Category: Article V, Section C

  • Mid-Year Transfer Student Eligibility: Common Scenario & FAQs

    Q: A transfer student that is currently at an NAIA school for the fall term and was on the women’s basketball team is looking to transfer to a new NAIA institution for the spring term. The Student-Athlete played in 4 games this fall for the previous NAIA institution. Can the student transfer and compete in the spring…

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  • How to Certify After Post-Bacc Degree

    After the bylaw amendment for Post-Baccalaureate eligibility, students now have the ability to seek either a graduate degree or a second undergraduate degree. The following informations provides guidance on how to certify student-athletes, specifically for the 24/36-Hour Rule, after the student has earned their first baccalaureate degree. Scenario 1: Student completed one term in graduate…

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  • 2023 Bylaw Update: Graduate Student Eligibility

    Key Takeaways for Graduate Students’ Eligibility Frequently Asked Questions: Q: What is the reasoning behind distinguishing undergraduate eligibility and graduate eligibility like this?    A: Early eligibility standards in the NAIA started with the philosophy that a student exhausted their eligibility when they earned their baccalaureate degree (in addition to the limits of 10 semesters/15 quarters…

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  • Repeat Courses

    Article V, Section C, Item 12 A repeat course is defined as a course term, summer or nonpreviously passed with a grade of “D” or better in any term, and subsequently retaken. For the purposes of this rule, the NAIA does not recognize a +/- attached to a letter grade. Consequently, a B+ or B-…

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  • Mid-Year Certification

    Article V, Section C, Item 14 A student who is eligible the last day of a term (as reported on the institution’s official academic calendar) may retain eligibility until midnight of the 30th calendar day following the close of a term to allow an institution time to recertify eligibility through the official Eligibility Certification Process.…

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  • Mid-Year Eligibility for Freshmen

    Article V, Section C, Item 5: Mid-Year Eligibility & 9-Hour Rule Definition of an Entering Freshman, V.B.5 : A student who upon becoming identified with an NAIA institution has not been previously identified with any institution(s) of higher learning for any two semesters or three quarters (or the equivalent). V.C.5.a (Nine-Hour Rule)  An entering freshman who…

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  • Use of Non-Term Credits – Reliance on Transcript

    For the 2021 Convention, the membership passed a bylaw on how to apply inter-term credit earned for eligibility purposes. While this bylaw application is listed under Article V, Section B, Item 10: Definition for Inter-Term, the guidance on how to evaluate inter-term credits covers all non-term credits such as summer courses or online, non-traditional courses.…

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  • 24/36-Hour Rule Exception Junior College Transfers

    Article V, Section C, Item 6, Exception 2 states: EXCEPTION 2: A transfer student who has met the graduation requirements for an associate degree from a junior college in the previous two semester or three quarter terms of attendance will be exempt from meeting the 24/36-Hour Rule for the first two terms of attendance upon…

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  • Progress Rule vs. 24/36-Hour Rule

    The two core NAIA continuing eligibility requirements, the 24/36-Hour Rule and the Progress Rule, are often mistaken for one another. However, they represent separate concepts and are to be applied independently. Previous installments of this series explored only the 24/36-Hour Rule. This article explains the Progress Rule and its relationship to the 24/36-Hour Rule. Progress Rule (Bylaws Article…

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  • Progress Rule GPA & Exception

    Bylaw Article V, Section C, Item 9b and exception Amended at the 2021 National Convention – Applicible for all eligibility decisions May 1, 2022 and thereafter. “To participate in a second, third and/or fourth season in a sport, all students must have and maintain a total cumulative GPA of at least 2.000 on a 4.000…

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