NJCAA Eligibility Requirements

Requirements:

• A student-athlete must be a graduate of a high school with an academic diploma, general education diploma or a state department of education approved high school equivalency test.
• Must be an amateur

Amateur Status:

• An amateur is someone who has not previously participated on a professional or semi-professional team or league or has not received remuneration above necessary expenses directly related to athletic skills
• Amateur players are those who engage in sports for physical, mental, or social benefits. Be sure of your amateur status by checking the NJCAA Rules of Eligibility or checking with an NJCAA athletic director.
• An athlete must maintain amateur status at all times once they reach their 19th birthday or initially enroll as a full-time student in college, whichever comes first.

International Students:

• High School transcripts must include the following:
  • Translated into English
  • Must be from years nine and up
  • Be an acceptable proof of graduation as defined by the district, state, province, or other governing body

Recruiting:

• The dos and don’ts of recruiting permitted under the NJCAA:
  • Only an athletic scholarship may be promised to a student-athlete. Schools may not offer gifts to the student-athlete, or family members to persuade them to attend.
  • Must have finished their junior year to go on an official visit. Schools may pay for all funds used during the official visit, but this may only occur once.
  • If a student-athlete signs an LOI with an NJCAA member institution, they become unrecruitable by other NJCAA programs and must notify any future recruiters of the signing.

Letters of Intent (LOI):

• The NJCAA Letter of Intent is used to commit an individual to a specific institution for a period of one academic year. The form is only valid for NJCAA member colleges and has no authority over NCAA and NAIA schools.
  • Once a student-athlete signs a Letter of Intent with an NJCAA member college they immediately become unrecruitable by any other NJCAA member college for the duration of the agreement.
  • It is NOT permissible to sign a Letter of Intent with two NJCAA colleges

Scholarships:

• Each NJCAA member institution can choose to compete in Division I, II, or III in a designated sport. Below is a breakdown of the athletic allowances per division:

Requirements:

• NJCAA member institutions are responsible for fully vetting every student-athlete's eligibility.
• Due to the unique academic and athletic situation of each individual, and the complexity of the NJCAA eligibility rules, it is recommended that each potential student-athlete discuss their athletic eligibility with the athletic personnel at the NJCAA college where they have chosen to attend.
• Athletic Participation
  • Students are allowed to participate in their first two (2) seasons of intercollegiate competition in any sport at an NJCAA college.
  • The NJCAA does not have an “eligibility clock” nor does the NJCAA have an age limit.

Transfer Students:

• Transfer Student
  • All transfer students must adhere to the eligibility rules of the NJCAA to be eligible for participation at a member institution.
  • Copies of all official college transcripts (past, and present) are required for eligibility.
  • NJCAA member institutions will certify, with previous institutions, seasons of participation.
• If the student-athlete was signed to an NJCAA Letter of Intent (LOI), at any time, in the previous, current, or upcoming academic year at another NJCAA member school, a fully executed NJCAA Transfer Waiver is required for the student-athlete to be eligible for participation following transfer.

In the NJCAA, eligibility is determined at the institutional level and all previous college work is taken into consideration when determining athletic eligibility. Each potential student-athlete must discuss their athletic eligibility with the athletic personnel and will have their eligibility status vetted at the NJCAA college where they have chosen to attend.