The NCAA News - News and FeaturesOctober 20, 1997
Committee supports 'incidental' student-athlete benefits
The Division I Financial Aid Committee is recommending providing additional benefits to student-athletes that are considered "incidental" to participation in intercollegiate athletics.
It is asking the Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet to consider forwarding the recommendations as proposed legislation.
The committee recommended providing the following benefits during its September 23-24 meeting in Kansas City, Missouri:
One complimentary parking space for a student-athlete's guest at a competition site. Institutions would be permitted to provide parking spots using a pass list.
Complimentary admissions to one annual awards banquet. Student-athletes would be permitted to bring two guests to such an event free of charge, or bring a spouse and two parents.
Transportation for safety reasons from an away site of competition directly to a student-athlete's residence.
"Reasonable" refreshments at educational events involving the parents of student-athletes. An institution would be permitted to provide such refreshments once per year for each student-athlete.
The recommendations resulted from a study that was initiated in February by the former NCAA Committee on Financial Aid and Amateurism. That committee, after discussing the feasibility of making various additional benefits incidental to competition available to student-athletes, directed the NCAA staff to investigate ways of providing those benefits.
The Division I Financial Aid Committee also agreed that it will consider recommending more benefits incidental to participation during future meetings.
Other highlights
Division I Financial Aid Committee
September 23-24/Kansas City, Missouri
Agreed to support legislative proposals submitted by conferences to the Division I Management Council to (1) permit an institution to immediately cancel or gradate a student-athlete's athletically related financial aid when the student-athlete misses an excessive number of classes without an excuse, and (2) permit an institution to continue providing financial aid for the remainder of the term of the award to a student-athlete who has completed eligibility in a sport and is under contract or receiving compensation from a professional sports organization, provided the student-athlete subsequently does not practice or compete in intercollegiate athletics.
Declined to support a legislative proposal submitted by a conference that would increase the total number of counters in women's volleyball from 12 to 13 and increase the maximum number of equivalencies in women's soccer and softball from 12 to 13. The committee also considered recommending increases in financial aid equivalencies in the sports of field hockey and women's lacrosse, but declined to recommend increases in any of the sports after determining that many programs are not awarding the currently permissible amounts of financial aid.
Declined to support a legislative proposal submitted by the Olympic Sports Liaison Committee that would amend NCAA Bylaw 15.01.5-(c) to eliminate the six-year ceiling for receipt of five years of financial aid. The committee acknowledged that the proposal previously was supported by the NCAA Committee on Financial Aid and Amateurism but determined that it is important to encourage student-athletes to complete work on a degree during initial enrollment at an institution and noted that the proposal would have financial ramifications for smaller athletics programs.
Noted and discussed an article about the NCAA Special Assistance Fund for Student-Athletes that was published in the September 1 issue of The NCAA News. During its discussion, the committee observed that some institutions may be operating under the misconception that student-athletes must be receiving athletically related financial aid in order to benefit from the special assistance fund.
Discussed and forwarded to the Division I Management Council ideas for implementation of and creation of guidelines for student-athlete employment programs under 1997 Convention Proposal No. 62.
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