OT- Qualifiers, Partial Qualifiers and Non Qualifiers- What do they mean?

Role of NCAA Clearinghouse

The NCAA Clearinghouse is an organization that basically looks at your academics and test scores (SAT, ACT) to make sure you are a worthy candidate for a d1 or d2 scholarship. A prospective athlete can become ineligible/non-qualified by not registering with the NCAA Clearinghouse all together or the athlete has not been certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse. This process with the Clearinghouse normally starts Junior Year for prospective athletes that way there is plenty of time to let them get through their work while also giving the prospective athlete time to retake SAT/ACT or boost GPA if needed.

Qualifiers, Partial Qualifiers and Non Qualifiers- What do they mean?

A Qualifier is a student athlete that has been cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse by passing the 13 core classes and meeting the necessary Core GPA and SAT/ACT requirements. Athlete can accept a scholarship, practice right away and can compete immediately with 4 years of eligibility. They have 5 years to play 4 seasons in your sport if you maintain your eligibility from year to year.

Partial Qualifier is a student athlete who has missed out on 1 of the 2 requirements either the Core Class GPA, or SAT/ACT scores. This athlete will spend his 1st year in college passing the classes he needs to meet to become a full qualifier or proving with his 1st year GPA he is a proper candidate. This Athlete can accept a scholarship, practice right away but CANNOT compete for 1 full year and is only granted 3 years of eligibility. You have 4 years to play 3 seasons in your sport if you maintain your eligibility from year to year.

Non-Qualifier- is a student athlete who has not met the Core GPA or SAT/ACT scores needed. Athlete CANNOT receive athletic scholarship, practice or compete for 1 year. Athlete is also only granted 3 years of eligibility. They can gain back a year of eligibility as long as they complete at least 80% of their degree prior to the beginning of their fifth year of college.

Who can take Non-Qualifiers?

This is where it heats up. The conferences create their own rules not the NCAA which is interesting. Some conference have rules some do not, some follow them all the time some do not. Basically the conference not the school has the first say in if a school can take a Non-Qualifier or not, then prospective athlete has to get into said school. However if a Non-Qualifier slips through the cracks and does attend classes or practice he/she can never play at that school or any school in the same conference. Yes its happened before.

Feel Free to ask any questions.