NCAA Eligibility Center Checklist

We created an NCAA Eligibility Center Checklist for student-athletes in order to provide a timeline of what you should be doing—and when—to ensure you’re on track to meet the NCAA eligibility requirements.

Using the Eligibility Center Checklist

The NCAA Eligibility Center is responsible for determining the academic eligibility and amateurism status for all student-athletes who are trying to compete at the Division 1 and Division 2 levels. It’s the student-athlete’s responsibility to understand the NCAA academic requirements—including the NCAA GPA requirements—as well as the amateurism requirements to make sure they are on track to meet and maintain their eligibility.

While the NCAA is not responsible for making sure student-athletes meet NCAA requirements, they do allow student-athletes to work with their high school guidance counselors and school administrators to make sure they are on track—whether in taking the necessary courses, hitting a certain GPA or sending transcripts to the NCAA in a timely manner—to meet and maintain their eligibility in order to compete at the college level.

Click on the links below to see what should be done during each year in high school:

Start of Freshman Year

• Download the list of NCAA core courses offered at your school—and the NCAA Core Course GPA Calculator worksheet—before you meet with your guidance counselor.
• Review the NCAA core course requirements with your counselor. You will need to take and pass a minimum of 16 core courses before graduation. Take at least one approved core course in each of the following: Math, English, Natural/Physical Science and Social Science or Foreign Language.

During Freshman Year

• Create your free NCAA profile account. Give yourself at least 15-20 minutes to complete the initial registration.

Start of Sophomore Year

• Review your transcript with your guidance counselor to ensure you’re on track to meet the NCAA core course requirements. Take at least one approved core course in each of the following: Math, English, Natural/Physical Science and Social Science or Foreign Language.

During Sophomore Year:

• Take the PSAT to familiarize yourself with standardized tests like the ACT and SAT.

Start of Junior Year:

• Receiving D1 or D2 interest? Create an NCAA Certification Account (cost: $100 for athletes in the U.S., Canada and U.S. Territories and $160 for international athletes)
• Have your counselor send your current transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
• Review your transcript using the core course calculator with your guidance counselor to ensure you’re on track to meet the NCAA core course requirements. Take at least one approved core course in the following: Math, English, Natural/Physical Science and Social Science or Foreign Language.

During Junior Year:

• Take your first ACT and/or SAT—this will give you time to take it again if you need to. Use school code “9999” to have your scores sent to the NCAA.

• Review your transcript using the core course calculator with your counselor to ensure you’re on track to meet the NCAA core course requirements. Focus on the 10 core course rule—make sure you are on track to complete 10 of the courses by the end of the year, and remember that seven of these courses will be “locked in.”

End of Junior Year:

• Have your counselor send your transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center after completing your sixth semester.

Start of Senior Year:

• Review your transcript using the core course calculator with your counselor to ensure you’re on track to meet the NCAA core course requirements. You should know the exact courses you will need to take to hit eligibility based on your meeting at the end of your junior year.
• Take your second (or third) ACT and/or SAT if necessary. Use school code “9999” to have your scores sent to the NCAA.

During Senior Year:

• Complete your amateurism questionnaire within your NCAA Certification Account.

Starting April 1 of Senior Year:

• If you’re enrolling in the Fall semester, you can request your final Amateurism Certification within your NCAA Certification Account on or after April 1 and if you’re enrolling in the Winter/Spring semester, on or after October 1. Remember, April 1 (Fall semester) and October 1 (Winter/Spring semester) are just the first—not the only—day you can request Amateurism Certification.

End of Senior Year:

• Have your counselor send your final high school transcripts and proof of graduation to the NCAA Eligibility Center.