LSDBi
Division II Proposal - NC-2027-4
FINANCIAL AID -- BOOKS AND SUPPLIES
Convention Year: 2027
Date Submitted: October 27, 2025
Status: Ready for Ratification Convention Vote
Effective Date: August 1, 2026
Official Notice Number: NC-2027-4
Source: NCAA Division II Management Council (Legislation Committee).
Proposal Category: Noncontroversial
Topical Area: Financial Aid
Intent: To eliminate books from the full grant-in-aid and equivalency calculation.
A. Bylaws: Amend 14, as follows:
Figure 14.6 Permissible and Nonpermissible Activities for a Student Manager
B. Bylaws: Amend 14.2.6, as follows:
14.2.6 Eligibility for Male Students or Male Student-Athletes to Practice With Women's Teams. A male student or male student-athlete (see Bylaw 17.02.9) may engage in practice sessions with women's teams under the following conditions:
[14.2.6-(a) unchanged.]
(b) It is not permissible for an institution to provide male students financial assistance, which includes food and housing, and tuition and fees, and books, in return for practicing with the women's team.
[14.2.6-(c) through 14.2.6-(e) unchanged.]
C. Bylaws: Amend 15, as follows:
15 Financial Aid
[15.01 through 15.02 unchanged.]
15.02.6 Full Grant-in-Aid. A full grant-in-aid is financial aid that consists of tuition and fees, and food and housing, required course-related books and required course-related supplies.
[15.02.7 unchanged.]
[15.1 through 15.3 unchanged.]
15.3.2.3 Books and Supplies. An institution may provide a student-athlete athletics aid that covers the actual cost of required course-related books and course-related supplies. [R]
15.3.2.3.1 Dollar Limit. There is no dollar limit for required books and supplies a student-athlete may receive, provided books and supplies are required for courses in which the student-athlete is enrolled. The institution may provide the student-athlete with cash to purchase books and supplies, as long as the amount of cash provided is equal to the actual cost of the books or supplies purchased. [R]
[15.4 unchanged.]
15.4.2.2 Equivalency Computations. Equivalencies shall be computed as follows:
(a) For each counter, the institution shall count all athletics aid (per Bylaw 15.02.2) received during that academic year for food and housing, and tuition and fees, as well as books and required course-related supplies (which shall count for calculation purposes as $800 in the denominator and, if they are provided or their cost covered by the institution, as $800 in the numerator, regardless of the actual amount received). If a student-athlete is enrolled for less than a full academic year (e.g., one semester, one or two quarters) and receives any portion of a book allowance, the institution must use the amount in the numerator that is proportionate to the number of terms of enrollment ($400 for semester systems, $534 or $267 for quarter systems).
[15.4.2.2-(b) through 15.4.2.2-(c) unchanged.]
[15.4.3 unchanged.]
[15.5 unchanged.]
D. Bylaws: Amend 16.3, as follows:
16.3 Academic, Career and Other Support Services. An institution may finance required course-related books and supplies, academic, career and other support services for student-athletes per institutional discretion and/or policy.
Co-sponsorship - Conference:
None
Co-sponsorship - Institution:
None
Position Statement(s):
None
Review History:
Additional Information:
Following the adoption of the new constitution at the 2022 Convention, the NCAA Division II President’s Council, now named the NCAA Division II Executive Board, established the NCAA Division II Implementation Committee which was charged with starting and leading the work to review the division’s rules and policies and make recommendations to ensure that changes were consistent with the principles agreed upon in the new constitution. The NCAA Division II Legislation Committee was tasked with reviewing various bylaws, which included Bylaw 15. Currently, an institution may provide a student-athlete with athletics aid that covers the cost of required books and supplies; however, it must be included in the full grant-in-aid and equivalency calculations. After reviewing feedback from the Division II membership, the Legislation Committee determined it would be appropriate to allow institutions to provide books as a permissible benefit under Bylaw 16.3 (academic, career and other support services). Further, institutions are already allowed to provide other educational expenses for their student-athletes at their discretion and therefore should be able to provide books. Finally, this proposal will ease the compliance burden regarding calculating equivalencies.
Convention Vote:
No Convention Record
Legislative References
| Division | Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| II | 14.2.6 | Eligibility for Male Students or Male Student-Athletes to Practice With Women's Teams. |
| II | Figure 14-6 | Permissible and Nonpermissible Activities for a Student Manager |
| II | 15 | Financial Aid |
| II | 15.02.6 | Full Grant-in-Aid. |
| II | 15.3.2.3 | Books and Supplies. |
| II | 15.3.2.3.1 | Dollar Limit. |
| II | 15.4.2.2 | Equivalency Computations. |
| II | 16.3 | Academic, Career and Other Support Services. |