JUCO Student-Athletes and Academic Eligibility Issues at NCAA Schools

When a Junior College student-athlete is planning to transfer to an NCAA university and there are academic eligibility issues, it can create roadblocks to the transfer.

If the eligibility issue isn’t discovered until AFTER the JUCO transfer athlete has already started attending classes at their NCAA university, the athlete won’t be eligible to compete during their first year of attendance at the university.

Student-athletes who start their college career at a junior college may have differing academic requirements to be eligible in their first year at an NCAA university.

Some of the issues that can derail a junior college student-athlete’s athletic and academic career and end up costing them personally and financially include:

• Was the junior college student-athlete a “qualifier” or a “non-qualifier” (as defined by the NCAA) based on their high school academic record? The answer to this will affect what a transfer athlete must achieve academically during their time at a junior college to be eligible to compete in their first year at an NCAA university.
• How many semesters did the junior college student-athlete attend the junior college as a full-time student? (It can be a good thing to take a part-time course load at a junior college in some situations.)
• Was the junior college student-athlete required to earn their Associates Degree to be academically eligible upon transfer to an NCAA university?
• If a junior college transfer athlete has not satisfied all necessary NCAA academic requirements BEFORE they begin attending their new university, they won’t be eligible to compete during their first academic year of attendance and also may not be qualified to receive an athletic scholarship!

Knowing your eligibility status ahead of time can allow a student-athlete to make the adjustments that are needed to avoid disappointment and possibly financial problems down the road.

If you are a junior college transfer athlete (or parent of one) and you are uncertain about your NCAA academic eligibility status, Informed Athlete can help:

• Go to the Informed Athlete Eligibility Issues page for general information or to the How We Help tab for personalized assistance.
• Click on Informed Athlete’s College Transcript Review Service to learn how you can receive a review of your athlete’s transcript and detailed written assessment to make sure your athlete is on track to be eligible when they transfer.

If you have questions, schedule a confidential Eligibility Issues Consult online, contact Rick Allen at rick@informedathlete.com or call us at 913-766-1235.