Page 309 - 2019-20 NJCAA Handbook - May, 2020

Community College A signs Student-Athlete R to an institutional letter of intent or athletic aid agreement. Can that
institutional form be used to replace the NJCAA Letter of Intent?
ANSWER:
No. A college providing any type of athletic aid to a student-athlete must have a NJCAA Letter of Intent electronically on
file with the NJCAA National Office. The institutional agreement may be signed at the same time or after the NJCAA Letter of
Intent but may not be signed prior to the NJCAA Letter of Intent.

Case 6
Signing Institutional Letter of Intent – No scholarship
SITUATION:
Community College A signs Student-Athlete R to an institutional letter of intent to document the athlete’s commitment to
the college even though no scholarship is being offered. Is this permissible under current NJCAA bylaws?

ANSWER:
No. A college may not sign a student to an institutional letter of intent to document the student’s commitment to the college
without also signing an NJCAA Letter of Intent. The only manner in which a student can show their commitment to a member
college is through the official NJCAA Letter of Intent system. Signing an athlete to any commitment letter other than the NJCAA
Letter of Intent is a sanctionable violation.

Release Agreements
Case 1
General Information
RELEASE
• The NJCAA Release Agreement is available in the online Letter of Intent program to cancel a NJCAA Letter of
Intent/Scholarship. Article VI, Section 1.D.1 provides the allowable reasons for cancellation. Listed below are samples of
the practical situations for cancellation that fall under the formal circumstances as listed in Section 1.D.1.

• The following are situations that would allow a scholarship to be cancelled:
1. Ineligible student-athlete.
2. Discipline for misconduct unrelated to athletic ability.
3. Voluntary withdrawal prior to the institution’s first contest.
4. Failure to enroll (by the 15 calendar day of the term).
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5. Transfer.
6. Withdrawal within the first 15 calendar days of the term.

Case 2
General Information
The following refer to situations that would allow a scholarship to be reissued:
1. Ineligible student-athlete - college is responsible for reasonable documentation of the ineligibility.
2. Disciplinary cancellations - college is responsible for reasonable documentation of the disciplinary situation.
3. Misconduct cancellations - college is responsible for reasonable documentation of the situation.
4. Voluntary withdrawal prior to the first contest - must have the signature of the withdrawing student-athlete on a Release
Agreement prior to issuing the replacement scholarship.
5. Student-athletes who fail to enroll within the first 15 calendar days - college is responsible for reasonable
documentation of the failure to enroll.
6. Student-athletes who transfer - must have the signature of the transferring student-athlete on a Release Agreement
prior to issuing the replacement scholarship.
7. Student-athletes who sign professional sports contracts - must have the signature of the original student-athlete on a
Release Agreement prior to issuing the replacement scholarship.
8. Student-athletes who join the military or go on a church mission - must have the signature of the original student-athlete
on a Release Agreement prior to issuing the replacement scholarship.
9. Student-athletes who withdraw from classes within the first 15 calendar days of the term - college is responsible for
reasonable documentation of the withdrawal.

Case 3
Cancellation of Scholarship During the Term
SITUATION:
Community College A, based on valid disciplinary reasons, chooses to revoke Student-Athlete R’s athletic aid on October
15 of the fall term. May Community College A replace Student-Athlete R and put Student-Athlete W on scholarship as of
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October 15 ?
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ANSWER:
No. Community College A must wait until the end of that term before replacing Student-Athlete R with Student-Athlete W
on scholarship.
Case 4
NJCAA Release Agreement