Can your NCAA DI or DII athletic scholarship be cancelled mid-year?

There are limited reasons for which an NCAA DI or DII athletic scholarship can be cancelled in the middle of an academic year under the NCAA rules.

Mid-year cancellation is possible if an athlete:

  • Is ruled to be ineligible for competition;
  • Provides fraudulent information on an application, letter of intent, or financial aid agreement;
  • Engages in serious misconduct that rises to the level of being disciplined by the university’s regular student disciplinary board;
  • Voluntarily quits their team;
  • Violates a university policy or rule which is not related to athletic conditions or ability (such as a university policy on class attendance, or an athletic department policy regarding proper conduct on a team trip);
  • Due to recent rule changes – An NCAA Division I student-athlete can also have their scholarship cancelled at mid-year if he/she asks to be placed on the new NCAA DI transfer database portal prior to the start of spring semester.

It is a violation of NCAA rules for a coach to take away a scholarship mid-year for non-performance.

My advice to athletes and parents is to review very carefully any athletic department rules and policies that spell out the non-athletic reasons that can be cited for the cancellation or non-renewal of an athletic scholarship.

If you feel that you are being coerced into forfeiting your scholarship, contact Rick Allen at 913-766-1235 or send an e-mail to rick@informedathlete.com for a private consultation. We can advise you of your rights and walk you through the steps needed to handle this type of situation.

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