NCAA High School Newsletter
September 2021

Are Your Student-Athletes Ready to Play?
Check our High School Timeline

As your student-athletes move semester by semester toward their dreams of collegiate play, initial-eligibility standards help ensure they are prepared to succeed in college. It's vital your student-athletes plan ahead and take their high school classes seriously. Encourage your student-athletes to use our high school timeline as a way to stay on track for meeting NCAA initial-eligibility requirements.

Click here for resources to share this timeline on your social media and newsletters.

Remember, NCAA core-course GPA starts in ninth grade!
Encourage your incoming ninth graders to register during eighth grade with a free Profile Page account so that they have time to plan for their ninth-grade classes. Click here for a checklist students can use during the registration process.

Reminder: Upload Sixth Semester Transcripts

If you haven't done so, please upload sixth semester transcripts for your senior student-athletes. For more information about sixth semester transcripts, see the graphics below.

Domestic high schools with High School Portal access may upload (best practice), mail or email academic records received from another cleared domestic or international high school or ministry office for a student-athlete with a Certification account.

Domestic schools (including U.S. territories): Click here to learn more about uploading transcripts.

International schools (including Quebec): Click here to learn more about submitting documents.

Request Final Amateurism Certification for Midyear Enrollees

Do you have student-athletes graduating in December? Student-athletes enrolling at an NCAA Division I or II school starting in winter/spring 2022 will be able to request final amateurism certification starting October 1.

To request final amateurism, your student must log in to their Eligibility Center account and complete the "Request Final Amateurism Certification" task. Students must have paid their registration fee or been approved for a fee waiver in order to request their final amateurism certification.

Have questions on how to request final amateurism? Click here to view our tutorial. If your student-athletes have questions, have them contact our staff at 877-262-1492—we're here for you and your students!

How to Request Final Amateurism Certification

High School Review Updates

Core-Course Criteria for Review

To best assist you and your student-athletes, the Eligibility Center's high school review staff has modernized the core-course criteria for review. As courses in business and entrepreneurship are becoming increasingly prevalent in high schools across the country, and in order to more accurately review these courses, the updated social science core course criteria now includes content and skills for business courses. Please review your current list of course offerings and if you believe a course may fit the new criteria, please submit it for review.

Additional Subjects

Did you know the additional subject area of your core-course list is comprised only of world language, comparative religion and philosophy course titles? Keep in mind that courses submitted in the additional subject area that are not world language, comparative religion or philosophy cannot be approved. Below are examples of titles that would receive a "not approved" decision if submitted in the additional subject area, but have the potential to be approved if submitted in a different core-course subject area:

AP computer science.
AP research.
Entrepreneurship.
Psychology.
Speech.

School Presentation Resources

When discussing options for students after graduation, many schools incorporate informational meetings about playing college sports during their school’s “College Nights” or other events throughout the year. The Eligibility Center can assist with these events.

Speaker Presentation Requests

To request assistance, begin by submitting our Presentation Inquiry Form. Be sure to provide us with as much detail as possible. We will respond to your request within five to 10 business days with next steps, with assistance in one of two ways:

Presentation Resources

We have prepared presentation resources to assist with these events and empower counselors, coaches and other administrators to give a detailed presentation about meeting academic and amateurism requirements.

Speaker Presentations

Some schools invite speakers who are experts in college sports eligibility to assist with these presentations. Although due to pandemic-related travel considerations and the volume and range of speaking requests received, the NCAA is unable to send staff members to most events, we may still be able to assist. If a counselor is not comfortable giving their own presentation, and our staff is not available for an in-person or virtual presentation, we will do our best to connect them with an NCAA member school in their area that has a compliance officer available to present at their event. If a staff member at a local NCAA school is unavailable, we will work with the counselor to ensure access to available materials.

Home School Umbrella Program Changes

Based on recent changes to the High School Review Committee’s policies and procedures, effective September 20, the Eligibility Center home school review process will no longer require home school umbrella programs to maintain high school accounts with the Eligibility Center.
Students who utilize umbrella programs will continue to register as home school students and go through the home school review process.

Please review the Home School Toolkit and other home school resources for more information on the NCAA initial-eligibility certification process for home school students.

2020-21 High School Survey Results

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2020-21 High School Survey!
The survey results are currently being analyzed to help drive the Eligibility Center's actions over the next school year. More than 2,900 participants reported a 96% overall satisfaction rate with the Eligibility Center.

In upcoming issues of this newsletter, we will be looking at additional results and suggestions submitted and the Eligibility Center's proactive response to growth and improvement based on those results. We look forward to learning from your input and continuing the discussion on how we can improve our support and collaboration with your high school.

Coming Soon: 2021-22 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete

This year's edition of the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete has been delayed to ensure it is reflecting the most recent changes impacting college-bound student-athletes. The 2021-22 edition will be released mid-October. Any orders received prior will be held and fulfilled with the 2021-22 edition when available.

The 2020-21 edition continues to be available for download here.

Sport Science Institute: Concussion Best Practices

While sport-related concussion is an inherent risk in all contact and collision sports, the Sport Science Institute has taken a leadership role (in collaboration with multiple key stakeholders) in evaluating the impact of concussions and repetitive head impact. Additionally, the SSI is developing groundbreaking research and best practices to mitigate the potential effects of head injuries in sport.

The SSI also provides resources to raise awareness of concussions among student-athletes and collaborates with more than a dozen medical associations, as well as administrators, athletic trainers and coaches, to provide detailed best practice recommendations through its NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook and through interassociation guidance and tools. Click here for more information and resources related to concussions and head injuries.

The Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete is our most comprehensive student resource.

Download

Our Initial-Eligibility Brochure provides a general overview of the NCAA Eligibility Center requirements.

Download

Students can learn which NCAA division may be right for them by comparing the three NCAA divisions.

Download

How to Create a Great College List | Full Guide Here

Current senior finalizing your college list? Junior looking to get a head start? Check out the full step-by-step guide, plus some of my favorite resources here for researching and "visiting" colleges from home.

Back-to-School College Essay Webinars for Seniors (Recordings)

How to Write an Outstanding Personal Statement (Part 1) | Recording Here

The Purpose of the Personal Statement (i.e., What Colleges Are Looking for)
Two Fun Ways to Find Your Personal Statement Topic
How (and Why) to Show Your Core Values
Two Successful Personal Statement Examples
Topics to Potentially Avoid
Q&A

How to Create an Outstanding College Application (Part 2) | Recording Here

A Sane College Application Timeline
The Importance of Finding and Showing Your Core Values (Again)
The Other Essential Parts of Your College Application
Tips for Creating a Great Activities List
How to Make Use of the Additional Info Section
How (and When) to Address COVID-19 in Your Application
Q&A

Free College Application Help for Low-Income Students | Students Apply Here

Through our Matchlighters Scholars program, we pair high-achieving students from low-income families with experienced college counselors for free one-on-one college essay and application coaching. If you (or a student you know) may benefit, please pass this opportunity along to them.

Social Circle Guidance & Counseling

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Thursday, September 30, 2021

Georgia Gwinnett College - Apply for Free!

Monday, September 27, 2021

Don't Leave Money On the Table, Complete the FAFSA!

Tuesday, September 21, 2021