Navigating NAIA Scholarships: Rules, Regulations, and Opportunities

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) offers a valuable pathway for student-athletes to pursue their athletic and academic dreams. Understanding the NAIA's scholarship rules and regulations is crucial for prospective athletes and their families. This article provides a comprehensive overview of NAIA eligibility, scholarships, and financial aid, offering insights for navigating the collegiate sports landscape.

What is the NAIA?

The NAIA essentially began in 1937 based around basketball, but its current multiple-sport form took shape in 1957. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is a governing body for collegiate athletics, comprising roughly 300 member colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. The NAIA is comprised of 250 colleges and universities, offering a diverse range of 27 sports, with a minimum requirement of 6 sports per institution. NAIA schools typically enroll an average of 1,400 full-time students, including approximately 308 student-athletes. Notably, 82% of NAIA colleges are private, and 65% are faith-based institutions. It stands as an alternative to the more widely known National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). While the NCAA governs more than 1,100 colleges and universities, serving close to 500,000 student-athletes, the NAIA provides opportunities for a different segment of student-athletes.

Each university offering collegiate sports must apply for affiliation to a college sports division defined by criteria including finances, location, and the amount of sports programs offered by the school. NAIA membership allows for a college or university to sponsor competitive athletics at a much lower cost than it would be to join the NCAA at the Division I (DI), Division II (DII), or Division III (DIII) levels.

NAIA vs. NCAA: Key Differences

The NCAA and NAIA are two separate governing bodies of collegiate athletics. While both offer athletic opportunities, there are key distinctions:

Size and Scope: The NCAA is larger, encompassing more institutions and student-athletes.
Recruiting Rules: The NAIA has fewer recruiting rules than the NCAA. NAIA coaches can contact student athletes anytime during high school.
National Letter of Intent: Unlike NCAA schools, the NAIA does not implement a National Letter of Intent program.
Eligibility Standards: Initial eligibility rules for NAIA institutions differ slightly from the NCAA eligibility rules.
Competition Level: Competing at an NCAA DI program does not automatically mean it’s better. In fact, there are several NCAA DII and NAIA programs that are equally competitive to the teams at the NCAA DI level.

NAIA Eligibility Center

To play college sports at an NAIA institution, students must register with the NAIA Eligibility Center at PlayNAIA.org. Registering for the NCAA Eligibility Center does not suffice for playing at an NAIA college. Determining if you meet eligibility requirements for NAIA eligibility is separate from NCAA eligibility certification. The NAIA now has a clearinghouse like the NCAA Eligibility Center. It takes about 10 minutes for athletes to set up their eligibility center account.

Read also: Guide to NAIA Colleges in Florida

Academic Requirements for Initial Eligibility

NAIA eligibility rules require careful attention. For incoming freshmen, the NAIA sets clear academic benchmarks. As an entering freshman, you must: be a graduate of an accredited high school or be accepted as a regular student in good standing as defined by the enrolling institution. To be academically eligible, a student needs to meet one of the freshmen eligibility options. If a high school does not rank their graduating class and a class rank is not available, then a minimum test score and 2.0 GPA are required to be eligible.

To be eligible as an entering freshman, you must meet two of the three following requirements:

Test Scores: Achieve a minimum of 18 on the ACT or 860 on the SAT. *These test score requirements are for any athletes taking standardized tests after May 1, 2019. The test score requirements will be a 16 ACT or an 860 SAT for tests completed between March 1, 2016 and May 1, 2019. If the standardized tests were taken prior to March 1, 2016, a score of a 20 on the ACT or a 950 on the SAT is required.
GPA: Achieve a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Class Rank: Graduate in the top half of your high school class.

If you are a GED student, you must have achieved a minimum of 18 on the ACT or 860 on the SAT - there are no GPA or class rank requirements. Home school students must have scored a 20 on the ACT or 950 on the SAT to be considered eligible.

Once athletes have created their account and all of their documents have arrived at the NAIA Eligibility Center, it generally takes three to seven business days for the NAIA to complete the review process from the date completed records are submitted for incoming freshmen.

Required Documentation

The NAIA is tasked with ensuring student-athletes are academically eligible to compete in their sport at an NAIA member institution. Athletes must also provide the correct documentation to the NAIA to show that they meet these requirements. To determine they meet these requirements, student-athletes must send the NAIA specific documentation.

Read also: NAIA NCAA Transfer Guide

Transcripts: Official high school transcripts demonstrating graduation and GPA.
Test Scores: Official ACT or SAT scores sent directly from the testing agency using code 9876.
GED: GED transcripts if applicable.
Home School Transcript: Home schooled students only need to meet the test score requirements and provide the NAIA with their home school transcript. The transcript must include a graduation date and a signature by the home school administrator.

For international students, how the NAIA calculates them is different and the documentation requirements will vary from country to country. system, all international students are required to register for an evaluation through InCred at www.InCredEvals.org. Records submitted to InCred will be used for eligibility evaluation, so students only need to send their records once.

Eligibility for Transfer Students

Transfer students face different eligibility requirements. Transfer students from both two-year and four-year universities who have never played on an NAIA team must register with the NAIA Eligibility Center.

