12 Amateurism and Athletics Eligibility

[12.01 unchanged.]

12.02 Definitions and Applications.

[12.02.1 through 12.02.5 unchanged.]

12.02.6 Intercollegiate Competition. Intercollegiate competition is considered to have occurred when a student-athlete in either a two-year or a four-year collegiate institution does any of the following:

[12.02.6-(a) through 12.02.6-(b) unchanged.]

(c) Competes and receives expenses (e.g., transportation, meals, room housing, entry fees) from the institution for the competition.

[12.02.6.1 through 12.02.6.2 unchanged.]

[12.02.7 through 12.02.16 unchanged.]

[12.1 unchanged.]

12.1.2 Amateur Status. An individual loses amateur status and thus shall not be eligible for intercollegiate competition in a particular sport if the individual:

[12.1.2-(a) through 12.1.2-(g) unchanged.]

12.1.2.1 Prohibited Forms of Pay. "Pay," as used in Bylaw 12.1.2 above, includes, but is not limited to, the following:

[12.1.2.1.1 through 12.1.2.1.2 unchanged.]

12.1.2.1.3 Educational Expenses. Educational expenses not permitted by the governing legislation of this Association (see Bylaw 15 regarding permissible financial aid to enrolled student-athletes).

12.1.2.1.3.1 Educational Expenses or Services -- Prior to Collegiate Enrollment. A prospective student-athlete may receive educational expenses or services (e.g., tuition, fees, room and board living expenses, books, tutoring, standardized test preparatory classes) prior to collegiate enrollment from any individual or entity other than an agent, professional sports team/organization, member institution or a representative of an institution's athletics interests, provided the payment for such expenses or services is disbursed directly to the individual, organization or educational institution (e.g., high school, preparatory school) providing the educational expenses or services.

12.1.2.1.3.1.1 Professional Sports Team/Organization -- Sports Other Than Men's Ice Hockey and Skiing. In sports other than men's ice hockey and skiing, prior to collegiate enrollment, a professional sports team/organization may provide payment for educational expenses or services (e.g., tuition, fees, room and board living expenses, books, tutoring, standardized test preparatory classes) provided to a prospective student-athlete, provided such payment is disbursed directly to the individual, organization or educational institution (e.g., high school, preparatory school) providing the educational expenses or services.

[12.1.2.1.3.2 unchanged.]

12.1.2.1.4 Expenses, Awards and Benefits. Excessive or improper expenses, awards and benefits.

[12.1.2.1.4.1 through 12.1.2.1.4.3 unchanged.]

12.1.2.1.4.4 Expenses for Family Members of Participants in Athletics Competition. Expenses received by the family members of a participant in athletics competition from a nonprofessional organization sponsoring the competition in excess of actual and necessary travel, room and board housing and food expenses, or any entertainment expenses, unless such expenses are made available to the family members of all participants in the competition.

[12.1.2.1.4.4.1 unchanged.]

[12.1.2.1.5 through 12.1.2.1.7 unchanged.]

[12.1.2.2 through 12.1.2.4 unchanged.]

12.1.2.4.7 Exception for Training Expenses. An individual (prospective or enrolled student-athlete) may receive actual and necessary expenses [including grants, but not prize money, whereby the recipient has qualified for the grant based on performance in a specific event(s)] to cover developmental training, coaching, facility usage, equipment, apparel, supplies, comprehensive health insurance, travel, room housing and board food without jeopardizing the individual's eligibility for intercollegiate athletics, provided such expenses are approved and provided directly by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the appropriate national governing body in the sport (or, for international student-athletes, the equivalent organization of that nation) or a governmental entity.

12.1.2.4.8 Exception for Developmental Training Expenses for Elite Athletes. An individual (prospective or enrolled student-athlete) who has been designated by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the sport-affiliated national governing body (or the international equivalent) as an elite athlete may receive developmental training expenses related to training, coaching, sport experts other than coaches, training partners, facility usage, equipment, apparel, supplies, comprehensive health insurance, travel (including travel for parents or guardians, coaches, sport experts and training partners), room housing and board food without jeopardizing the individual's eligibility for intercollegiate athletics, provided such expenses are approved and provided directly by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee or the appropriate national governing body in the sport (or, for international student-athletes, the equivalent organization of that nation).

