As the school year kicks off, there are two important steps you can take to help your students in their initial-eligibility process. Below you will find detailed instructions for completing both:
1. Send six-semester transcripts for incoming seniors The six-semester (or preliminary) transcript task assigned to high schools requests transcripts for all registered students who have completed their junior year (six semesters). This courtesy reminder notifies your high school that it is time to send a transcript for an NCAA Eligibility Center registrant who currently attends (or previously attended) your school. Your school will receive reminder task emails periodically until transcripts have been sent or uploaded for all students listed as a current or former student at your school.
Note: By registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center and accepting the Eligibility Center's Terms and Conditions, the student provides broad permission for all schools they attended to share official high school transcripts and academic records with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Why is it important to send preliminary transcripts? NCAA colleges and universities have asked for earlier academic evaluations of college-bound student-athletes whom they are actively recruiting. These early evaluations assist the NCAA Eligibility Center in identifying potential issues with individual cases and drive proactive efforts to address concerns throughout the academic year, rather than last-minute emergencies during the summer months.
How do I send the transcripts? The NCAA Eligibility Center offers several ways for high school administrators to send transcripts:
Direct upload.
E-transcript.
U.S. or overnight mail.
You can find details of each method here. Direct upload of a non-password protected PDF or use of an e-transcript service are considered best practice. For U.S. or overnight mail, please allow up to five days for processing from date of mail receipt.
2. Update your school's core-courses list The start of a new school year is also a wonderful time to update your school's list of NCAA courses. An out-of-date list could delay your graduating seniors' academic certification or prevent them from meeting the requirements. You may add courses, archive those no longer taught and change titles quickly and easily on the High School Portal. Click here for additional information on updating your course list and a step-by-step tutorial. If your list is accurate, please log in to the High School Portal to verify you have no updates; this will refresh your account in our system.
Time for Students to Begin the Registration Process
We have two different accounts to help college-bound student-athletes move toward their collegiate athletic goals.
Certification Account: A student must be registered with a Certification Account before they can make official visits to a Division I or II school or sign a National Letter of Intent. Effective September 1, 2018, the registration fee is $90 for domestic students and $150 for international students. Registration typically takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
Profile Page: If a student-athlete is currently unsure in which division they want to compete or plans to compete at a Division III school, they should create a Profile Page. Creating a Profile Page is free and easy. Students should plan for 15 to 30 minutes to complete a Profile Page. If at any time the student wishes to play at the Division I or II level, they can transition to a Certification Account and pay the registration fee to begin the certification process.
Please encourage your student-athletes who want to play college sports to complete their NCAA registration at eligibilitycenter.org. Students can find more information and resources about registering on our How to Register page.
