Academic Eligibility
Below is an outline of the basic NCAA Division II academic eligibility rules as they apply at Biola University. If you have any questions about the below rules or need help in determining if your academic plan meets NCAA eligibility requirements, please contact the Compliance Office.
If your question relates to general academic planning (ie. does not require a verification of meeting NCAA academic eligibility requirements), you should contact your college or major advisor through Biola's Academic Advising Office. For more information on Biola Academic Advising please visit their home page.
Full-Time Enrollment - 12 units
A student-athlete must be a full-time student in order to participate (practice or compete). The only exception to this rule for both competition and practice eligibility is for graduating students who don't need 12 units to finish their final semester - they must have notification on file, with the Athletics Department, prior to the term in which they are less than full-time. This is verified by the Office of the Registrar prior to academic certification.
Good Academic Standing:
Students must be in “good academic standing” with the University to be eligible to compete. The University defines “good academic standing” for all students as being eligible for continued enrollment. In order to participate in extracurricular activities at the University, students must remain in “good academic standing.” Academic standing is separate from Academic Status. For more information click HERE.
Cumulative GPA: 2.00
An undergraduate student-athlete must maintain a 2.00 cumulative GPA each semester under PacWest Conference and Biola University rules. GPA is based on the Biola University GPA used for graduation. Each student's GPA will be evaluated at the end of each semester and must be a 2.00 cumulative GPA, or better, for the student to continue to be eligible for competition. Students below 2.00 may continue to practice as long as they are enrolled full-time.
Major Declaration:
Students must declare a major by the start of their fifth full-time semester to remain eligible. If you plan on switching majors please consult with the Compliance Office/Registrar first as it may impact your eligibility.
Annual Competition Requirement: 24 Unit Rule
At the start of each academic year (fall semester), a student's continuing eligibility is determined by whether or not the student successfully completed at least 24-semester units since the start of the previous year. This includes summer school units, however, at least 18 of the 24 units need to be earned during the regular academic year. The remaining six units are allowed to be earned over the summer.
If you are not on track to pass at least 24 units during the academic year, contact the Compliance Office to discuss potential alternative methods of meeting the 24-unit requirement.
Semester Competition Requirement: 9-unit Rule
Student-athletes must pass at least nine units each regular semester to remain eligible to compete for the next semester. Summer school cannot be used to meet the 9-unit semester requirement.
What Counts for Meeting the 9 & 24-unit requirements?
- Prior to the 5th Full-Time Semester: If you have not yet reached your 5th full-time semester of enrollment, all units (minus repeated credits) are considered acceptable under NCAA Division II rules and will count towards your annual 24-units and semester 9-units requirements.
- Start of 5th Full-Time Semester: Beginning in your 5th full-time semester, your annual 24 units and your semester's 9-units must go directly towards towards your degree. A course is considered as going towards your degree if it:
- Goes towards your MAJOR requirements; or
- Goes towards your COLLEGE GE requirements; or
- If a necessary upper division elective or open elective. You need 120 units of credit to graduate from Biola University.
NOTE: To figure out if electives are necessary and will count towards your NCAA requirements, it is strongly advised that you review your degree audit and discuss your audit with your assigned academic advisor.
Acceptable vs. Non-Acceptable Grades:
Once you’ve reached your fifth full-time semester, and you receive a "D" in a course where the minimum acceptable grade for your degree program is a C-, you will not receive units towards your eligibility requirements for that course. If the course is later repeated and an acceptable grade earned, those units will be applied to your eligibility requirements at that time. You only earn eligibility units for a course ONCE, when an acceptable grade is earned.
Special Considerations
- If a student is not meeting the requirement that he/she have 24 units from the prior year at the start of Fall semester, his/her record can be re-evaluated at the end of the term to see if he/she earned the 24 units during the previous two semesters. Again, 18 of the 24 units must have been earned during the regular academic year.
- Junior Year Exception: if a student entering his/her 5th full-time term (typically the start of junior year) did not earn 24 units towards his/her degree during the previous academic year (sophomore year), the student’s overall record can be evaluated. If the student earned at least 48 degree-applicable units during the first two years of collegiate enrollment, the student will be considered to have met the 24 unit requirement. A minimum of 36 units must have been earned during regular the academic year.
- AP credit may not be used to meet the minimum unit requirements at Biola University.
- Correspondence, extension and credit-by-exam courses taken from a school other than Biola University can only be used in determining academic standing or satisfactory progress if the course is accepted by Biola University.
- Units for a course that may be taken several times (i.e., independent study, research) is limited by institutional regulations.
- Units earned at another institution before initial full-time enrollment at Biola Unviersity may not be used to satisfy minimum academic progress requirements. However, a student-athlete's total academic record after initial full-time enrollment at Biola University, including the record at other institutions later attended, can be considered in evaluating eligibility.
Contacting the Compliance Office
Remember this is not a complete list of NCAA rules. Please contact a compliance staff member if you have any questions or before taking action that may be contrary to NCAA rules.