[12.1.2.4.9 through 12.1.2.4.16 unchanged.]

[12.1.3 unchanged.]

12.2 Involvement With Professional Teams.

12.2.1 Tryouts.

[12.2.1.1 through 12.2.1.2 unchanged.]

12.2.1.3 Tryout After Enrollment. After initial full-time collegiate enrollment, an individual who has eligibility remaining may try out with a professional athletics team (or participate in a combine including that team) at any time, provided the individual does not miss class. The individual may receive actual and necessary expenses in conjunction with one 48-hour tryout per professional team (or a combine including that team). The 48-hour tryout period shall begin at the time the individual arrives at the tryout location. At the completion of the 48-hour period, the individual must depart the location of the tryout immediately in order to receive return transportation expenses. A tryout may extend beyond 48 hours if the individual self-finances additional expenses, including return transportation. A self-financed tryout may be for any length of time, provided the individual does not miss class.

12.2.1.3.1 Exception for Major League Baseball Draft Combine. In baseball, a student-athlete may accept actual and necessary travel, and room and board housing and food expenses from Major League Baseball (MLB) or the national governing body to attend the MLB draft combine, regardless of the duration of the combine.

12.2.1.3.2 Exception for Basketball Draft Combine. In basketball, a student-athlete may accept actual and necessary travel, and room and board housing and food expenses from a professional sports organization to attend that organization's basketball draft combine regardless of the duration of the camp. [See Bylaw 14.6.4-(e).]

[12.2.1.3.3 unchanged.]

12.2.1.3.4 Exception for National Hockey League Scouting Combine -- Men's Ice Hockey. In men's ice hockey, a student-athlete may accept actual and necessary travel, and room and board housing and food expenses from the National Hockey League (NHL) to attend the NHL scouting combine, regardless of the duration of the combine.

[12.2.1.3.5 through 12.2.1.3.6 unchanged.]

[12.2.2 through 12.2.5 unchanged.]

[12.3 through 12.6 unchanged.]

12.7 Athletics Eligibility Requirements.

[12.7.1 through 12.7.4 unchanged.]

12.7.5 Eligibility Requirements for Male Students to Practice With Women's Teams. A male student may engage in practice sessions with women's teams subject to the following conditions:

[12.7.5-(a) unchanged.]

(b) It is not permissible for an institution to provide a male student financial assistance (room and board, tuition and fees, and books) in return for practicing with a women's team. A male student who is receiving financial aid or any compensation for serving in any position in the athletics department may not practice with a women's team. A male student-athlete who is a counter in a men's sport may not engage in practice sessions with an institution's women's team in any sport;

(c) It is not permissible for an institution to provide a male student room and board housing and food to remain on campus during a vacation period to participate in practice sessions with a women's team;

[12.7.5-(d) through 12.7.5-(f) unchanged.]

[12.8 through 12.12 unchanged.]

13 Recruiting

[13.01 through 13.1 unchanged.]

13.2 Offers and Inducements.

[13.2.1 unchanged.]

13.2.2 Institutional Pre-Enrollment Fees. An institution may waive, pay in advance or guarantee payment of any institutional pre-enrollment fee for a prospective student-athlete who has signed a National Letter of Intent or the institution's written offer of admission and/or financial aid or for whom the institution has received a financial deposit in response to its offer of admission. A pre-enrollment fee is one that is required by the institution for enrollment and includes the following:

[13.2.2-(a) through 13.2.2-(d) unchanged.]

(e) Room Housing deposit;

[13.2.2-(f) through 13.2.2-(i) unchanged.]

[13.2.3 through 13.2.11 unchanged.]

[13.4 through 13.5 unchanged.]

13.6 Official (Paid) Visit.

[13.6.1 unchanged.]

13.6.2 Limitations on Official Visits.

[13.6.2.1 through 13.6.2.3 unchanged.]

