National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

April 20, 1998

Division I to discuss aid limits and Title IX

Hearing is set for May 11 in Chicago

The Division I Financial Aid Committee has proposed several possible resolutions to address difficulties that NCAA financial aid limitations may pose for institutions as they seek compliance with Title IX.

As reported in the April 13 issue of The NCAA News, a hearing is set for May 11 in Chicago to solicit views on those suggestions, which are intended to address the scholarship-equity issue that has arisen recently. The U.S. Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education has expressed concern that institutions offering a full complement of scholarships in women's sports still may violate Title IX financial aid requirements.

Many of the concerns stem from the NCAA's distinction between head-count and equivalency sports and how scholarships in those sports are allocated among men and women. As part of their efforts to offer more opportunities for women, some universities have added equivalency sports, such as rowing and field hockey, in which a single scholarship can be divided among multiple recipients.

The three-hour hearing will be 2-5 p.m. May 11 at The Westin Michigan Avenue in Chicago, which is the same site as the NCAA Title IX seminar that will be conducted May 12-13.

Representatives of OCR, athletics administrators organizations, NCAA governing sports committees, coaches' associations and other parties interested in financial aid issues related to Title IX are being encouraged to attend.

Possible solutions

Committee chair Charlotte West, associate athletics director and senior woman administrator at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, said that she and other committee members have some doubts that NCAA legislation is truly preventing Title IX compliance.

"I personally am not sure that a real problem exists," West said. "We've looked at all kinds of scenarios of sports offerings and what scholarships are permitted. With the exception of a few unique cases, there shouldn't be a problem.

"If there is a problem, I think schools can resolve it by adding a sport for women, which is certainly preferable to dropping a sport for men or manipulating the number of scholarships that are allowed."

However, West said, the committee has been charged with proposing a variety of suggestions to address the issue.

"Here are some things the NCAA can do to alleviate that and not put schools in an untenable position," West said.

The purpose of the hearing is to permit members to review the options and comment.

"We're asking the membership to evaluate these possible solutions," West said. "Some of these are very workable, practical and will not have an adverse effect on their programs."

The possible solutions discussed by the financial aid committee include modifying membership requirements and financial aid limits, but they are not formal recommendations at this time. The committee will evaluate the feedback it receives during the hearing and use that feedback in preparing recommendations to forward to the Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet.

One possible solution the committee reviewed is an amendment to Bylaw 20.8.1.2 (Financial Aid Minimum Awards) that would state that, as part of Division I membership requirements, an institution must provide institutional financial assistance that equals one of the following:

(a) A minimum of 50 percent of the maximum allowable grants in 14 sports, at least seven of which must be women's.

(b) Financial aid representing a minimum aggregate expenditure of $670,000 (at least $335,000 in women's sports) in 1998-99, exclusive of grants in football and men's and women's basketball, provided the aggregate grant value is not less than 38 full grants, with at least 19 for women.

(c) A minimum of the equivalent of 50 full grants (at least 25 in women's sports), exclusive of grants awarded in football and men's and women's basketball.

Another proposal is to amend Bylaw 20.8.3 (Sports Sponsorship) to state that, as a part of Division I membership, an institution must sponsor at least 14 sports, with at least seven sports for women, and at least four team sports, two of which must be for women.

The committee also reviewed maximum institutional grant-in-aid limitations by sport and discussed the following potential modifications.

  • In Division I football: placing an annual limit of 75 on the value of financial aid awards (equivalencies) to counters, and placing an annual limit of 85 on the total number of counters, including initial counters. (The effect of this would be to spread no more than 75 full scholarships among no more than 85 student-athletes.)

  • In Division I-AA football: placing an annual limit of 55 on the value of financial aid awards (equivalencies) to counters and an annual limit of 85 on the total number of counters, including initial counters. (The effect of this would be to spread no more than 55 full scholarships among no more than 85 student-athletes.)

  • In Division I field hockey: placing a limit of 14 (up from 12) on the value of financial aid awards (equivalencies) that an institution may provide to counters in any academic year.

  • In Division I rowing: placing a limit of 30 (up from 20) on the value of financial aid awards (equivalencies) that an institution may provide to counters in any academic year.

  • In Division I women's lacrosse: placing a limit of 14 (up from 12) on the value of financial aid awards (equivalencies) that an institution may provide to counters in any academic year.

  • In Division I women's track: placing a limit of 20 (up from 18) on the value of financial aid awards (equivalencies) that an institution may provide to counters in any academic year.

    Hearing procedures

    Interested parties who would like to give an oral presentation at the hearing must provide a written copy of their testimony to the NCAA on or before May 7 at 5 p.m. Central Daylight Time. The testimony should be faxed to the attention of Lynn Holzman, staff liaison to the Division I Committee on Financial Aid, at 913/339-0032. Presenters must also include a cover letter indicating their desire to make an oral presentation and a phone number where they may be reached. Oral presentation/testimony is limited to 10 minutes.

    Those individuals who do not want to give an oral presentation, or who are unable to do so, may provide written testimony. All testimonies are limited to two pages of text. Two pages of charts may also be included, but the total number of pages may not exceed four.

    Copies of both the written and oral testimonies will be made available to the audience at the hearing.

    Testimony that is not submitted by the deadline or that does not comply with the page limit will not be made available to the audience and/or the committee.

    The financial aid committee will meet immediately following the hearing to discuss the testimony and decide the committee's formal recommendations.