Student Athletes Must Meet Standards
Colleges and universities that are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) have rigid standards for their athletes and institutions to uphold.
Know the Difference
- What is the NCAA?
Around 1,100 colleges and universities are members of the NCAA, which comprises three divisions — Division I, Division II and Division III. The association represents larger universities and colleges in the U.S. and Canada. It was formed in 1906 as the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States to regulate the rules of college sport and protect young athletes. - What is the NAIA?
The NAIA isn’t as large as the NCAA and has fewer recruitment restrictions and less complex rules than the NCAA. Its predecessor is the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball, which was established in 1937. Its approach to the management of collegiate athletics is stated as Return on Athletics®(ROA), where data is used to analyze an institution’s overall success with regard to enrollment, student success and financial viability in order to maximize the business performance of their athletic departments.
What Your Student Can Do Now
- Know what it means to be a student-athlete.
Both associations require that student-athletes register with their organization’s eligibility center. Just like high school, the student must meet certain academic standards, as well as be certified as an amateur athlete. Additionally, 652 Division I and II NCAA member schools request that a National Letter of Intent be signed by highly recruited athletes, signifying an end to the recruiting process and the athlete’s commitment to a single institution. As of January 2023, standardized test scores are not required for all student-athletes who initially enroll full time on or after August 1, 2023. - Find out each college’s association affiliation.
If your student is considering becoming a student-athlete, research every college of interest to determine the association membership. The NCAA has a comprehensive Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete (PDF) to thoroughly read before registering in their Eligibility Center. The NAIA has an eligibility pathway through its website, where student-athletes register depending upon their status as a future or current student-athlete, etc. There is also a pathway for parents.
What Your Student Can Do Later
- Know how it relates to financial aid eligibility.
The NCAA distributes its revenue to member schools in allocations based upon each division. Schools then provide assistance to student-athletes according to divisional requirements. An athletic or financial aid office should be contacted for further details about NCAA distributions to your student-athlete. NAIA’s 241 member colleges and universities determine the amount of financial aid their student-athletes receive, which is limited to the actual costs the individual student-athlete has. Additionally, each sport has an overall limit on the amount of financial aid it can award to students playing that particular sport. - Commit to being a college student first.
Your student’s primary focus should still be toward making decisions about the future career path, the college major to choose and, most importantly, the college that will offer a supportive academic environment to pursue each.
What You Can Do
- Cautiously encourage your student.
If your student excels in a certain sport and wants to play at a collegiate level, help with the research about the NCAA, NAIA and the schools your student is exploring. It’s worth it to educate yourself in order to offer knowledgeable guidance. - Be honest about the facts.
There are nearly a half a million collegiate athletes, and a small percentage within each sport end up competing at the professional level. Their probability of earning a college degree is greater, according to NCAA research in 2020. In fact, less than 2% of student-athletes participating in sports with professional leagues become professional athletes. Offer the facts to your student while also fostering growth in a particular sport. Focus on the greater probability of earning a college degree while also playing a sport about which your student is passionate. That’s the win-win!
Registration is open now for a scholarship for Iowa high school students, not just seniors. The scholarship awards $1,000 College Savings Iowa deposits, which can be used when your student is ready to pay educational expenses. Register at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/ScholarshipSignUp.
Next Steps
Be sure to complete the survey questions at the end of this article to be entered into the 529 deposit giveaway!
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