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NCAA Eligibility

Students

The Registrar’s Office will abide by all institutional, conference, and NCAA rules and regulations.

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Student–athletes must maintain all relevant UNCW, CAA and NCAA standards in order to represent UNCW at practice and competition.

A representative of the University Registrar’s Office is involved with the certification process. If there are any questions, please contact the Registrar’s Office at 910.962.2143.

incoming Freshman

In order to compete for UNCW, all student–athletes entering UNCW as freshman with no previous full-time college attendance must meet the academic requirements outlined in Chapter 14 of the NCAA manual.

Prospective student–athletes should register with the NCAA Eligibility Center by their sophomore year of high school. The Eligibility Center must clear all student–athlete amateurism and academics prior to any competition.

If there are any additional questions concerning the Eligibility Center, please contact the UNCW Compliance Office at 910.962.2756.

Transfer Eligibility

Student–athletes who are transferring from one institution to UNCW must meet applicable NCAA rules. The NCAA has final approval on all exceptions and waivers. Students who are interested in transferring to UNCW may conduct a self-assessment by checking the UNCW transfer equivalency website.

Continuing Eligibility

Once admitted, Student–athletes must full-time status.

All student–athletes must be enrolled full time in order to practice and compete. Full-time status is defined as 12 hours for undergraduates, and 9 for graduate students at UNCW.

Continuing Eligibility

  • 6-Hour Rule: Student–athletes must pass a minimum six (6) degree-applicable hours every semester (NCAA 14.4.4.3.1[c]).
  • 18-Hour Rule: Student–athletes must pass a minimum of eighteen (18) hours every academic year (NCAA 14.4.3.1[b]).
  • 24-Hour Rule: This rule applies to freshmen only. Student–athletes must complete twenty-four (24) degree-applicable hours prior to the start of their third semester in college.

Progress Toward Degree (PTD)

  • Upon the end of the 4th semester a student–athlete must have completed 40% progress toward degree
  • Upon the end of the 6th semester, a student–athlete must have completed 60% progress toward degree
  • Upon the end of the 8th semester, a student–athlete must have completed 80% progress toward degree
  • Upon the end of the 10th semester, a student–athlete must have completed 100% progress toward degree

NCAA Guidelines FAQs

The NCAA Eligibility Center and the Clearinghouse are the same thing. All student–athletes should register with the NCAA Eligibility Center during their sophomore year of high school. All student–athletes will be evaluated for amateurism and academics.

Prior to competition, the Eligibility Center must certify student–athletes in both amateurism and academic categories. Please go to their website to register. To register all student–athletes will pay a onetime fee of $75.

A qualifier is a student–athlete who has met the minimum requirements (GPA and test scores) as set by the NCAA in bylaw 14.3. A qualifier can receive aid, practice, and compete. A non-qualifier has not met the requirements of NCAA 14.3. A non-qualifier cannot receive athletic aid, and cannot participate in athletics.

All classes that appear on the student’s high school transcript will be evaluated as part of his or her eligibility entering college. If a student has taken college classes in high school, the class can be evaluated for credit at UNCW. This does not guarantee the class will articulate at UNCW.

All test scores must be sent to UNCW with the student’s admissions application. Scores must also be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center at code 9999.

All AP scores will be evaluated as part of the student’s high school eligibility process. Please look at how UNCW confers credit.

In order to transfer to UNCW, contact UNCW’s Compliance Office. The Compliance Office is equipped to handle all questions for transfer athletes. The compliance staff will forward all information to the Registrar’s Office and we will work to check eligibility.

A redshirt is a student who is held out for one year of competition. A student has five calendar years for four years of competition. Therefore, being held out one year of competition will not impact the overall number of years of competition available to a student.

The new NCAA rules affect all prospective student–athletes enrolling full time after August 2016. If you are a student–athlete who is planning to enter college on or after August 2016, you will need to have completed 10 core classes by the end of your sixth semester in high school and have a core GPA of 2.3 or higher.

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