Sad to say millions of college bound students follow this “blind” path to funding a college education without ever knowing whether or not they’ve gotten all that they deserve in financial aid.

Academic Requirements
It’s important that you understand your high school’s academic requirements and policies. You also need to understand the terms Grade Point Average (GPA), Class Rank, and Transcript.
In order to graduate, you must fulfill your high school’s academic requirements. Take a minute now and see if you can answer the questions below about the academic requirements at your high school.

1. How many credits is a year-long academic course like English worth?
2. How many credits do you need in order to advance to the next grade?
3. What happens if you don’t have the credits you need to advance to the next grade?
4. Of the courses you’re currently taking, which ones are required for graduation?
5. Is there a state-required test that you must pass in order to graduate? If yes, when do you take it?  (In the state of Alabama you must the High School Graduation Exam)

If you don’t know the answer(s) to one or more of the above questions, ask a teacher or talk to your counselor. If you ever have any questions regarding your academic record, see your counselor.

Grade Point Average (GPA)
Grade point average, or GPA, is simply the average of a student’s semester (or end of term) grades, staring with the freshman year. This average is extremely important to students as it relates to receiving scholarships and FREE money for college. Although there are variations, most high schools use a 4.0 scale in which an A=4, B=3, C=2, and D=1. If a student has all A’s, he/she has a 4.0 GPA. If a student has B’s in half of his/her courses and C’s in the other half, the student has a 2.5 GPA.

Some schools have “weighted grades” for honors and /or AP (advanced placement) courses. If a high school has weighted grades, then a grade in a weighted course is worth more than it is in a non-weighted course. For example, an A in an honors course might be worth five points instead of the usual four points. While a variety of methods are used to determine GPA, the higher our grades, the higher you GPA.

Class Rank
Many high schools use class rank to show where a student stands in relation to the other members of his/her class. The student with the highest GPA is number one the student with the second highest GPA is number two, etc. Class rank is generally written as tow numbers. The first number represents the student’s place in the class; the second number represents the total number of students in the class (e.g., 17/309). Because GPAs are used to determine class rank, you must have a high GPA in order to have an impressive class rank.

High School Transcript
A high school transcript is a document that details a student’s academic achievement in grades 9-12. A transcript is, quite simply, a copy of a student’s high school record. Although the appearance of the high school transcript varies from school to school, high school transcripts generally contain the following information:

1. Grades and credits for each course completed, beginning with grade nine.
2. Attendance records
3. Current cumulative GPA and class rank
4. Anticipated graduation date
5. Test scores, including scores for state graduation tests (if required) and college test (PLAN,PSAT,SAT,ACT)

Transcripts are used when a high school, organization, or college needs an official copy of a student’s academic record. For example, if you were to transfer to another high school, your new high school would need to have a record of the courses you’ve taken, the grades and credits you’ve earned, etc. Your new school would, therefore, ask your current high school to send them an official transcript.
In order to determine whether or not a student meets their admissions requirements, college admissions officers need to have a record of an applicant’s courses, grades, test scores, and GPA. Most colleges, therefore, require that a transcript be submitted along with a student’s application for admission. A transcript is also usually required when a student applies for a scholarship.

In addition to their state’s eligibility requirements, many schools have additional requirements that students must meet before playing a sport. Athletes may, for example, be required to maintain a minimum grade point average in a certain number of classes. At many high schools, these same eligibility requirements also apply to students who participate in activities like band, student government, etc.

Know your school’s eligibility requirements. If you have a question or concern about eligibility, see your counselor, principal, coach, or athletic director.

Basic NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA eligibility guidelines are outlined below. For more information, go to their websites.

NCAA
The NCAA has over 1,000 member colleges. Division I and Division II colleges can offer athletic scholarships; Division III colleges (mostly smaller, private colleges) cannot. Division III athletes do not need to meet NCAA academic requirements.

Athletes going to Division I and II colleges must have a minimum GPA in a specified number of core courses, along with the required ACT or SAT score. ACT / SAT requirements for Division I eligibility are based on a sliding scale. The higher a student’s core GPA, the lower the test score required. Division II athletes must have a 2.0 GPA in their core coursed and the required ACT/SAT score.

Athletes should take the ACT and the SAT in the spring of their junior year. To initiate the eligibility process, athletes need to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. This should be done after an athlete’s junior year. www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

NAIA
The NAIA has over 300 member colleges. NAIA colleges can award full or partial scholarships. To play a sport or receive an athletic scholarship, an athlete must meet 2 of the following three NAIA requirements:

1. Have the required ACT or SAT score
2. Have an overall 2.0 GPA
3. Graduate in the top half of his/her class.

For more information visit www.naia.org

NJCAA
The NJCAA has over 500 member colleges. Division I and Division II Junior colleges can offer scholarships; Division III colleges cannot. There are no academic eligibility requirements for athletes entering junior colleges. For more information, visit www.njcaa.org

For Information on Federal grants, loans, and special topics, be sure to review the Financial Aid 101, and 201 guides to college funding.