The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

The NCAA is the largest American sports association and regulates sports and athletic scholarships at more than 1,100 colleges and universities.

How does the NCAA work?

The NCAA regulates sports at all 1,100 colleges and universities affiliated with them. For each sport, the NCAA determines how much money is available for scholarships. The NCAA also determines how many full and partial scholarships are available for each sport. Colleges and universities that compete in Division I or II may provide athletic scholarships; colleges and universities that compete in Division III may not provide athletic scholarships, and are therefore bound by less strict rules. If a college wants to award you an athletic scholarship, you must comply with all the rules set by the NCAA in doing so.

Academic criteria

As a prospective athlete, you must meet your college’s academic criteria. In addition, the NCAA has also established a number of academic criteria. With a Dutch HAVO, VWO or MBO diploma, you basically meet the academic criteria of the NCAA. In addition to requirements for your previous education, the NCAA sets conditions for your grade point average (GPA) and test scores on general knowledge tests such as the SAT or ACT. The NCAA uses a sliding scale: the higher your grade point average, the lower your test scores may be. Conversely, you can compensate for a lower grade point average with a high score on the SAT or ACT. You can find these criteria in the academic guides prepared by the NCAA (see the links in the box to the right).

To be admitted as an athlete, you must meet both the NCAA’s eligibility requirements and your university’s academic criteria.

Eligibility requirements

To qualify for an athletic scholarship, you must go through the NCAA’s certification process. To do this, you register with the Eligibility Center. Still just gathering information? You can initially create a free profile page. If you are sure you want to go through the certification process, you can convert the free account to a paid account.

Useful links

NCAA Eligibility Center
Guide for the College-bound Student Athlete for information on the application process, amateurism requirements, the three divisions, and recruiting rules for each sport.
Academische criteria voor Nederlandse studenten for information on required diplomas
Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility, for information on required grade point averages and test scores (SAT or ACT).

The NCAA sets eligibility requirements for each sport and each division, and rules vary by sport and division. For example, there are strict requirements for playing on professional teams, receiving prize money, and using recruitment agencies. There are also certain periods when coaches may or may not approach athletes. All specific information about your sport and its procedures can be found in the Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete.

Which divisions are there?

Division I

Large state and private universities with extensive basketball or American football programs are affiliated with this division. These schools often have the largest student populations as well as the largest budgets for sports. American students, in most cases, do not have to seek athletic scholarships within this division on their own, but rather are approached by coaches. In their recruitment process, coaches use, among other things, electronic databases that track data on athletic performance of high school students. More than 350 colleges and universities are affiliated with Division I.

Division II

The somewhat smaller state universities are often affiliated with Division II, and athletic programs within this division are generally smaller than those in Division I. Division II schools have somewhat smaller budgets and often give partial athletic scholarships, sometimes in combination with academic scholarships or need-based scholarships. Sports coaches within this division are also actively seeking members for their teams, but make less use of electronic databases. Coaches typically visit US high schools and community colleges to assess the presence of athletic talent. About 300 colleges and universities play in this division.

Division III

Most small, prestigious colleges are members of this division. It is the largest division, with more than 450 colleges and universities. No athletic scholarships may be provided within this division. If institutions within this division do provide financial aid, the money for these scholarships comes from other sources, and athletic talent is not involved in the evaluation of a student-athlete’s eligibility. Although to a lesser extent than within Division I and II, coaches are actively seeking talent for this division as well.