College-Bound Student Athlete
College-bound student athletes are interested in continuing their athletic journey into college. There are several different ways to do this. Monitoring student academic progress for qualifications is critical. Students should research the opportunities associated with athletics in college and best-fit opportunities within the college experience. There are two associations that both consist of divisions and conferences. The divisions are determined by the size of the institution, level of competition, and the funding of the athletic program.
- NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student Athlete (PDF)
- NCAA Student-Athlete Eligibility
- NCAA Division I/II Worksheet
- NCAA Eligibility Center - Create an Account
National Junior College Athletic Association-NJCAA
Division
I-The
NCAA
Division
I
consists
of
almost
350
institutions
with
specific
sports
offered
in
men's
and
women's
athletics.
This
consists
of
large
institutions
that
typically
have
large
scholarship
packages
for
recruiting.
Division
II-The
NCAA
Division
II
consists
of
over
300
institutions
and
features
the
same
sports
as
Division
1.
These
athletes
are
just
as
physically
able
to
compete
at
the
Division
1
level,
but
schools
typically
have
less
athletic
funding.
Division
II
student
athletes
typically
receive
a
combination
of
athletic
and
merit-based
scholarships
and
need-based
financial
aid.
Division
III-The
NCAA
Division
III
consists
of
450
institutions.
It
is
the
largest
division
of
the
NCAA
regulated
sports.
Competition
is
still
high
between
division
III
teams
and
there
is
a
wide
variety
of
experiences
for
these
athletes
that
includes
a
focus
on
academics,
extracurricular
activities,
study
abroad
opportunities,
and
other
college
experiences
outside
of
team
sponsored
activities.
Students
may
receive
financial
aid
or
merit-based
awards.
Club
Sports-Club
sports
are
not
regulated
by
NCAA.
Students
can
join
a
team
and
compete
against
other
teams
regionally
and/or
nationally.
They
are
student-run
and
typically
open
to
all.
Some
sports
may
have
two
different
level
of
competitive
teams
for
the
same
sport.
Intramural
Sports-Intramural
sports
are
not
regulated
by
NCAA
and
typically
run
like
an
extracurricular
club,
open
to
all.
The
teams
compete
against
each
other,
some
at
the
same
school
and
some
neighboring
schools.
These
sports
often
include
sports
that
are
not
offered
at
the
NCAA
or
club
level.
A
day
in
the
life
of
a
college
athlete
depends
on
the
division/level
the
student
is
competing.