At the 2025 NAIA National Convention, the membership approved Bylaw Amendment 25-B-08, which removes the NAIA’s definition of repeat coursework and eliminates corresponding restrictions on eligibility. This shift will change how repeat courses are treated when determining a student-athlete’s academic eligibility.
🚨 What’s Changing?
Previously, the NAIA defined what qualified as a “repeat course” and limited how such courses could count toward eligibility. Under this amendment:
- The NAIA will no longer define or regulate repeat courses.
- Each institution’s academic transcript and policy will be used to determine whether a repeated course counts toward eligibility.
- NAIA eligibility rules like the 12-Hour Enrollment Rule, 24/36-Hour Rule, and Progress Rule remain in place—but will be interpreted using the institution’s transcript.
This amendment does not eliminate the ability for students to retake courses. Rather, it eliminates the NAIA’s oversight of repeat course usage for eligibility.
🧾 Impact on Eligibility Rules
✅ 12-Hour Enrollment Rule
This requirement still applies. A student must be enrolled in at least 12 institutional credit hours, but now, any repeated courses that appear as enrolled institutional credit will count toward that total.
✅ 24/36-Hour Rule
Repeated courses will count only if they are listed as earning institutional credit and hours earned. If the course shows no earned credit, it does not count.
✅ Progress Rule
Institutions will determine whether repeated courses count toward degree progress. The NAIA will accept whatever is reflected on the transcript as cumulative earned hours toward the student’s program.
🧠 Institutional Responsibilities
With the removal of NAIA oversight, schools will play a larger role in determining and communicating eligibility based on their transcript practices. Here’s what institutions should do:
- Review internal transcript policies—especially how repeated courses are shown (e.g., retained credit, excluded attempts, grade replacement).
- Collaborate with the registrar’s office to ensure alignment on transcript interpretation.
- Educate coaches and certifiers so they understand how repeated coursework is handled and how it impacts eligibility projections.
📚 Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can institutions still enforce internal rules on repeats?
A: Yes. The NAIA has removed its own restrictions but allows institutions to maintain their own academic standards around repeated coursework.
Q: What if a student earns a lower grade on the second attempt?
A: The NAIA will follow institutional policy on grade replacement or averaging. Transcripts will determine how that course is counted for GPA or credit hours.
Q: Does this apply to summer or non-term courses?
A: Yes. The amendment applies to all coursework, regardless of term structure or session.
Q: Will this apply to past coursework?
A: Yes. Beginning with Fall 2026 eligibility certifications, this new approach will apply retroactively to all previous coursework as it is not the timing of when the coursework was taken, but rather the timing of when the new bylaw amendment is calculated into certification.
🔍 Transcript Example
Consider a student who takes Intro to Biology in Fall 2024 and again in Spring 2025:
- Fall 2024: Grade = D, 0 credit hours awarded
- Spring 2025: Grade = B, 3 credit hours awarded
Under the new rule, only the Spring 2025 attempt would count toward the 24/36-Hour Rule and Progress Rule because it is the only one that earned institutional credit. The NAIA will accept what’s shown on the transcript without applying any additional repeat course logic.
💬 Final Takeaways
- The NAIA is removing its repeat course regulations to reduce administrative complexity and empower institutional autonomy.
- Eligibility decisions will now rely solely on how repeat coursework is handled on the official transcript.
- Institutions should proactively align academic, athletic, and registrar offices to ensure clarity on transcript treatment and eligibility impact.
If you have specific questions regarding eligibility certifications under this new policy, please contact the NAIA Legislative Services.
