High School Athletes who are considering an NAIA college should be aware that the NAIA has increased one of their academic requirements to be immediately eligible as an incoming freshman.
To be eligible as an incoming freshman to an NAIA college, an athlete must satisfy two of three academic requirements:
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A cumulative high school GPA of 2.000 or higher on a 4.000.
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Rank in the upper half of the athlete’s graduating class per final official high school transcript.
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A minimum ACT composite score of 18 or 970 on the SAT (Reading/Writing and Math sections) for tests taken on or after May 1, 2019.
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Informed Athlete. (2019, October 30). NAIA Raises Freshman Academic Eligibility Requirements. Retrieved February 27, 2020, from https://informedathlete.com/naia-raises-freshman-academic-eligibility-requirements/
99% of the time, an incoming freshman needs nothing more than a high school diploma to play. Junior Colleges (aka JUCOs) can be stepping stones to NCAA and NAIA schools, as players only have two years of eligibility in the NJCAA.