13.6.2.4 Visit While Competing in Open Event. A host institution may pay the expenses of a recruited prospective student-athlete to participate in an established "open" event, provided the expenses of all other competitors in that event are paid; the expenses are not paid from athletics department (nonmeet) funds; and the expenses of the prospective student-athlete are limited to actual transportation, room housing and board food. This trip shall be considered the one paid visit to the institution's campus with the prospective student-athlete remaining not more than two nights.

[13.6.2.5 unchanged.]

[13.6.3 through 13.6.9 unchanged.]

[13.7 through 13.18 unchanged.]

15 Financial Aid

15.01 General Principles.

[15.01.1 through 15.01.5 unchanged.]

15.01.6 Maximum Institutional Financial Aid to Individual. An institution shall not award financial aid to a student-athlete that exceeds the cost of attendance that normally is incurred by students enrolled in a comparable program at that institution (see Bylaw 15.1), except as specifically authorized by NCAA legislation.

15.01.6.1 Student Assistance Fund. The receipt of money from the NCAA Student Assistance Fund for student-athletes is not included in determining the permissible amount of financial aid that a member institution may award to a student-athlete. Member institutions and conferences shall not use money received from the fund to finance salaries and benefits; tuition and fees, room and board living expenses, and required course-related books during a regular term (other than summer school) for student-athletes with remaining eligibility; capital improvements; stipends; competition-related travel expenses for student-athletes who are ineligible for competition (e.g., nonqualifier, transfer student-athlete); and outside athletics development opportunities (e.g., participation in a sports camp or clinic, private sports-related instruction, greens fees, batting cage rental, outside foreign tour expenses) for current student-athletes with remaining eligibility.

[15.01.7 through 15.01.8 unchanged.]

15.02 Definitions and Applications.

[15.02.1 unchanged.]

15.02.2 Cost of Attendance. The "cost of attendance" is an amount calculated by an institutional financial aid office, using federal regulations, that includes the total cost of tuition and fees, room and board living expenses, books and supplies, transportation, and other expenses related to attendance at the institution.

15.02.2.1 Calculation of Cost of Attendance. An institution must calculate the cost of attendance for student-athletes in accordance with the cost-of-attendance policies and procedures that are used for students in general. Accordingly, if an institution's policy allows for students' direct and indirect costs (e.g., tuition, fees, room and board living expenses, books, supplies, transportation, child care, cost related to a disability and miscellaneous personal expenses) to be adjusted on an individual basis from the institution's standard cost figure, it is permissible to make the same adjustment for student-athletes, provided the adjustment is documented and is available on an equitable basis to all students with similar circumstances who request an adjustment.

[15.02.3 through 15.02.5 unchanged.]

15.02.6 Full Grant-in-Aid. A full grant-in-aid is financial aid that consists of tuition and fees, room and board living expenses, books and other expenses related to attendance at the institution up to the cost of attendance established pursuant to Bylaws 15.02.2 and 15.02.2.1.

[15.02.7 through 15.02.10 unchanged.]

[15.1 unchanged.]

15.2 Elements of Financial Aid.

[15.2.1 unchanged.]

15.2.2 Room and Board Living Expenses. An institution may provide a student-athlete financial aid that includes the cost of room housing and board food, based on the official allowance for a room housing as listed in the institution's official publication (e.g., catalog) and a board food allowance that consists of three meals per day or the institution's maximum meal plan that is available to all students, whichever is greater.

15.2.2.1 Room and Board Living Expenses Stipend. An institution may provide the student-athlete an amount equal to the institution's official on-campus room housing allowance, the average of the room housing costs of all of its students living on campus or the cost of room housing as calculated based on its policies and procedures for calculating the cost of attendance for all students. The institution also may provide the student-athlete an amount that is equivalent to the value of the maximum meal plan that is available to all students or the cost of meals as calculated based on its policies and procedures for calculating the cost of attendance for all students.

15.2.2.1.1 Determination of Off-Campus Room Housing Rates. An institution with several official on-campus room housing rates may use the average of the room cost for all students living on campus (based on a weighted average for all students who reside in on-campus facilities) or the cost of room housing as calculated based on its policies and procedures for calculating the cost of attendance for all students.

