The intent of the NCAA rules regarding academic eligibility is to ensure student-athletes are making meaningful progress towards receiving an undergraduate degree within a five-year time period. This page is designed to provide a description of these requirements, since it can place significant restrictions on student-athletes and the choices one makes regarding his/her academic progress.
NCAA academic eligibility requirements for student-athletes:
- Enroll in a minimum of 12 credit hours at all times. Withdrawing from a course will affect your enrollment and eligibility.
- Must pass at least 6 credit hours towards your degree each semester. NOTE: summer school, credits may not be used to meet this requirement.
- Must pass at least 18 credit hours towards your degree between the fall and spring terms each academic year. NOTE: summer school credits may not be used to meet this requirement.
- Maintain good academic standing with the University. A student-athlete on probation is still considered in good academic standing per University Policy.
- Must declare a major prior to the start of ones junior your year. The 40/60/80 percentage of degree requirements listed below must be met within your declared degree program.
All other academic eligibility requirements are based on total number of semesters you've been enrolled at any college/university:
| Progress Toward Degree Requirements |
| Enrollment Status |
Percent of Degree Requirement* |
GPA Requirement* |
| Start of Sophomore Year |
24 credit hours |
1.8 |
| Start of Junior Year |
40 percent of degree |
1.9 |
| Start of Senior Year |
60 Percent of degree |
2.0 |
| Start of 5th Year |
80 percent of degree |
2.0 |
* These requirements must be completed by the end of the specified year. Student-athletes may use summer school to meet these requirements provided the 6-hour and 18-hour requirements mentioned above have been met.
Changes to student-athlete major or schedule: Any change to a student-athlete's major or schedule can dramatically impact his/her NCAA academic eligibility. Before making change to a schedule or major, it is recommended student-athletes contact their academic coach.
Important points about eligibility
- Courses towards a minor may only be used to meet NCAA requirements if those courses are also required in ones major or fit within elective space in his/her major.
- Repeated courses may not be used to meet NCAA eligibility requirements. If a student-athlete wishes to repeat a course to improve your GPA, he/she may not count these courses towards eligibility.
- If a student-athletes major requires a minimum grade in a certain course, he/she must meet the grade requirement in order to count the course for NCAA eligibility.
- Winter term courses do not count towards full-time spring enrollment. Student-athletes must enroll in at least 12 credit hours during the spring semester.
