Page 286 - (FINAL!) UPDATED 13.0) 2020-2021 HANDBOOK - SEPTEMBER 2020 EDITION_Neat

Case 4
SEVIS Fees
SITUATION:
Community College A is recruiting a player from Brazil. Anyone wishing to enter the United States either as a student or an exchange
visitor with a Form I-20 or DS-2019 dated on or after September 1, 2004 must pay the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information
System) fee before going to the United States Embassy or Consulate for their visa interviews. May Community College A pay this fee on behalf
of the student-athlete?
ANSWER:
No. NJCAA bylaws makes no provisions for Community College A to pay for this fee within any sport division (I, II or III) of the NJCAA
due to the fact that this is a United States government fee not a college related fee.

Case 5

SITUATION: Game Tickets to Professional Games

A minor league baseball team located in Community College A’s city wants to honor the college baseball team by inviting Community
College A’s team to come to one of their home games. The minor league team will be paying for the costs of the game tickets for the student-
athletes on the baseball team at the college. Is there a violation if Community College A allows this professional team to pay for these game
tickets or any other expenses for their student-athletes?
ANSWER:
Yes. Free game tickets to any event that are given to student-athletes in the NJCAA are above and beyond an NJCAA athletic
scholarship/Letter of Intent. Therefore, it would be a violation if these student-athletes accepted free game tickets to this event. The team may
be verbally honored at the event by being announced, but that is the only recognition the team and the college may receive.

Case 6
Expending Athletic Scholarship Funds Prior to a Student’s Signing of an NJCAA Letter of Intent SITUATION:
Student-Athlete R is being recruited to play football at Community College A for the fall 2019 season. He has not yet signed a NJCAA
Letter of Intent at any member college including Community College A but attends the football tryouts at Community College A. (This tryout
session is not an official recruiting trip to the campus.) Community College A pays for his travel expenses to get to campus as well as paying
for his room, board, and food while attending the tryouts. After the tryouts, Community College A does not keep Student-Athlete R on the team
and he does not sign a Letter of Intent. As a result, Student-Athlete R must leave the college and does not attend classes that fall term. Is this
a violation on the part of Community College A?
ANSWER:
Yes. The college paid for his expenses to attend the tryouts prior to any signing of an NJCAA Letter of Intent. The college may pay for
the expenses if Student-Athlete R was on an official recruiting trip or has signed a valid NJCAA Letter of Intent.
However, in this case, the tryouts were not part of an official recruiting trip therefore none of his expenses could be paid for prior to signing an
NJCAA Letter of Intent.

Case 7

SITUATION: Expending Team Travel Funds Prior to a Student’s Signing an NJCAA Letter of Intent
Student-Athlete R, a volleyball player at Community College A, attends the college and participates in her first season during the fall 2019
term. She was recruited by the college but has not yet signed a Letter of Intent. She has been traveling with the team to away matches where
her food, transportation and lodging have been paid for by the college. Has a violation of this rule occurred in this situation since she has not
signed a Letter of Intent?
ANSWER:
No. The college may pay for the expenses associated with traveling to away games which in this case would not be a violation.
However, if and when Community College A decides to offer her a Letter of Intent, once the signatures of Student-Athlete R and the athletic
director are entered into the online Letter of Intent program, the college at that point may start paying for those provisions as outlined in her
athletic scholarship.

Case 8

SITUATION: Recruiting Athletes – Loaning Money

While recruiting Prospective Athlete R, the coach at Community College A loans him/her a small sum of money for personal needs. Can
this loan be construed as an inducement for Prospective Athlete R to attend Community College A?
ANSWER:
Yes. Any financial agreement outside of NJCAA bylaws is a violation.

Case 9
Student-Athlete Employment – Athletic Camps
SITUATION:
NJCAA bylaws restrict a member college or its representatives form arranging employment for any of its student-athletes or its recruits.
That being the rule, in many cases the student-athletes are the most qualified to serve as counselors in athletic camps. How may a student-
athlete serve as a camp counselor and remain within the bylaws of the NJCAA?
ANSWER:
The following process must be adhered to in order to utilize a current student-athlete and or LOI signee as a camp counselor at the
member college:
1. Athletic camps must be conducted on campus.
2. There must be a formal application process where anyone interested could apply.
3. Student-athletes must go through the formal application process just as all other candidates.