15.2.2.1.2 Institution With No On-Campus Room and Board Housing and Meal Facilities. If an institution does not provide an official dollar amount for room and board living expenses and does not have on-campus student room and board housing and meal facilities, the figure provided to student-athletes for off-campus student room and board living expenses shall be the amount determined by the institution's office of financial aid as being commensurate with the average cost a student at that institution normally would incur living and eating in off-campus facilities.

15.2.2.1.3 Married Student Housing. Married student-athletes who live in noninstitutional housing are permitted to receive the same room and board living expenses allowance that is provided to married students with on-campus housing. If the institution does not provide on-campus room and board housing and meal facilities for married students but has other on-campus dormitory facilities, it must use the provisions of Bylaw 15.2.2.1 in determining the amount of room-and-board living expenses a married student-athlete who lives in noninstitutional facilities may receive.

15.2.2.1.4 Cost-Free Apartment. It is permissible for the institution to arrange for a cost-free, off-campus apartment rather than to give a student-athlete an amount equal to the institution's official room housing allowance or the cost of a room housing as calculated based on its policies and procedures for calculating the cost of attendance for all students, provided the apartment is not rented by the institution at a reduced rate. However, if the actual rental rate is more than the institutional room housing allowance, the student-athlete shall pay the additional amount from the student-athlete's own resources.

15.2.2.2 Facility Designated by Institution. It is permissible for the institution to require a grant-in-aid recipient to obtain room and board housing and food in a facility designated by the institution, provided the requirement is contained in the written statement outlining the amount, duration, conditions and terms of the financial aid agreement (see Bylaw 15.3.2.2).

15.2.2.3 Food Stamps. A grant-in-aid recipient who lives and eats off campus may use the money provided for board food to obtain governmental food stamps, provided the stamps are available to the student body in general. Additionally, the student-athlete must be eligible for such stamps without any special arrangements on the part of athletics department personnel or representatives of the institution's athletics interests.

[15.2.3 through 15.2.8 unchanged.]

[15.3 unchanged.]

15.5 Maximum Institutional Grant-in-Aid Limitations by Sport.

[15.5.1 through 15.5.2 unchanged.]

15.5.3 Equivalency Sports.

[15.5.3.1 unchanged.]

15.5.3.2 Equivalency Computations. In equivalency sports, each institutional financial aid award (per Bylaw 15.02.5.2) to a counter shall be computed as follows:

[15.5.3.2-(a) through 15.5.3.2-(c) unchanged.]

15.5.3.2.1 Application to Autonomy Conferences. A member institution of one of the five conferences named in Bylaw 9.2.2.1.1 shall use a full grant-in-aid in its equivalency computations as defined in Bylaw 15.02.6. The elements of a grant-in-aid are tuition and fees, room and board living expenses, books, and other expenses related to attendance at the institution.

15.5.3.2.2 Application to Other Conferences. A member institution of a conference other than the five conferences named in Bylaw 9.2.2.1.1 may use a full grant-in-aid in its equivalency computations as defined in Bylaw 15.02.6 or one that consists of tuition and fees, room and board living expenses, and required course-related books, subject to the discretion of its conference pursuant to Bylaw 9.2.2.1.2.2. If the institution uses a full grant-in-aid that consists of tuition and fees, room and board living expenses, and required course-related books, financial aid unrelated to athletics ability received by a student-athlete in excess of a full grant-in-aid shall not be included in the equivalency computation.

15.5.3.2.3 Additional Requirements. The following additional requirements shall apply to equivalency computations:

[15.5.3.2.3-(a) through 15.5.3.2.3-(c) unchanged.]

[15.5.3.2.4 through 15.5.3.2.5 unchanged.]

[15.5.4 through 15.5.11 unchanged.]

16 Awards, Benefits and Expenses for Enrolled Student-Athletes

[16.01 through 16.4 unchanged.]

16.5 Housing and Meals.

[16.5.1 unchanged.]

