NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA Eligibility

Want to play sports at the collegiate level? Well there are certain things you need to know...

 

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the governing body for around 1200 schools. It consists of three divisions (Division I, II, and III) and oversees 23 sports. Divisions I and II both offer athletic scholarships, with over 126,000 student-athletes receiving partial or full athletic scholarships. However, Division III student-athletes can only receive academic or non-athletic scholarships – no athletic scholarships are allowed.

 

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) consists of 300 schools and 13 sports. The NAIA is a smaller association than the NCAA, with just over 60,000 students. It includes two divisions (Division I and II) and Division I in the NAIA is comparable to Division II in the NCAA. Over 90% of schools in the NAIA offer scholarships, and NAIA athletes receive an average of $7,000 of financial aid.

 

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is an association of community college and junior college athletic departments throughout the United States. It is divided into divisions and regions. The current NJCAA holds 24 separate regions.

 

Depending on which type of school you plan to attend and/or play sports for, you will be required to register on either the NCAA Eligibility Center or the NAIA Eligibility Center. In addition to registering you will have complete a minimum number of courses, earn a minimum GPA and score a certain SAT/ACT score.

 

For for more information on NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA eligibility please click on the following links:

Also check out the forms below for more info on the three organizations.