Withdrawing from Classes Can Affect Future Athletic Eligibility

Frequently, I consult with parents of college athletes about the academic eligibility requirements their athlete needs to satisfy in order to remain eligible at their current school or possibly transfer.

When they tell me “I withdrew from all of my classes prior to the drop/add date for that semester” I cringe. Because while that may have been a good idea from a financial standpoint to avoid paying more tuition than necessary for that semester, it could negatively impact the athlete’s future eligibility at an NCAA university.

The NCAA rules hold a student-athlete accountable for the academic requirements for that semester or quarter (as well as that academic year) when an athlete is registered for a full-time program of studies and “…attends the first day of classes for that term, even if the student-athlete drops to part-time status during that first day of classes.”

Before making decisions or taking actions to drop classes, an athlete should know the academic requirements and repercussions that could result. The academic requirements for a particular student-athlete can differ depending upon the rules of the college division they were previously attending, as well as the college division to which they plan to transfer.

It’s much better to know ahead and prepare than to make a rash or uninformed decision and regret it later. 

For a detailed and confidential explanation of those academic requirements, schedule an Eligibility Issues Consult online or by contacting us at 913-766-1235 or emailing to rick@informedathlete.com.