important recruiting tips with you.
Know Your Recruiting Potential
Many recruits like to think that they are division one talent, but the market is saying they are division two or lower; however, recruits still only try to land division one scholarships. That is not a good strategy. You are limiting your opportunities. How can you avoid this scenario?
No Scholarship? Here’s Why
Most recruits think that if they are good that a college scout will find them, and that their athletic ability is what will land them a college scholarship. College scouts are looking for more than just a talented athlete. Here are 3 very common reasons recruits get overlooked.
About Email Blasting…
Sending out emails is a crucial step in the college recruiting process. However, many recruits fall victim of recruiting services that promise to send out thousands of emails on the recruit’s behalf. This is a major red flag and college coaches hate it!
College Recruiting Budgets
Each university or college has a different recruiting budget for the year. The division one schools will have bigger budgets than division two schools, and athletic programs will give money making sports more money for recruiting. It is important to know how a school’s recruiting budget plays a role in your recruitment!
Have Recruiting Options
One of the biggest mistakes an athlete can make during the college recruiting process is limiting their recruiting options. College coaches are talking with multiple recruits, and athletes should be doing the same with college coaches. How can you boost your college recruiting options?
College Recruiting Stories
*Names and schools have been changed for confidentiality purposes.
Negotiating a College Scholarship
This case study highlights how to properly negotiate with college coaches to get the best possible scholarship offer available. Many families think the first offer is the only offer. We have the right strategy to ensure you get multiple offers!
Late Starting Your Recruitment
Athletes will put off their college recruitment thinking they’ll either eventually get discovered, or that they can get it all done during their senior year. College coaches start recruiting as young as 9th grade! How do athletes overcome starting the college recruiting process late?
The Right Recruiting Strategy
You always hear about the good athlete that is getting zero recruiting attention. It happens every year! Most time, the athlete’s recruiting plan to get college coaches to notice him/her is horribly planned out. The right recruiting strategy will significantly increase your scholarship offers.
Lack of Recruiting Attention
There are many factors that might attribute to why a recruit is not getting the recruiting attention they deserve. RecruitLook Scouts see top talent get passed over year-after-year. Our team knows how to overcome the lack of recruiting exposure you are receiving. We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again!
Handling Scholarship Offers
All recruits should know how to handle scholarship offers. Just because a recruit has scholarship offers does not guarantee scholarship money. Too many recruits are losing scholarship leads and offers because they are not educated on how to maintain the offer.
Navigating College Scholarship Offers
Most every athlete, and parent for that matter, wants to get a full-ride scholarship when seeking college scholarship opportunities. The goal should be to get the most possible money from the coach and university. It’s very important that an athlete ask the right questions when making the decision on which school to attend, especially if there is money on the table.
What College Coaches Say About Recruiting
How to Build Your College Recruiting Brand
WHY SHOULD AN ATHLETE BLOG?
If an athlete is relying on their talent to do the recruiting for them, then they run the risk of never being discovered. With an abundant amount of media outlets vying for recruiting coverage, college coaches/recruiting coordinators are using the internet to search for athletes. Coaches will search for certain recruiting needs, or they could be searching the internet to learn more about certain recruits. Furthermore, to answer the question as to why an athlete should be blogging on RecruitLook…RecruitLook ranks highest amongst keywords than their competitors.
BLOGGING IS A GREAT WAY FOR HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES TO GET MORE COLLEGE RECRUITING EXPOSURE.
One important thing to keep in mind when it comes to the college recruiting process is: What do coaches know about you, and how can you get that info in front of them?
A simple answer is to have a personal blog. A blog is a great way to share your experiences during your high school career. Blogging will give college coaches an easier way to find and learn more about you.
Every RecruitLook athlete has their own personal blog on their recruiting profile…for free! College coaches live a very busy lifestyle, and it is difficult for them to keep up with all their possible recruits. RecruitLook helps to bridge that gap with athlete blogs! College coaches can read athlete blogs for quick, real-time information on their potential recruits. The same thing applies to athletes. Athletes can now share their achievements with the coaches recruiting them as well as coaches that are yet to discover them.
Searching Blogs
RecruitLook blogs are ranking high on Google search with a good amount of those blogs landing on the first page of Google just days after their post date. Let’s take a look at two different examples.
Blog Title: Jayson Tatum Recruiting
This was a blog about one of the best high school basketball recruits in the entire 2016 recruiting class. Jayson has thousands of articles and web mentions on the internet. Within 2 days after posting the blog, it appeared first page Google and #6 overall. The only sites that ranked higher for Jayson Tatum Recruiting search were ESPN, Rivals Network Sites, and Yahoo Sports. This is valuable for athletes that are landing on college coaches’ radars. A coach will find your blog immediately after searching Google. Then they can start to read about you and further evaluate you. Look at the photo below:
Blog Title: Top Long-Snapper for 2014
This blog was written by a RecruitLook member trying to get more college recruiting exposure. RecruitLook Scouts advised him to blog about all his recent accolades at a position (long-snapping) that is difficult to get recruiting attention for. This was a strategy that has paid off. His recruiting has picked up significantly with a blog with the above-mentioned title. College coaches in need of a 2014 long-snapper are finding him through his RecruitLook blog. If you search for anything with keywords pertaining to ‘2014 Long-Snappers’ then you’ll see his blog. His blog ranks 4th overall on Google search just days after posting it. The blog shows up behind 2 nationally renowned long-snapping schools, and it appears before 24/7 Sports, ESPN, and Youtube clips for long-snapping. See the picture below:
RecruitLook Profiles
RecruitLook blogs will appear in two locations for the athlete. One is on the RecruitLook homepage, and the other is on their Recruiting Profile. This gives coaches a direct spot to access athlete blogs, and more recruiting exposure for athletes when the blogs are on the RecruitLook homepage.
