Planning for a Medical Hardship Waiver
The most important factor in a Medical Hardship Waiver request is the quality of medical documentation to substantiate the injury or illness.
The best case scenario for approval of a medical hardship waiver includes:
- Medical Documentation from the date of injury or diagnosis of an illness
- Documentation from physician that includes a statement such as “This athlete is not cleared to return to full competition in their sport.”
When no such physician statement is included and it is unclear whether the injury or illness is serious enough to be considered “season-ending”, it is much less certain that the waiver will be approved.
The documentation can also be very important in the future if the athlete happens to become injured again and misses a second season of competition.
In that situation, it would be possible for the athlete to obtain an extension of their eligibility “clock” and add another year of eligibility. This is possible when an athlete has missed not just one, but more than one season of competition due to injury or illness.
How We Can Help With Your Medical Hardship Waiver
If your athlete has been injured or has had an illness that has impacted their ability to play their sport, we can advise and assist in organizing and preparing documentation for your school to then submit to the NCAA or Junior College. We can also advise and review what should be included in your personal statement.
To discuss your athlete’s specific situation and their opportunity for a Medical Hardship Waiver and/or an extension of their eligibility “clock,” schedule a confidential Waivers & Appeal consult online.
