If you want to play NCAA sports at a Division I or II school, you need to register for a Certification Account with the NCAA Eligibility Center. College-bound student-athletes in Division III can also create a Profile Page to receive important updates about being a student-athlete and preparing for college. Students who are not sure which division they want to compete in can create a Profile Page and transition to a Certification Account if they decide to play Division I or II sports.
The NCAA Eligibility Center works with you and your high school to help you prepare for life as a student-athlete. If you have questions about your eligibility or the registration process, please review our resources and frequently asked questions or call us toll free at 1-877-262-1492. International students should use our International Contact Form to reach out to staff.
The following resources can assist with questions you may have about registering with the Eligibility Center.
- Which Eligibility Center account should I create?
- Registration Checklist
- How to add your school information to your Eligibility Center account
- How to add sports information to your Eligibility Center account
- How do I review my tasks?
- How to transition from a Profile Page to Certification Account
- How to change your graduation or enrollment date
What You Need Before You Register
Below is a list of items that we recommend you have prepared prior to beginning your registration with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Or download our Registration Checklist to have on hand.
- Valid email address the student checks frequently and will have access to after high school.
- Basic education history, including a list of all high schools or secondary schools you have attended and the dates during which you attended them.
- Sports participation history (Certification Accounts only), including details about any teams with which you have practiced or played or events in which you participated, as well as information about any individuals that have advised you or marketed your skills.
- Payment (Certification Accounts only). The registration fee is $90 for students from the United States and its territories, and Canada. The registration fee is $150 for students from all other countries. You must pay online by debit, credit card or e-check. Some students may be eligible for a fee waiver.
Online Registration
On the NCAA Eligibility Center website, you will find the tools and information to guide you toward your goal of becoming an NCAA student-athlete. Allow at least 30 to 45 minutes to register completely for a Certification Account, and 15 to 30 minutes to create a Profile Page. If you need to exit and come back at a later time, you can save and exit once your account has been created.
Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center by following these steps:
- Visit eligibilitycenter.org and read the two account descriptions.
- Decide if you would like to sign up with a Certification Account or Profile Page. If you plan to compete at an NCAA Division I or II school, select the “Create an Account” button. If you plan to compete at an NCAA Division III school or are currently unsure where you want to compete, select the “Create a Profile Page” button. Reminder: you may transition from a Profile Page to a Certification Account, but may not move from a Certification Account to a Profile Page.
- On the next page, provide a valid email address to create either account and begin the registration process. Be sure you provide an email address that you check frequently and will be active even after you complete high school.
- Check your email inbox for an email containing a verification code and return to eligibilitycenter.org. Enter your verification code and continue registering.
- Complete the Account, Basic Information and Contact pages.
- Certification Accounts will be prompted to pay the nonrefundable registration fee. Students have 30 days after receiving a verification code to pay before their account is dropped out of the system. After submitting payment, return to your Dashboard to complete registration.
- Both accounts types will be prompted to enter their most recent Schools information.. Please include all schools, even if you did not receive grades or credits. If you have completed coursework at home, you may or may not be a home school student for the purposes of NCAA initial-eligibility.
- After entering School information, Certification Accounts will be taken to the Sports page. Please select the sport(s) you plan to compete in and continue to answer the Sports questions.
- After completing the School section (Profile Pages) and Sports section (Certification Accounts) you will be taken back to your Dashboard.
Registration Fee and Waiver
Your Certification Account will be eligible for processing once the nonrefundable registration fee is paid or waived. You must pay online by debit, credit card or e-check. The registration fee is $90 for students from the United States and its territories, and Canada. The registration fee is $150 for students from all other countries. Profile Pages do NOT need to pay unless they transition to a Certification Account.
You are eligible for a registration fee waiver if you have received a waiver of the SAT or ACT fee. This is not the same as a U.S. state voucher. You must have an authorized high school official submit your fee waiver documentation online after you complete your registration.
In order to be eligible for an ACT fee waiver, you must meet one of these indicators of economic need:
- Your family receives low-income public assistance
- Your family income is at or below the Bureau of Labor Statistics Low Standard Budget
- You are a ward of the state
- You live in a foster home
- You are homeless
- You participate in free or reduced-price lunch program at school
- You participate in federally funded TRIO Program such as Upward Bound
You are eligible for consideration for an SAT fee waiver if you are a United States citizen or a foreign national taking the SAT in the United States or its territories and you meet one of the following requirements:
- You are enrolled in a program for the economically disadvantaged such as AVID or TRIO
- Your family’s annual income falls within the levels listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for free or reduced-price lunches
- Your family receives public assistance
- Your family lives in federally subsidized public housing
- You live in a foster home
If you are a home schooled student in the United States or its territories who cannot afford to pay the test fees, you must provide proof of eligibility to your local high school or agency fee-waiver administrator. Only a school or agency administrator can provide you with the fee-waiver card for the appropriate test.
Students from countries other than the United States or its territories are not eligible for a fee waiver.
All fees are nonrefundable after you successfully register with a Certification Account. If you completed a duplicate registration and paid your registration fee twice, you may be eligible for a refund of the duplicate registration fees. To receive a refund, you need to complete and submit a refund form. Once you create a Certification Account, you may not transition to a Profile Page.
HOW CAN YOU LOSE NCAA ELIGIBILITY?
If requirements are not met the student-athlete will be in violation of NCAA Scholarship Rules and could be in jeopardy of losing their athletic scholarship.
WHAT IS THE MINIMUM GPA FOR NCAA ELIGIBILITY?
The minimum GPA you can have and still be NCAA eligible for DI is a 2.3 GPA and a 900 SAT or 75 ACT sum score. You will need a 2.20 GPA and a 840 SAT or 70 ACT sum score to be eligible at the Division II level. Ultimately, the minimum GPA you will need is dependent on where you fall on the NCAA sliding scale.