The NCAA News - News & Features

Legislative assistance

1996 Column No. 31
Initial-eligibility waiver process

Council actions

The following information is intended to assist Divisions I and II institutions regarding the initial-eligibility waiver process conducted by the NCAA Council Subcommittee on Initial-Eligibility Waivers. Member institutions are encouraged to review and apply these reminders and suggestions immediately. Adherence to these policies and procedures will ensure a swifter review of each case by the staff and the subcommittee.

Procedures

* Proper Submission. Member institutions are reminded to submit a properly completed application form to the NCAA national office, and not to the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.

* Contacting the NCAA. Member institutions are encouraged to allow three working days to expire prior to contacting the national office for an update on the status of a case. This time frame will permit the staff to provide an accurate status report on the disposition of the case.

* Staff Responsibilities. The national office staff will notify institutions of any issues that need to be resolved (e.g., additional materials needed) to permit the staff or the subcommittee to properly evaluate the application and its accompanying materials.

* Volume of Waivers. The national office receives approximately 30 initial-eligibility waivers each day during this time of year. Cases that may be approved or denied by the staff generally are treated within two weeks of receipt of the proper information. Cases that need to be reviewed by the subcommittee generally will be treated within two to three weeks of receipt of the proper information.

Policies

* Appropriate Signatures. All completed waiver-application forms must include the appropriate signatures before a case can be processed. A properly submitted application will include the following signatures: either the chief executive officer or the faculty athletics representative and either the director of athletics or the senior woman administrator.

* Designation of Contact Person. Member institutions are asked to note on the application form a campus contact person for the waiver, along with the individual's title and telephone number. The staff would prefer to work only with the primary contact person in its review of a waiver and suggests that the institution serve as the communications link with the student-athlete's family. (The large volume of telephone calls from a student's family combined with the staff working with several administrators from an NCAA institution results in duplication of effort and slows the review of a particular waiver.)

* Proper Submission. A final certification report (formerly Form 48-C) issued by the clearinghouse must be included with the application before the staff can properly evaluate the case.

Regulations and interpretations

* Core-Course Grade Changes. Any course title or grade change related to course work initiated in grades 9-11 must be reflected on the final transcript received by the clearinghouse. Any course title or grade change related to course work in grade 12 subsequent to the clearinghouse receiving the final transcript may be reviewed solely through the submission of an initial-eligibility waiver. In this regard, any waiver submitted in relation to grade 12 course work must include a copy of the high school's official policy related to changes of a student's official transcript.

* Issuance of Yearly Grades. During its August 1996 meeting, the NCAA Council was asked to review situations in which states or school districts offer certain courses on a semester basis only, do not affix a yearly grade on the student's high-school transcript, but award a student a full unit of credit. The Council issued an interpretation (effective immediately) to permit the clearinghouse to certify as one core unit those courses in which the high school averages the two semester grades to arrive at a yearly grade, even though the yearly grade is not noted on the high-school transcript. In order for this certification to occur, the high school must supply the clearinghouse with official documents (which include a student's academic record) clearly indicating a yearly grade was provided. The clearinghouse also needs to receive a copy of the high school's policy for averaging grades under these circumstances as well as a copy of the student's report card.

* Eighth-Grade Courses. Effective for those student-athletes first entering a collegiate institution on or after August 1, 1996, eighth-grade courses no longer may be used to satisfy core-curriculum requirements. A member institution may submit an initial-eligibility waiver to request the inclusion of eighth-grade courses as core units, provided the request is accompanied by appropriate course transcripts and confirmation on the Form 48-H that the course in question meets the definition of a core course.

* Practice After Final Certification. Please note that once a prospect's eligibility status has been determined by the clearinghouse, a student-athlete no longer is permitted to participate in institutional practice sessions pursuant to NCAA Bylaw 14.3.5.1, which permits such involvement only if the clearinghouse has not yet made a final decision regarding the student's status. Accordingly, member institutions that have submitted an initial-eligibility waiver on behalf of a student-athlete would not be permitted to allow such a student to participate in practice sessions, inasmuch as an institution would submit a waiver only when the clearinghouse has rendered a final decision to deny certification.

* Use of Faxed Documents to Certify Foreign Students. At its August 1996 meeting, the Council discussed an official interpretation that permits the clearinghouse to accept and use faxed documents for foreign student certifications with the condition that those foreign students would be permitted only to receive financial aid and practice (but not compete) until a hard copy of the documents is received and evaluated by the clearinghouse. For logistical reasons, this interpretation has proved to be problematic to the clearinghouse and is not an effective means to evaluate the eligibility status of a foreign student-athlete. Accordingly, effective immediately, the Council has issued an interpretation to prohibit the clearinghouse from using any faxed documents for eligibility certification purposes for foreign student-athletes.

This material was provided by the legislative services staff as an aid to member institutions. If an institution has a question or comment regarding this column, such correspondence should be directed to Richard C. Perko, legislative assistant, at the NCAA national office. This information is available on the Collegiate Sports Network.