The goal of becoming a Division I student-athlete is held by many high school students both domestically and abroad. Beyond the hard work and dedication required to hone your athletic abilities to be recruited at the highest collegiate level, there are also a number of academic and amateurism standards that must be met prior to your first-time, full-time enrollment at a Division I institution.
All prospective student-athletes must be fully registered in the NCAA Eligibility Center to have their initial eligibility determined prior to collegiate enrollment. The Eligibility Center’s assessment of each prospect’s academic records and amateurism will determine whether or not the prospect will be permitted to practice, receive athletic scholarship, and/or compete in their first year as a Division I student-athlete. The requirements to meet those standards are found here.
Athletic scholarship agreements are determined separately from any other institutional aid or involvement. Division I coaches are not permitted to provide any athletic scholarship offer in writing until August 1st of the prospect’s senior year of high school. There are also sport-specific restrictions that determine when a Division I coach is allowed to start sending a prospect recruiting materials, calling the prospect or sending direct messages, meeting the prospect in-person, and inviting the prospect to visit the coach’s college campus. Specific breakdowns of those restrictions can be reviewed here.
