If you don’t know, NCAA means National Collegiate Athletic Association. If you don’t know what it is, you probably aren’t worried about it at all. But if you DO know what it means, then as a homeschool parent you may feel stressed or insecure. Let me help!
Let me unlock the mysteries of the college application process (NCAA and otherwise) in this free class! Click to register: College Applications Simply Explained
First, it’s important to remember that parenting is never easy, and each parent has their own issues and struggles. I didn’t have to work with the NCAA, but I’ve had friends who have done it. I know that homeschoolers can work within their system. I also know it’s not a walk in the park! I would love to hear from veteran homeschool moms who have been successful with the NCAA system – especially from parents who have homeschooled independently! IF that is you, can you please leave a comment to encourage other parents on that path?
Here are a few starting points and resources to get you on your way, as you begin to think about NCAA eligibility and requirements. If you have a gifted athlete, start your research early, so you are well prepared before junior year of high school.
NCAA Home School Student Requirements
NCAA Eligability Center: Home School Toolkit
NCAA Eligibility Center: Home School Checklist
Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center during Junior year. The NCAA Eligibility Center will determine whether home schooled college-bound student-athletes will be eligible. www.eligibilitycenter.org.
You can see their transcript example. Their instructions say “If a course has more than one textbook, please attach an additional textbook list” which looks like my expanded transcript example which I demonstrate in the Comprehensive Record Solution. They do use the A = 90-100 scale, which is the same scale that I usually recommend. It appears they only accept (or strongly prefer) textbooks. Even then, they recommend only textbooks that are college preparatory. For that reason, be sure to include the publisher information as they require, not just title and author.
Jumping through hoops is one of the things ALL parents have to do in order to participate with the NCAA. It’s not unique for homeschoolers, it’s for ALL students. Granted, it doesn’t look easy, but it does look possible. If it’s worth it to your student, you should be successful handling this as an independent homeschooler.
Meanwhile, online schools state that new guidelines means they WILL NOT be approved for NCAA eligibility. Keystone Online High School states “Online courses are defined by NCAA as being “non-traditional” and fall under these revised guidelines. Keystone print (correspondence) courses will not be approved for eligibility….. We cannot guarantee that every Keystone online course will be accepted for initial eligibility. “
If NCAA eligibility is the next step for your child, don’t be afraid. Be assertive! Your efforts can be successful!
[…] http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/ncaa-101-homeschoolers/6657/ […]
My dd is a sophomore looking for a DI scholarship. I called NCAA last fall and was pleasantly surprised when they put me through to their “homeschool liason.”
I was concerned about the textbook list since we also use a lot of on-line and DVD materials. He said no problem, just include them on the list. He was already familiar with many of the materials we were using, like Teaching Company, Saxon, etc. He warned us to be careful that everything is labelled for high school or college prep, or it will not meet NCAA eligibility requirements.
The homeschool representative informed me right away not to worry about science labs since NCAA had dropped this requirement for homeschoolers–just be careful to check out individual college requirements.
What a nice surprise to have a homeschool expert to talk to. I hope the positive experience continues.
I went through this process for my son two years ago. While I had kept fairly good records I did have to look up ISBN numbers for each textbook that we had used. As mentioned before, the liaison was very familiar with homeschool curriculum and was very helpful.
Lee, your video on how to make a high school transcript helped me so very much. You took the fear out of it for me. I would definitely recommend watching this video. Since going through the process myself, I am able to reassure others who are considering homeschooling through high school that it can be done. Thank you for blessing others with your knowledge, Lee!
We’re in the process right now. One useful tip: contact the academic compliance department at a college or university in your state, to see if someone there would be willing to look over the required “Core Course Worksheets” that must be submitted to NCAA. That feedback can be incredibly useful, since NCAA does not evaluate transcripts for ANYONE, homeschooled or otherwise, until the student is recruited by colleges. For me, late junior or senior year is way too late to find out something might not satisfy NCAA requirements. Recruiters are familiar with the system, and can provide an early heads-up if something is lacking. I had to place many calls before I found someone willing to take a look at my son’s information, but I am so glad I stuck with the process until I heard a “yes.”
Thank you for sharing your suggestions and tips! This is the free transcript class that Julie mentioned: http://www.thehomescholar.com/homeschool-transcripts-webinar.php. I hope others will find it helpful too!
Blessings,
Lee
Does anyone have any experience with National High School’s program relative to meeting Div 1 admission criteria ?
