College Recruiting Info

COLLEGE BASEBALL SCHOLARSHIPS

NCAA – Division I

• 11.7 full scholarships per team.
• Only 27 players can receive athletic aid and minimum aid is a 25% scholarship.
• Some lower level college/universities do not fully fund all 11.7 available scholarships.
• Maximum Roster is 35 players, which means a team can have 9 non-scholarship athletes.
• The combination of athletic and academic scholarship money is allowed for academically qualifying student athletes.  Obviously, this varies from school to school.
• Full scholarships are extremely rare!  Top players usually receive scholarships of 40%, 60%, or 80%.  Most schools consider an 80% scholarship a full ride.

NCAA – Division II  

• 9 full scholarships per team
• Many Division II programs DO NOT fully fund all 9 scholarships.
• The combination of athletic and academic scholarship money is allowed for academically qualifying student athletes.  Obviously, this varies from school to school.

NCAA – Division III

• Division III programs CANNOT award athletic based aid.
• Universities and Colleges must rely on academic scholarships or non-athletic based sources of funding.  These schools do a very good job of finding these types of aid.
• The combination of athletic and academic scholarship money is allowed for academically qualifying student athletes.  Obviously, this varies from school to school.

NAIA 

• 12 full scholarships
• Many NAIA programs DO NOT fully fund all 12 scholarships.
• The combination of athletic and academic scholarship money is allowed for academically qualifying student athletes.  Obviously, this varies from school to school.

NJCAA – Junior College (JUCO) DIVISION I

• 24 full scholarships.  This includes tuition, room, board, books, and fees.
• Many programs DO NOT fully fund all 24 scholarships.

NJCAA DIVISION II

• 24 full scholarships.  This includes tuition and books.  Room, board, and fees are not included in scholarship.
• Many programs DO NOT fully fund all 24 scholarships.

NJCAA DIVISION III

• 0 athletic scholarships

NOTES

• Ivy League and Patriot League schools do not offer athletic scholarship aid.
• Student athletes may qualify for academic scholarship assistance.

NCAA CLEARINGHOUSE

Initial Eligibility Criteria

by: Bob Howdeshell
High School Baseball Web
If you are a high school student-athlete who has the goal of playing any college sport at the NCAA Division I or Division II level you must submit your “core” class high school transcripts and standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) to the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Division III
These requirements currently do not apply to Division III colleges, where eligibility for financial aid, practice and competition is governed by institutional, conference and other NCAA regulations.

Right now (after the Christmas holiday) break is the best time to go to work on this. Why now and not at the end of your junior year? My reasoning is that soon the high school baseball season will start and it will be too easy to put this very important piece of the recruiting puzzle off to the side and forget about it.

Here is what the NCAA recommends:
“Students should register with the clearinghouse after the completion of their junior year in high school. At this time, a transcript, which includes six semesters of grades, should be sent to the clearinghouse from the high school. Additionally, students should have their SAT or ACT test scores forwarded directly to the clearinghouse whenever they take the exam.”

You can send your Clearinghouse forms in early — it will not delay the process. At the end of your junior year you simply ask your high school guidance counselor to forward your transcript (updated).

Your final transcript (at the end of your senior year) will also have to be sent to the NCAA, by your high school.

How Do I Get The Clearinghouse Information?
Your school guidance counselor should have the NCAA packages, they are free.

From the NCAA:
“Your counselors can obtain registration materials, at no cost, by calling the clearinghouse at 319.337.1492.”

In order to be registered with the clearinghouse, you must complete the student-release form and mail or fax the top (white) copy of the form to the clearinghouse along with the $27 registration fee. Give the yellow and pink copies of the form to a high-school official who then sends the yellow copy, along with an official copy of your high-school transcript, to the clearinghouse. Your high school should keep the pink copy for its files. After graduation and before the school closes for the summer, your school also must send the clearinghouse a copy of your final transcript that confirms graduation from high school.

Several additional points about the NCAA’s initial-eligibility requirements should be emphasized:

This rule sets a minimum standard only for athletics eligibility. It’s not a guide to your qualifications for admission to college. Under NCAA rules, your admission is governed by the entrance requirements of each member school.

The General Education Development (GED) test may be used under certain conditions to satisfy the graduation requirement of Bylaw 14.3 but not the core-course or test-score requirements.

NCAA TIMELINE/GUIDE

Freshman year HS:

• Make you freshman year baseball team!
• Grades must be highest priority.  Freshman year grades count as much as any other year as far as the NCAA is concerned.

Sophomore year HS

• Continue to keep your grades as high as possible
• If you are not playing a winter sport, establish a off – season training program
• Meet with you HS guidance counselor.  Tell him/her of your desire to play college baseball, and want to be on track with the required core courses (i.e. Foreign Languages).
• Start learning about Showcases and find one that meets your specific needs.

Junior year HS

• September – Send out your first contact letters or fill out online questionnaires for specific schools you are interested in.  If you are playing fall baseball, include a copy of your schedule.
• September 1^st – Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse.  Guidance counselor should have all information.
• September 1^st – Written contact by college coaches is allowed.  This dates change year to year.
• September – Register for ACT standardized tests.  Try to take this test as early as possible.  Most people end up taking it at least twice.
• Familiarize yourself with the NCAA admission/eligibility requirements.
• Prepare a video of yourself.  This is the easiest way for coaches to get to see you initially.
• Send out your High School and summer schedule to schools interested in.
• Make sure you have your stats from your High School season available.
• Summer – is the most important time for a junior who will be a senior.
• July 1^st – Phone contact from college coaches is permissible.
• July – Make sure you are still on track with your core academic requirements.
• July – Seek out fall showcases if schools have expressed interest in you.
• August – If you do not think you will sign during the early signing period (November of senior year) request information on Christmas camps of schools who have expressed interest in you.
• Remember you can call schools at any time, but they cannot call you (prior to July 1^st).

Senior year HS:

• Early signing period happens in November.  Date changes year to year.
• Keep coaches updated on your fall schedule.
• If you are offered an official visit…be prepared to ask question, and be prepared to answer any question.

THIS IS JUST A GUIDE.  THERE ARE MANY VARIABLES IN THE COLLEGE RECRUITMENT PROCESS.  ANY SCHOLARSHIP SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SUCCESS!