NCAA Requirements for Progress toward Degree

To be eligible to represent a college or university in intercollegiate athletics competition, a student-athlete shal maintain satisfactory progress toward a baccalaureate degree at that insititution.

• A student-athlete is permitted to engage in a maximum of four seasons of intercollegiate competition within a five-year period in any one sport. The five-year period of eligibility begins when the student represents the institution in intercollegiate competition or begins a first semester as a full-time student and attends the first day of classes for that semester, whichever comes first.
• Student-athletes must be enrolled in a minimum full-time program of studies, be in good academic standing as defined by the University of Iowa and make satisfactory progress toward a bachelor's degree.The UI defines full time status as follows:
  • Undergraduate
    • 12 hours per semester
  • Graduate
    • 9 hours per semester
• Students who need less than 12 s.h. to graduate may register for only those hours to fulfill degree requirements, provided their faculty adviser or academic department verifies the requirements remaining. The UI requirement of a minimum of 6 sh of meaningful course work applies. Those students may practice, compete and receive athletic scholarships.
• 24 hours must be earned before the student enters the 2nd year of enrollment.
• A minimum of 18 hours must be earned since the beginning of the previous fall or since the beginning of the institution's preceding 2 semesters.
• 6 hours must be earned during the student's preceding regular academic term.

Declaration of Major
You must declare a major leading to a degree by the beginning of your third year in school.

40%/60%/80% Rule
Student-athletes must satisfactory complete a certain percentage of course requirements in the specific degree program based on teh student's year in residence:

• By the start of 3rd year - 40%
• By the start of 4th year - 60%
• By the start of 5th year - 80%

Certifying at the Beginning of the Term
A student cannot become eligible for competition during a semester if he is not eligible the first day of that semester. To regain eligibility a student must make up the credit hour or grade point average deficiencies by the beginning of the next semester.

Remedial Courses

• The maximum number of remedial hours that may be used during the first year of enrollment to meet progress requirements is 12.
• At the beginning of the 3rd year, these credit hours no longer count toward the degree or any other progress toward degree rule.

Summer Credit Hours from Other Schools/ Guided Independent Study courses

• If a student-athlete is enrolled in summer school at another institution or in a guided independent study for which credit hours are needed to meet progress toward degree requirements, official reports of final grades must be received by the UI Registrar prior to the opening of fall semester classes.