Academic Eligibility

BYU Athletic Communications | Posted May 18, 2011 1:21 PM | Updated Jan 5, 2012 4:28 PM

Initial Eligibility

“I am a high school student.  What should I do to make sure I will be academically eligible to be an NCAA Division I student-athlete?”

The NCAA Eligibility Center is an organization that clears all athletes (both domestic and international) for initial eligibility at the Division I level.  You should complete the following steps as soon as possible:

  1. Go to http://www.eligibilitycenter.com and register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. You can begin this process as a junior in high school.
  2. Upon completion of your junior year in high school, send an official transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
    • NCAA Eligibility Center
      1802 Alonzo Watford Senior Dr
      Indianapolis, IN 46202
  3. When you take the ACT or SAT, request that your scores be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center (as well as BYU). If you didn’t request the scores when you took the test, you may go to the testing center’s web site to have the scores electronically sent over. The Eligibility Center will NOT accept test scores as they appear on your high school transcript.
NCAA Core Course Standard*

4 years English

3 years Math (Algebra 1 or higher)

2 years Natural/Physical Science (1 year of lab if offered by high school)

2 years Social Science

1 year additional English, Math or Natural/Physical Science

4 years additional academic courses (in any of the above areas or foreign language)

=16 total core courses

*Students also need to achieve a test score that corresponds academically with their calculated core GPA.  This index may be found in the NCAA Division I manual.

Students who meet these academic standards will be certified as a qualifier. A qualifier is eligible to practice, compete, and receive an athletics scholarship as a freshman. A qualifier has five years to complete four seasons of eligibility, with the exception of a mission or military service.

Students who do not meet these academic standards will be certified as a non-qualifier. A non-qualifier:

  • May not attend BYU directly out of high school;
  • Is not eligible for regular season competition or practice during his or her first year in college;
  • May not receive athletics based financial aid as a freshman, but may receive regular need based financial aid if the school certifies that aid was granted without regard to athletics ability; and
  • May play only three seasons of competition. To earn a fourth season of competition, a non-qualifier must complete at least 80% of his or her degree before his or her fifth year of college.

Once accepted as a student-athlete into BYU, the student-athlete must meet academic eligibility standards each year to remain eligible.

Continuing Eligibility

“I am currently a student-athlete at a Division I institution.  What do I need to do to remain academic eligible?”

To maintain your eligibility:

  1. Pass at least 6 countable credits each semester
  2. Complete 24 credits prior to second year of enrollment
  3. Earn at least 18 countable credits during each academic year (excluding summer)
  4. Declare a major no later than the beginning of your fifth semester or third year of enrollment
  5. Complete 40%, 60%, and 80% of your degree requirements before the beginning of your third, fourth and fifth years of enrollment, respectively
  6. Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average that is 90% of minimum GPA required to graduate (at least 1.8) at the beginning of your second year, 95% of the minimum GPA (1.9) at the beginning of the fourth year and 100% of the minimum GPA (2.0) the fifth year.

*For transfer academic eligibility, please see the “TRANSFERS” section on our web site.