Have a minimum of a 2.0 GPA from all previous colleges combined.
Meet all conference-specific requirements for transfers.
Provide a list of all their competitive experiences-both collegiate and non-collegiate-since high school graduation.
Transfers who are still in their first year of college must also provide the NAIA with their ACT or SAT scores, which must be sent directly from the testing centers using code 9876.
International students will need to provide proof of graduation from their high school and must purchase a credential evaluation through InCred Evaluations. The athlete needs to submit their records directly to InCred, which will be used to determine NAIA eligibility.

NAIA Scholarship Opportunities

Yes, student-athletes are able to receive athletic scholarships at NAIA schools, however the amount and type of scholarship offered will depend on the school’s division level (similar to the NCAA). With roughly 300 member colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada, the NAIA offers financial aid to cover tuition costs, mandatory fees, books and supplies, and room and board based on the official room and board allowance by the institution. NAIA member schools provide more than $800 million in financial aid to student-athletes each year. NAIA scholarship atheletes receive an average of $7000 of financial aid.

While the association will have fewer scholarships to go around than the more expansive NCAA - as there are fewer members schools - NAIA-participating schools have less-strict rules when it comes to being on a collegiate team. While NAIA colleges may not all have the high profile of NCAA schools and be as visible on television or in the news, they do offer a large number of scholarship opportunities. There are often more opportunities for playing time and scholarships at small NAIA member colleges because roster sizes tend to be smaller and junior varsity teams are also an option.

It’s crucial for student-athletes seeking college scholarships to understand the type and extent of financial aid available. Most recruits might adjust their sights and aim to create a more complete scholarship package by combining athletic scholarships with other opportunities like financial aid.

Types of Aid

Each school will determine how much aid it awards to an individual student-athlete. Under no conditions may anyone else provide direct financial assistance to any student-athlete. Scholarships, grants-in-aid, or student loans are controlled by each school through the same committed that handles all student loans and scholarships. There are limits on the total amount of financial it can award as full or partial grants to students in that sport.

Athletic Scholarships: NAIA institutions offer full or partial athletic scholarships. These awards differ based on the sport, athlete’s skill level, and school’s budget. Few NAIA schools will offer full ride scholarships to athletes, but partial scholarships are more common.
Academic Scholarships: NAIA schools frequently complement athletic scholarships with academic awards. Many institutions provide merit-based scholarships for students with strong GPAs or test scores.
Need-Based Aid: Need-based aid forms another crucial component of NAIA financial packages. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines eligibility for need-based assistance.

What Counts as an Athletic Scholarship

Any money you get from the school, including athletic grants or scholarships, academic scholarships, leadership or performance awards, outside scholarships administered by the institution, and tuition waivers are considered athletic scholarships.

What Doesn't Count as an Athletic Scholarship

NAIA scholarships that aren't considered athletic aid are, scholarships "that are not funded, controlled, or allocated in any significant way by the institution." These include federal loans and Pell grants.

Scholarship Renewal

NAIA athletes must maintain good academic standing and progress toward their degree to keep their scholarships. Athletic performance and adherence to team rules also affect scholarship renewal. While NAIA schools can offer multi-year scholarships, many review athletic aid annually.

Scholarship Limits by Sport

As with the NCAA, teams are only allowed a certain number of NAIA scholarships. Just because a team is allowed to have, say 12 scholarships, doesn't mean that the college necessarily has the money to fund them. That team may actually only have 8 scholarships. The NAIA allows for 24 full scholarships for football. But that doesn’t mean only 24 players receive scholarship money. Those 24 full scholarships can be divided into as many half and quarter awards as needed. Here are examples of scholarship limits for various sports:

Football: 24
Baseball: 12
Basketball (Div. I): 11
Softball: 10
Basketball (Div. II): 6
Golf: 5
Volleyball: 8
Soccer: 12
Track & Field: 12
Tennis: 5
Cross Country: 5
Wrestling: 8
Swimming & Diving: 8

Recruiting Regulations

NAIA athletic programs operate under different recruiting standards compared to NCAA schools and coaches. As a result, there is no set recruiting calendar for NAIA schools. With fewer mandates and regulations in place, NAIA coaches have greater flexibility in their recruiting approach. NAIA coaches can contact student athletes anytime during high school.

Playing Season Regulations

NAIA sports have different season lengths. Football lasts 12 weeks, while basketball extends to 30 weeks. Baseball and softball seasons run for 19 weeks. The NAIA imposes limits on practice time to protect student-athletes’ well-being. Any practice or competition during this period counts towards the 24-week season.

Competition limits also exist. NAIA baseball teams can play a maximum of 55 games per season, while basketball teams are capped at 30 games.

NAIA athletes have four seasons of competition within the first 10 semesters (or equivalent) in which they enroll as full-time students. Athletes should note that seasons of competition can deplete quickly. Even participation in one game or scrimmage can count as a full season.

Additional Considerations

Contacting Athletic Departments: You'll need to contact the athletic department of the school you'd like to attend to determine whether that school is funding the sport you’re interested in.
Enrollment Requirements: To receive funding and to play on a team, you must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours.
Honest Game Counselors: Honest Game Counselors are here to help take the guesswork out of academic eligibility and are available to provide one-on-one assistance to support student-athletes in navigating post-secondary opportunities athletically and academically.

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