Eligibility
Section 2 - Academic Eligibility
A. General Academic Requirements
A.1. In order to participate, a student-athlete must meet entrance eligibility requirements, enrollment requirements, and accumulation requirements, or meet qualifications for limited exceptions.
A.2. Student-athletes must be making satisfactory progress within an approved college program or course as listed in the college catalog.
B. Entrance Eligibility
B.1. A student-athlete must be a graduate of a high school with an academic diploma, general education diploma or a state department of education approved high school equivalency test.
C. Enrollment Eligibility
C.1. Full-Time Enrollment: Full-time enrollment is defined as 12 or more credit hours. Full-time enrollment must be established on the 15th calendar day of the beginning of the regular term as listed on the college academic calendar and maintained.
C.2. Full-Time Requirement: Student-athletes must be enrolled in full-time status at the college of participation using any combination of sessions (regular term, mini term, fast track term) within a regular term as listed on the college academic calendar, and in classes that begin before the end of the published regular season schedule of the student- athletes’ chosen sport.
D. Academic Progress Eligibility – The basis for NJCAA eligibility is directly related to the number of full-time terms a student-athlete has previously attempted.
D.1. Full-Time Term: A student-athlete is charged with attempting a term of full-time enrollment when they remain enrolled in full-time status beyond the 15th calendar day of the term or if they have participated.
D.2. First Season Academic Requirement: A first season participant must satisfy the academic progress eligibility requirement by meeting ALL of the requirements of at least ONE of the following rules or exceptions which apply to the student’s situation: (Reference Appendix A)
D.2.a Zero (0) Previous Terms of Full-Time College Enrollment: A student-athlete who is in his/ her first full-time college term is deemed to have satisfied the academic progress eligibility requirement for their initial term of full-time enrollment or participation, OR
D.2.b One Previous Term of Full-Time College Enrollment: On or before the 15th calendar day of the student-athletes second full-time college term must have accumulated 12 credit hours with a GPA of 1.75 or higher, OR
D.2.c Two or More Previous Terms of Full-Time College Enrollment: On or before the 15th calendar day of the third full-time, and all subsequent terms of full-time enrollment, A student-athlete must have passed 12 credit hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher in the previous term of full- time enrollment, OR
D.2.d Best Hours Accumulation Rule: A student-athlete must have accumulated passing credit hours with an associated GPA of 2.00 or higher in a number equal or greater than the student- athlete’s terms of full-time enrollment multiplied by twelve, OR
D.2.e Total Hours Accumulation Rule: A student athlete-must have accumulated passing credit hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher in a number equal or greater than: 36 total semester hours for a fall season or 48 total semester hours for a spring season. Once this rule is exhausted, the student-athlete must meet the requirements of D.2.c or D.2.d to maintain eligibility.
D.2.f First Participating Term Accumulation Exception for student athletes with prior enrollment in multiple full-time semesters: A student-athlete entering his/her first season of participation in a sport must have accumulated passing credit hours at a minimum of 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher.
D.2.f.i. The First Participating Term Accumulation Exception may only be used once to establish a student-athlete’s eligibility in the initial term of participation. This exception may not be used to establish eligibility in subsequent terms
D.3. Second Season Academic Requirements: Prior to a student-athlete’s participation in a second season of a sport he/she must meet the appropriate Academic requirements of a first season participant AND