NAIA Eligibility Requirements

NAIA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete

All incoming freshman must register with the NAIA eligibility center. The eligibility center can be found at http://www.playnaia.org/

For questions about athletic eligibility, please contact Kris Kistler at 563-333-6115 or through email at KistlerKristina@sau.edu.

To maintain eligibility, a freshman must pass a minimum of 9 credit hours in the first semester, with a minimum GPA of 1.80. After completion of a second semester, and every semester after, a student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0, with 24 total credits from the most-recent previous two semesters.

Students must enroll in, and maintain, a minimum of 12 credit hours during the semester in which they will compete in order to officially identify with the institution. Students become ineligible for competition if, in withdrawing from a class, he or she drops below 12 credits.

A graduate student must enroll in, and maintain, a minimum of 9 graduate credit hours during the semester in which they will compete.

NAIA Eligibility Standards
A student-athlete must, if an entering freshman*, meet two of three entry-level requirements.

*An entering freshman is defined as a student who upon becoming identified with an institution has not been previously identified with an institution(s) of higher learning for two semesters or three quarters (or equivalent).

1. Achieve a minimum of 18 on the ACT or 970 on the SAT (860 prior to 5/1/19). The ACT/SAT test must be taken on a national testing date and certified to the institution prior to the beginning of the term in which the student initially participates. Tests must be taken on a national testing date (residual tests are not acceptable). Scores must be achieved on a single test.
2. Achieve a minimum overall high school grade point average of 2.000 on a 4.000 scale.
3. Graduate in the top half of their high school graduating class.

A student-athlete must be making normal progress toward a recognized baccalaureate degree and maintain the grade points required to remain a student in good standing, as defined by the institution the student-athlete is attending.

A student-athlete must be enrolled in 12 institutionally approved or required credit hours at the time of participation. Should participation take place between terms, the student-athlete must have been identified the term immediately preceding the date of participation.

A student-athlete may not count repeat courses previously passed in ANY term toward the 24-hour rule.

A student-athlete must, if a transfer student from a four-year institution, have eligibility remaining at the institution from which the student-athlete is transferring to be eligible for further intercollegiate competition.

A student-athlete must, upon reaching junior academic standing as defined by the identified institution, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.000 on a 4.000 scale as certified by the institutional registrar.

A student-athlete must, to participate the second season in a sport, have accumulated at least 24 semester institutional credit hours.

A student-athlete must, to participate the third season in a sport, have accumulated at least 48 semester institutional credit hours.

A student-athlete must, to participate the fourth season in a sport, have accumulated at least 72 semester institutional credit hours. These hours must include at least 48 semester hours in general education and/or their major field of study.

Should the student-athlete participate for two different institutions in the same sport, in the same academic year (example-basketball or fall golf at a junior college and then transfer to an NAIA school and participate in basketball or spring golf), the student-athlete shall be charged with a second season of competition in that sport unless the student-athlete earned an associate degree at a junior college in the term immediately preceding the transfer.

A student-athlete must be an amateur, as defined by the NAIA, in the sport(s) in which the student-athlete participates. They should see the athletic director or faculty athletics representative for all amateur regulations as printed in the NAIA Bylaws.

St. Ambrose University Eligibility Standards
For the purpose of insuring proper academic focus and success within the athletic program, the following participation parameter is placed upon all student athletes over and above the minimum standards of the national organization with which the University is affiliated.

1. Any athlete admitted with a high school or transfer GPA of less than 2.00 will not be allowed to participate until they have achieved a 2.00 cumulative GPA.
2. The student athlete will maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 in order to participate in game competition.
3. Freshman athletes that achieve a 1.80 to 1.99 GPA at the completion of their first semester at St. Ambrose University must sign a learning contract with the Student Success Center. Such student will be allowed one semester to achieve a cumulative 2.00 GPA and may participate in sports during that semester.
4. The second semester that a student athlete would fall below the minimum GPA required for participation would place that student in jeopardy of losing his/her athletic scholarship aid, if any is involved.
5. Failure to achieve a 2.00 semester GPA in consecutive terms will result in a loss of eligibility unless an appeal is approved by the Athletic Board committee.

Satisfactory Progress determines the ability of the student to receive institutional financial aid and to remain a student enrolled at St. Ambrose University. Satisfactory Progress does not necessarily allow a student to participate in intercollegiate athletics during their freshman and sophomore years. All undergraduate students are expected to maintain satisfactory progress toward a degree. Satisfactory progress is defined by the following scale:

Students whose academic performance falls below these standards will be reviewed at the end of each semester by the Board of Studies, which may recommend probation or dismissal. Probation is a proving period during which a student's continuance at St. Ambrose is in jeopardy. While on probation, students are limited to 13 credits per semester, with allowances made to take as many as 15 credits with the support of the student's academic advisor. Generally, a full time student will only be allowed to remain on probation for two consecutive semesters, and will either have the designation removed (if they have made satisfactory progress toward their degree) or will be dismissed. Students who progress is notably poor may be dismissed without being placed on probation. A student who has been academically dismissed may be considered for readmission after one full semester has passed. A summer session does not constitute a full semester. New students who are accepted in with "Provisional Admission" are considered to be on probation during their first semester at St. Ambrose.

Students may appeal an action by the Board of Studies. The student has the right to represent themselves and their petition, though may choose to make their case through written petition only. In either case, a completed petition must be submitted. Appeals must be initiated through consultation with the Registrar and follow the procedure outlined below:

1. Obtain a petition from the Registrar. (Click here to get the online petition)
2. Fill out the petition completely.
3. Submit petition online to the Registrar for scheduling at the next meeting of the Board of Studies.