16.5.2 Permissible. An institution may provide housing and meal benefits (beyond the institution's definition of cost of attendance as defined in Bylaw 15.02.2) incidental to a student's participation in intercollegiate athletics as identified in this bylaw. [R]

[16.5.2.1 unchanged.]

16.5.2.2 Preseason Practice Expenses. An institution may provide the cost of room and board housing and meals (beyond the institution's definition of cost of attendance as defined in Bylaw 15.02.2) to student-athletes who report for preseason practice prior to the start of the academic year, it being understood that the student-athlete has been accepted for admission to the institution at the time such benefits are received. An institution may begin to provide such benefits as it deems necessary and appropriate for specific circumstances (e.g., international travel). [R]

[16.5.2.2.1 unchanged.]

16.5.2.3 Meals and Snacks. An institution may provide meals and snacks (beyond the institution's definition of cost of attendance as defined in Bylaw 15.02.2) to a student-athlete at any time. An institution shall not provide cash for a meal unless authorized by NCAA legislation. [R]

16.5.2.3.1 Meal Expenses in Conjunction with Competition and Practice Activities. An institution may provide a student-athlete with cash for a meal in conjunction with competition or a meal missed due to practice activities in a manner consistent with cash provided by the institution to institutional staff members on away-from-campus trips.

[16.5.2.4 unchanged.]

16.5.2.5 Vacation-Period Expenses. An institution may provide meals and lodging expenses housing and meal benefits (beyond the institution's definition of cost of attendance as defined in Bylaw 15.02.2) to student-athletes (during official institutional vacation periods) for a reasonable period when student-athletes are required to remain in the locale of the institution for organized practice sessions or competition. If an institution does not provide a meal to its student-athletes under such circumstances, a cash allowance may be provided, not to exceed the amount provided by the institution to institutional staff members on away-from-campus trips. If a student-athlete lives at home during the vacation period, lodging expenses may not be provided by the institution. [R]

16.5.2.6 Required Summer Athletic Activities. An institution may provide room and board expenses housing and meal benefits (beyond the institution's definition of cost of attendance as defined in Bylaw 15.02.2) to a student-athlete to participate in required summer athletic activities pursuant to Bylaw 17.1.7.2.1.6 while not enrolled in summer school. [R]

[16.5.2.7 unchanged.]

[16.6 through 16.10 unchanged.]

16.11 Benefits, Gifts and Services.

16.11.1 Permissible.

[16.11.1.1 through 16.11.1.6 unchanged.]

16.11.1.7 Student Assistance Fund. A student-athlete may receive money from the NCAA Student Assistance Fund. Member institutions and conferences shall not use money received from the fund to finance salaries and benefits; tuition and fees, room and board living expenses, and required course-related books during a regular term (other than summer school) for student-athletes with remaining eligibility; capital improvements; stipends; competition-related travel expenses for student-athletes who are ineligible for competition (e.g., nonqualifier, transfer student-athlete); and outside athletics development opportunities (e.g., participation in a sports camp or clinic, private sports-related instruction, greens fees, batting cage rental, outside foreign tour expenses) for current student-athletes with remaining eligibility. [R]

[16.11.2 unchanged.]

[16.12 unchanged.]

17 Playing and Practice Seasons

[17.01 unchanged.]

17.02 Definitions and Applications.

[17.02.1 through 17.02.7 unchanged.]

17.02.8 Intercollegiate Competition. Intercollegiate competition is considered to have occurred when a student-athlete in either a two-year or a four-year collegiate institution does any of the following:

[17.02.8-(a) through 17.02.8-(b) unchanged.]

(c) Competes and receives expenses (e.g., transportation, meals, room housing or entry fees) from the institution for the competition.

[17.02.8.1 through 17.02.8.2 unchanged.]

[17.02.9 through 17.02.20 unchanged.]

[17.1 through 17.33 unchanged.]

20 Division Membership

[20.01 unchanged.]

20.02 Definitions and Applications.

[20.02.1 through 20.02.9 unchanged.]

20.02.10 Full Grant. For purposes of Bylaw 20, a full grant is the value of tuition and fees, room and board living expenses, and required course-related books.

[20.1 through 20.10 unchanged.]