Blog Location: RecruitLook Homepage
Top blogs will be promoted on the RecruitLook homepage on the featured blog section. The 2 main scrollers in the large boxes, and the mini-scroller along the right side of the page. This is a great chance for athletes to get their blog posts read by college coaches and fans!
Blog Location: Athlete's Recruiting Profile
Blog posts will also appear on the athlete’s recruiting profile. This is very important for student-athletes that are trying to get recruited. The more that athletes are blogging about how wonderful they are, the more college coaches can learn about them. College coaches are doing as much research as possible on new recruits, so having a location on a recruiting profile that can give the coaches important information is paramount. Below is a screenshot of where each blog will appear on a recruit’s profile.
What Athletes Should Blog About for More Recruiting Exposure
Blogs need to focus on topics that will increase your recruiting potential. Don’t blog about what you had to eat that day or about your summer vacation trip. College coaches do not need or want to know that information. You should be blogging about topics that a college coach will be interested in.
How Athletes Should Maximize Blogs for Search Engine Rankings
It is very important that you blog, and it is just as important that you label your blog properly. In order to rank higher in Google, you’ll need to have your blog titled properly. The blogs mentioned earlier in this post were able to rank highly in a short time because they were titled properly. If the long-snapping blog was titled “I’m a long-snapper” then Google probably wouldn’t have ranked it; however, since it was labeled with what people are searching Google for, it was able to rank first page.
Social media has vastly changed the landscape of college recruiting. Student-athletes and parents can use this section to educate themselves on how to utilize social media for college recruiting exposure.
Social Media in Recruiting
With the popularity of social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, high school recruits are more under the microscope than ever before. Social media isn’t going anywhere, so athletes better become familiar with how to use it.
Twitter Costing Scholarships
High school athletes can lose out on a scholarship with a 140-character tweet! It has happened before and will continue to happen. What is costing athletes scholarships?
Social Media Advice
There are a few things every athlete should do to protect themselves on social media. These simple steps could be the difference on a scholarship offer or not.
Twitter Tips for Athletes
Twitter can definitely help an athlete land a scholarship just as easy as it can cost a scholarship. Read these tips from the RecruitLook team on how to use Twitter for your college recruitment.
Facebook Tips for Athletes
Facebook can definitely help an athlete land a scholarship just as easy as it can cost a scholarship. Read these tips from the RecruitLook team on how to use Facebook for your college recruitment.
Instagram Tips for Athletes
Instagram can definitely help an athlete land a scholarship just as easy as it can cost a scholarship. Read these tips from the RecruitLook team on how to use Instagram for your college recruitment.
Social Media In Athletic Recruiting
Social media has vastly changed the landscape of college athletic recruiting.
Social media in athletic recruiting is similar to the evolution of sending emails instead of letters. There is a new way to conduct business in high school and college athletic recruiting. Everyone is connected!Student-athletes can now display every move of their college recruitment, sharing and interacting with fans and college coaches as they decide on the right college choice.
With the popularity of social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, high school recruits are more under the microscope than ever before. College coaches are monitoring recruits to get a better understanding of their behavior and personality.
RecruitLook Scouts have discussed social media with college coaches on numerous occasions. Social media is fun and mindless for recruits; however, they don’t realize the potential severity of their actions on social media.
“We saw how a student-athlete conducted himself on the internet. We simply won’t put up with that potential headache. His twitter gave us a good idea of just how immature he really is. Social media has become a green screening process for us.” -Division Two Men’s Basketball Coach
In this technology and media-driven society that we live in, everything is out there for people to see. Recruits really need to be aware of what they are putting out there, and even how they are responding to critics.
“We’ve used Google to do research on recruits that we are looking at. You’ll be surprised by what we can dig up from their social media accounts.” -Ohio Valley Men’s Assistant Basketball Coach.
Now that there are people out there that want to stir up controversy and see a recruit stumble. Recruits need to not get in “social media beefs” with any of their followers. Let that stuff go. The best thing you can do is to send or tweet your message and then turn your notifications off.
Social media doesn’t always have to harm your athletic career. Athletes can boost their college recruitment by taking advantage of social media. At RecruitLook, we’ve connected athletes with college coaches through social media, and in a few cases, those athletes have received scholarship offers.
Athletes just need to be aware of what they are putting out there social media, and to remember that college coaches are always watching!