My homes schooled oldest daughter is 15 and swims competitively through a USA swim team as well as our high school team. In her freshman year, we used Laurel Springs — HUGE mistake. Expensive, unresponsive, but it was NCAA approved. This year, we are going with a mix of on-line (but not necessarily NCAA approved) classes and traditional book learning. I’m keeping records of textbooks. However, when it comes to teacher recommendations, what do I do? Use the non-NCAA qualified? Create my own transcript and kind of don’t mention the non-NCAA courses by name but rather by English II, etc.?
Dear Wendy,
Lee says that the recommendation must be from a teacher, but it does not matter if the recommendation is from an NCAA Qualified-school. Normally I would recommend another article to answer your question, and I know that Lee is writing an article about some of what you asked, but right now I don’t have much info to give you. This is the kind of question that Lee would get from her Gold Care Club members during consultations. To learn more about The HomeScholar Gold Care Club, look here: http://www.TheHomeScholar.com/GoldCareClub.php
Blessings,
Robin
Assistant to The HomeScholar
My daughter is a gymnast and we are praying for a scholarship in the future. Does anyone have any experience with NCAA and Classical Conversations? Have you had issue with accreditation through their classes?
Hi Tracy,
Great question! Maybe this post will help: NCAA Prefers Independent Homeschoolers
Blessings,
Robin
Member Services, Artistic Manager, and Technical Support
Thanks!
You’re welcome, Tracy!
Robin
Assistant to The HomeScholar
My daughter will be starting her freshman homeschool year in 2016-2017. We have been trying to figure out if it is better to just to to school full time or if it can actually be done at home and still be eligible. She has been planning on taking some elective courses at our local high school and then we have been using life of Fred books for math and Anrew Pudewa for English and such. Will those be ok with the NCAA or are there specific books they only accept? Still trying to figure out science and language too. Just wondering what would be best and most simple to do right now so we aren’t worrying about it later.
Good question, Tammie!
I’m sorry, I don’t know the answer! That’s one of those specific-type questions that Lee get during consultations with her Gold Care Club members.
Robin
Assistant to The HomeScholar
Hi I am completing my homeschooling course worksheets, a lot of my classes use the same books/content as various other high school, so in reaching online I saw many of the same books come up as the those in other same classes will NCAA have an issue with this? thx JJ homeschooler
Hi JJ! That’s not going to be a problem. You can mention that you use an integrated, literature-based curriculum, and that should make sense to them.
Blessings,
Lee
I am thankful for all the comments above. I am in need of Help with Core Course Worksheets as I am currently working on them for my senior son..
Does anyone have input, comments, encouragement or examples??
I would be really appreciate your time!!!
Does anyone have a list of homeschool online programs that are approved? Or are none of them, at this point?
Liberty Online Academy has several approved and non-approved courses. The NCAA website also has definitions under its Non-Traditional Courses that may help guide you.
That being said, my oldest is just entering HS, so this is preliminary research I am sharing, not experience.
HSLDA Online Academy is approved by NCAA. They offer AP English, Math and Science, History, and Spanish. Several others. Their approved courses are actually listed on the NCAA website. You have to find the search for high schools approved core courses and then type in “HSLDA Online Academy” in Virginia.
Also, DiveIntoMath.com gives very clear instructions on how to fill out the NCAA forms for their math and science courses, which are self-paced online courses. My son has taken them his entire high school career. But I will still be considered the “teacher of record” since he doesn’t interact with anyone else in those classes. The DiveIntoMath founder (Shormann) even gives the ISBN number for the online “textbook.” I’m pretty confident those will be accepted.
ExcelsiorClasses.com also has several courses that are NCAA approved.
Starting freshman year this year- We do a hybrid of classes through a co-op and some on our own through curriculum from Bob Jones or Alpha Omega. Obviously the things that we do on our own would need approvals— how do we go about the courses through our co-op – THose are her math and science credits. So is that non-traditional? How do we get those approved?
The Potter’s School has options that are NCAA approved. Here is the website: https://at-tps.org/
Hi Leia, we recently discovered that your question went unanswered here on our blog. So sorry about that! Here is the direct link to the NCAA with the information needed for homeschoolers whose students’ are interested in playing Division I or II sports in college: https://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future/home-school-students
It is really important to follow all of their instructions.
Blessings,
Rebecca
Assistant to Lee