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NCAA Eligibility Center
In order to be eligible for practice and competition, every prospective student-athlete needs to meet NCAA Eligibility Center certification standards. The following step-by-step list shows how easy it is to go through the process:
  1. Register with the Eligibility Center here. Remember to save your Eligibility Center code and password.
  2. Have your SAT scores sent directly from the testing agency to the Eligibility Center. (Note that test scores cannot be sent from the high school or the student. The SAT source code for the Eligibility Center is "9999").
  3. Have your high school forward your final high school transcript with proof of graduation to the Eligibility Center IMMEDIATELY following your high school graduation.
  4. Check your Eligibility Center status periodically to find out what items are missing and take care of the issues IMMEDIATELY! Also, stay in good communication with your coach regarding your Eligibility Center status.
  5. If you have a need for a fee waiver, ask your high school guidance counselor to submit a letter on your behalf directly to the Eligibility Center stating that you have a need for a fee waiver. The only requirements are that this letter has to be on school letterhead and has to be signed by a school official like a guidance counselor or a principal. This letter can be faxed or mailed.
  6. After high school graduation log back in to the Eligibility Center to finalize your amateurism answers.
  7. Remember that a lot of prospective student-athletes are also going through this process at the same time and this overload can make the Eligibility Center process slow; therefore, make sure to act early and take care of any issues right away!

The Basics

Eligibility Center
  • The NCAA Initial Eligibility Center officially certifies student-athletes as academically eligible to compete based on requirements that include: coursework, GPA, and test scores. (The NCAA Eligibility Center's academic standards can be found in the Links section on this page.)
  • Many prospective student-athletes register with the Eligibility Center during their junior year of high school and will have their high schools forward their updated transcripts every semester until they submit their final transcript following graduation.
  • The Eligibility Center also officially certifies a student-athlete's initial amateurism status based on the answers provided by a student to the amateurism questions.

Recruiting
  • In most sports, recruiting materials cannot be sent to a prospective student-athlete until June 15 preceding the prospective student-athlete's junior year in high school.
  • Further, telephone calls to a prospective student-athlete may not be made before June 15 preceding the prospective student-athlete's junior year in high school.
  • Telephone calls are unlimited and are subject to NCAA recruiting calendar restrictions.
  • Coaches are also permitted to attend a prospective student-athlete's athletics events and visit a prospective student-athlete's high school and home during the recruiting process, but these contacts and evaluations are subject to NCAA recruiting calendar restrictions.

Unofficial Visits
  • A prospective student-athlete is permitted to visit any institution an unlimited number of times at any year in school at their own expense.
  • An institution is, however, permitted to provide three complimentary admissions to athletics events. 
  • An institution may provide one complimentary meal to the prospective student-athlete and relatives on or off campus. 

Official Visits
  • A prospective student-athlete is permitted to take a maximum of one official visit to a single institution, beginning no earlier than June 15 preceding the prospective student-athlete's senior year in most sports.
  • Before arriving on campus, a prospective student-athlete needs to provide their transcript and (ACT, SAT, or PSAT) test scores to the institution, as well as register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
  • The visit can last no longer than 48 hours and, during the visit, the institution is permitted to provide transportation, accommodations, entertainment, complimentary admissions, and meals.

National Letter of Intent (NLI)
  • The NLI is a one-year financial aid agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an institution dependent upon a prospective student-athlete meeting NCAA and institutional requirements. (To read more about the NLI, check out the NLI website located in the Links section on this page.)
  • NLIs are only permitted to be delivered via express mail, courier service, regular mail, and fax. NLIs can only be hand-delivered if a prospective student-athlete is on campus. An unlimited number of phone calls can be made to a prospective student-athlete surrounding the initial NLI signing date.
  • NLIs can only be issued after a prospective student-athlete has registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center.