The Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse Commit-tee reviewed cost savings realized from the 1998-99 fiscal year and recommended further Internet-based enhancements that will lead to additional savings for 1999-00.

The committee, which met February 15-17 in Tampa, Florida, reviewed technological enhancements that resulted in a cost savings of about $150,000 last year. Those savings were driven primarily from (1) institutions submitting students on an Institution Request List (IRL) via the Internet and using the Internet to deactivate students on an IRL, (2) schools accessing student reports on the Web as opposed to having those reports mailed or sent via facsimile, and (3) institutions (high schools and the general public) accessing updated core-course lists on the Web. Those factors combined reduced costs in personnel, mailing, printing and telephone calls. Some of the savings last year also could be attributed to students paying the increased Clearing-house fee of $25.

In addition to the actual cost savings realized during the last fiscal year, the committee projects that savings of about $260,000 will be realized by Divisions I and II members during the next fiscal year. Those savings are tied to accessing student files via the Web site instead of through the use of a modem. Modem access, in fact, has been phased out over the past two years and is no longer available.

The committee also anticipates that additional Internet enhancements will cut operating costs for the Clearinghouse in the future. Approximately $1 million in savings will be realized by the Association in 1999-00 due to the current Web-based enhancements and the student fee increase (from $18 to $25) that was effective September 1, 1999. Future enhancements which include Web-based access for student registration, student and high-school access to student records and access to updated high-school core courses may result in additional cost savings. In addition to the cost-savings component of those enhancements, the committee believes another important benefit is the reduced turnaround time for information to be shared between schools and the Clearinghouse.

In addition to cost-savings enhancements, the committee also discussed encouraging schools to submit students on an IRL in a more timely manner. The committee noted that as of June 1, 1999, only 32,000 students had been submitted on an IRL. Between June 1 and October 15, however, more than 40,000 students had been added.

The committee hopes that the ease of submitting students on the Web will encourage schools to submit more students earlier. The committee noted that the earlier a student is submitted on an IRL, the earlier a preliminary certification is likely to be made on the individual.

"Institutions can't access a student's records until he or she appears on an IRL," said Robert A. Oliver, NCAA director of membership services. "Once a student appears on an IRL, that makes him or her a higher priority for the Clearing-