Page 274 - 2019-20 NJCAA Handbook - May, 2020

Community College A has a transfer student-athlete that they would like to certify for the fall semester. The student-athlete
has grade reports from their prior institutions, but not official transcripts. Does the grade report suffice as a document to use for
credit and GPA certification, and will this be accepted as part of the audit process?
ANSWER:
Effective August 1, 2014, the NJCAA requires official transcripts or copies of official transcripts to be on file for NJCAA
eligibility purposes. Neither unofficial transcripts nor grade reports are permissible to be used for NJCAA eligibility.

Case 2
Transfer Transcripts from a Previous Institution
SITUATION:
After one term of attendance at a four-year institution, Student-Athlete R transfers to Community College A. The four-year
institution does not release Student-Athlete R's transcript. Can Student-Athlete R participate in athletics at Community College
A without submitting a transcript to verify his/her eligibility?
ANSWER:
No. The official transcripts are necessary to verify Student-Athlete R's academic standing at the four-year institution and to
certify their NJCAA eligibility. Grade reports or unofficial transcripts are no longer acceptable documents to determine the
student-athlete’s eligibility. The student-athlete will remain ineligible until the official transcripts are received and the student
meets all NJCAA requirements.
Case 3
Participate in Fall Sport (Fall Golf) and Transfer in Same Year – Eligible for Participation?
SITUATION:
At the completion of the fall term, Student-Athlete R transfers from Four-Year Institution X to Community College B. Both
Four-Year Institution X and Community College B provide a fall and spring golf season in which the records do not carry over
from the fall to the spring. If Student-Athlete R participated in fall golf at Four-Year Institution X, is he/she eligible to participate
in spring golf at Community College B, providing he/she meets all other provisions of the Eligibility Rules when transferring?

ANSWER:
Yes. Student-Athlete R is not participating in the same sport season because fall golf is considered a separate sport season
from spring golf in the NJCAA. In the NJCAA, both a fall and spring season are offered in the following sports: Baseball, Bowling,
Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball and Tennis. However, if Community College B’s fall golf records carry over to the spring golf
season, golf would be considered a two-term sport and therefore the student-athlete would be ineligible for the spring term since
they were not enrolled as a full-time student at the college for which they choose to play when the sport season began. The
institution the student is transferring from must consider fall and spring golf as two separate seasons as well.

Case 4
Non-Member College Drops the Sport – Eligible to Participate?
SITUATION:
Student-Athlete R participates in basketball during the fall 2018 term at Four-Year Institution X during the 2019-2020
academic year. Four-Year Institution X drops the sport permanently after the end of the fall 2019 term. Can Student-Athlete R
transfer to a member college in the NJCAA and be eligible to participate in basketball during the spring 2020 term?
ANSWER:
Yes. Because the sport was dropped permanently at their previous school the student-athlete may be eligible to participate
in basketball during the spring 2020 term, if they meet all NJCAA eligibility requirements. This is one of the allowable
exceptions in Article V, Section 2.C.2.b.i and Article V, Section 3.C.1.b.

Case 5
Transferring – Using a +/- Grading System
SITUATION:
Community College B has Student-Athlete R who transferred from Community College A. Community College A uses a +/-
(plus/minus) scoring system while Community College B does not. If Student-Athlete R got a B- at Community College A, which
would be a B at Community College B (with different point values), how would this be calculated into the GPA at Community
College B?
ANSWER:
Community College B must use the grade as a B- even though Community College B does not use the +/- grading system
since the grade of B- is recorded as such on an official college transcript.

Academic Eligible Transfer - Examples

Case 1
Accumulation of Credits after Transferring
SITUATION:
The following is the academic record of Student-Athlete R:
Fall semester - attends Four-Year Institution X and passes 12 semester credit hours with a 2.00 GPA.
Spring semester - attends Four-Year Institution X, enrolls in 12 credit hours and passes six (6) credits with a 3.00 GPA;
participates in baseball.
Fall semester - attends Community College A, enrolls and passes six (6) semester credit hours as a part-time student.
Is Student-Athlete R eligible to participate in baseball at Community College A during the following spring semester?
ANSWER: