NEW at the Shawnee Mission College Clinic this year....the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) will be on hand to provide information and answer questions regarding the
thousands of opportunities to play your sport at smaller four-year universities that belong to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
Did you
know that of all the students who play sports in high school, about 7% will go
on to play in college, but only 1% will play for an NCAA Division I school?
Playing at an NAIA school is a great way to earn an athletics
scholarship and get an excellent college education. NAIA member schools provide
more than 60,000 student-athletes with opportunities to play college sports,
earn $500 million in scholarships and compete in 23 national championships each
year.
How do
you know if you’ll be eligible to play in the NAIA? You’ll need to have your
eligibility determined by the NAIA Eligibility Center. It’s easy to register at
the website PlayNAIA.org. The NAIA Eligibility Center is completely separate
from the NCAA’s clearinghouse, so if you’re exploring sports in college, you
need to be sure to register with both.
NAIA
eligibility rules are straightforward. There are no core courses, and you only
have to meet two criteria after high school graduation: 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale;
an 18 ACT or 860 Critical Reading and Math SAT; and graduation in the top 50%
of your class. As long as you meet any two of these criteria after high school
graduation, you’re eligible to compete in the NAIA your freshman year. The NAIA
Eligibility Center also has options for getting an early eligibility decision
before you graduate from high school. Early decisions are great for recruiting
because it tells an NAIA coach that you’re eligible and ready to start playing
immediately when you arrive on campus.
You can
find out more about Early Decisions, NAIA sports and schools and much more at
PlayNAIA.org.
Attend the Shawnee Mission College Clinic on Wednesday, Oct. 15th from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at Shawnee Mission East High School. NAIA representatives will have a presentation room where you can stop in for 20 minute information sessions throughout the evening. They will provide lots of information and answer your questions.