Eligibility is a very important recruiting topic. Many athletes have had to forfeit their ability to compete or sit-out for a full season in college because they did not become academically eligible.

You should start thinking about your academic eligibility right away as you enter high school, especially if you’re interested in being an athlete at any collegiate level, especially with NCAA programs. By focusing on your eligibility early, big step in taking ownership and will ensure that you’re on track to complete all core courses in time and you are maintaining the grade point average (GPA) requirements.

We’ve outlined the main eligibility requirements you need to meet to be eligible for NCAA, NAIA and JUCO schools, respectively. The best approach is to set academic goals for yourself based on the requirements of the schools on your target list as if you were a normal student. Then, make sure to stay on track with meeting academic eligibility requirements. If you can meet those standards, you will be eligible at all other division levels. If you’re struggling to stay caught up academically, review the standards for the specific division level you’re targeting to ensure you’re eligible for schools at that level.

AGAIN: Just because you meet the minimum academic eligibility requirements to compete at that division level, doesn’t mean you meet a school’s entrance requirements. BE FAMILIAR WITH COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY'S ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS. 

Being recruited by NCAA D1 or D2 schools? You’ll need to create an NCAA Certification Account. Through this account, the NCAA will assess your NCAA eligibility. The Certification Account is $90 for athletes in the U.S., U.S. territories and Canada. For international athletes-the cost is $150. If you are unable to pay this fee, the NCAA does have fee waiver options available. The main components that determine D1 and D2 NCAA eligibility are as follows:

Core Course Requirement—All athletes are required to pass 16 core courses in high school. There are a specific number of English, math, natural/physical science and social science classes that every athlete needs to take, and each high school has a list of approved NCAA Core Courses. Talk to your guidance counselor to ensure that your classes meet the core course requirement. There is a slight variation in the requirements for D1 and D2 schools. If you meet the D1 core course requirements, you will also be eligible at the D2 level. You also must complete 10 of your core courses by the end of your junior year. 

Core Course GPA—When determining if your GPA meets NCAA eligibility requirements, the NCAA only looks at the GPA for core courses—that’s it! If you failed a non-core class somewhere down the line, you’re okay. But you really can’t afford to fail a core course and shouldn't fail any course in general. The core course GPA minimum is 2.3 on a 4.0 scale. For Division 2 schools, the minimum is a 2.0. The NCAA provides a core course worksheet, but you should also meet with your guidance counselor. 

ACT/SAT Scores—Generally speaking, the minimum ACT or SAT scores for D1 NCAA eligibility or D2 NCAA eligibility depends on your core course GPA. Student-athletes must earn a minimum SAT or ACT score that matches their core-course GPA on the D1 or D2 sliding scale.

NCAA Sliding Scale—The NCAA uses a combination of your GPA, SAT or ACT scores in determining your eligibility. Athletes with a lower GPA can still be NCAA eligible if they meet the ACT/SAT score requirement outlined on the sliding scale. 

Division 3 schools are responsible for setting their own academic eligibility rules. If you are going to a D3 school, there is no reason to create a Certification Account with the NCAA, as they will not be reviewing your academic eligibility. If you are unsure what division level you will be competing at, start with a free NCAA Profile Page and you can easily transition to a Certification Account later if necessary.

Register for an NCAA Eligibility Center Account ASAP. 

NAIA eligibility is much more straightforward than NCAA D1 or D2 eligibility.

There are two main requirements every future NAIA athlete must meet:

You must be a graduate of an accredited high school
You must be accepted as a regular student in good standing.  (You will need to meet the regular entrance requirements of the NAIA school.)

In addition to these requirements, you must meet two of the three following criteria:

A minimum score of an 18 on your ACT or an 860 on your SAT (only in critical reading and math sections)
A high school GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
Rank in the top 50% of your graduating class

Register a Student-Athlete Profile within the NAIA Eligibility Center to get more familair with these requirements. 

Junior colleges have their own admissions and eligibility requirements but for the most part if you are a high school graduate, earning an approved standard academic diploma you will be eligible right away. Athletes can also be eligible if they’ve completed an approved high school equivalency test, like the GED. If you are looking to go the junior college route, it is best to ask the coaches what is needed to be eligible right away. There are several different junior college associations out there, like for example the State of California has its own junior college athletic association.