Bylaw: Article V, Section B, Item 8
“Identification: Representing an institution in an intercollegiate contest or enrolling in 12 or more institutional credit hours with a minimum of nine institutional credit hours at the NAIA member institution in any given term (excluding summer session) as reported by the institution’s registrar on an official transcript based on the institution’s official census date.”
Also applicible, bylaw: Article V, Section C, Item 6
“After completion of the second semester term or third quarter term of attendance and from then on, a student must have accumulated a minimum of 24 institutional credit hours in the two immediately previous terms of attendance in a semester system or 36 institutional credit hours in the three immediately previous terms of attendance in a quarter system. … No more than 12 institutional credit hours earned during summers and/or during non-terms may be applied to meet the 24/36-Hour Rule. Such credit must be earned after one or both of the two immediately previous terms of attendance.
All credit hours used to meet this total of 24/36 institutional credit hours are to be taken at face value and are not to be converted, even if earned at different institutions using different credit-hour systems (e.g. quarter and semester).”
Interpretation
When a student is considered to be identified at an institution, the student is charged a term of attendance. Any hours earned during that calendar term (e.g. semester, quarter, trimester, etc.) are considered to be term hours, regardless of the institution where they were earned.
Application
This rule primarily applies when determining if a student satisfies the 24/36-Hour Rule, in which a student is limited to using only 12 non-term hours. For that reason, a school may have to clearly determine which hours are term hours and which are non-term hours.
Example
NAIA student was charged a term of attendance for identifying at NAIA State University in Fall 2012. During the same academic term, the student enrolled in an additional nine institutional credit hours at NAIA College. All hours the student earned during Fall 2012 are considered term hours. The additional nine hours earned at NAIA College will not be considered non-term hours.
If the student is enrolled at multiple institutions but does not identify with an institution during the academic term, all hours earned will be considered non-term hours.
Related Bylaws
Article V, Section B, Item 10: Inter-Term Definition
Article V, Section B, Item 12: Non-Term Hours
Article V, Section B, Item 21: Term of Attendance
NEC Interp – Creation date August 2013
