Collegiate athletic associations are responsible for ensuring that only an appropriate standard of student-athletes are admitted to university and awarded scholarships.

These include the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which has a three division set up. Under NCAA rules, Division I & II schools can offer scholarships to athletes playing a sport, whereas Division III schools cannot offer any athletic scholarships, and that generally larger schools compete in Division I and smaller schools in II & III.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) also organises college and university-level athletic programmes. Each has its own initial academic and sporting eligibility criteria, to allow participation in events arranged by them.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

• Five or more different academic subject passes at GCSE grades A-E or Scottish Standard grades 1-7 including maths, English, science and social studies (history, geography etc.) with an overall average of grade C or 3.

• The NCAA applies a sliding scale for the minimum SAT scores that are required for acceptance to NCAA Division I colleges. This will depend on your average academic grade. The higher your average academic grade is, the lower the minimum SAT score required.

 

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

• C or 3 grade average overall in GCSE subjects, Scottish Standards, or an alternative qualification such as GNVQ or GSVQ if the school authorities can confirm that his/her marks were in the "Top Half" of the class.

• A student must have a minimum score of 18 on the ACT or 860 on the SAT (if you take the SAT more than once, combining scores is NOT acceptable) to compete at a NAIA institution.

 

National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)

• Talented individuals who do not qualify for either of the above may be able to gain admission to a junior college. Each college will set its own entrance requirements.  Only 25% of scholarships at a junior college can be given to international students.

• NJCAA colleges in general do not have a minimum passing score for the SAT although individual colleges may set one.