You become a "prospective student-athlete" when you start ninth-grade classes. Before the ninth grade, you become a prospective student-athlete if a college gives you (or your relatives or friends) any financial aid or other benefits that the college does not provide to prospective students generally.

You become a "recruited prospective student-athlete" at a particular college if any coach or representative of the college's athletics interests (booster or representative) approaches you (or any member of your family) about enrolling and participating in athletics at that college. Activities by coaches or boosters that cause you to become a recruited prospective student-athlete are:

Providing you with an official visit;
Placing more than one telephone call to you or any other member of your family; or
Visiting you or any other member of your family anywhere other than the college campus.
In addition, you (or your family) may not receive any benefit, inducement or arrangement such as cash, clothing, cars, improper expenses, transportation, gifts or loans to encourage you to attend any NCAA school.

An athletics department staff member, alumni or representative of a college's athletics interests (boosters or representatives) may contact you in person off the college campus after your junior year of high school. There is no limit on the number of contacts or the period when they may occur. You may not tryout for a Division III college's athletics team. A tryout is any physical activity (e.g., practice session or test) conducted by or arranged on behalf of a college, at which you display your ability.

You can visit a college campus any time at your own expense. On such a visit, you may receive three complimentary admissions to a game on that campus; a tour of off-campus practice and competition sites in your sport and other college facilities within 30 miles of the campus; a meal in the college's on-campus student dining facilities; and housing, if it is available to all visiting prospective students.

During your senior year, you can make one expense-paid (official) visit to a particular campus; however, there is no limit on the number of campuses that you may visit if you initially enroll in a Division III college. During your official visit (which may not exceed 48 hours), you may receive round-trip transportation between your home (or high school) and the campus, and you (and your parents) may receive meals, lodging and complimentary admissions to campus athletics events. All meals provided to you (and/or your parents) on an official visit must occur in an on-campus dining facility that the college's students normally use. If dining facilities are closed, the college is permitted to take you off-campus for meals. In addition, a student host may help you (and your family) become acquainted with campus life. The host may spend $20 per day to cover all costs of entertaining you (and your parents, legal guardians or spouse); however, the money can't be used to purchase college souvenirs such as T-shirts or other college mementos.

Finally, a Division III college is permitted to provide you and your high-school and/or two-year college coach any official academic, admissions, athletics and student-services publications published by the college and other general information available to all students.