In Division I, to permit entering student-athletes who participate in equivalency sports to receive an institutional academic honor award under specified conditions without including such aid in the institution's team limits during that academic year in the applicable sport.

Bylaws: Amend 15.5.3.3 by adding new 15.5.3.3.2, pages 195-196, as follows: "15.5.3.3.2 Exception. Academic honor awards that are part of an institution's normal arrangements for academic scholarships, awarded independently of athletics interests and in amounts consistent with the pattern of all such awards made by the institution are exempt from a Division I institution's equivalency computation, provided: the recipient was ranked in the upper 10 percent of the high-school graduating class or achieved a core-course grade-point average of at least 3.500 (based on a maximum of 4.000) or a minimum ACT sum score of 105 or a minimum SAT score of 1200.

15.5.3.3.2.1 Additional Requirements. The following additional academic honor requirements shall be met:

(a) The awards may include additional, nonacademic criteria (e.g., interviews, essays, need analysis), provided the additional criteria are not based on athletics ability, participation or interests and the awards are consistent with the pattern of all such awards provided to all students;

(b) No quota of awards shall be designated for student-athletes;

(c) Athletics participation shall not be required prior to or subsequent to college enrollment;

(d) No athletics department staff member shall be involved in designating the recipients of such awards;

(e) Any additional criteria shall not include athletics ability, participation or interests; and

(f) There must be on file in the office of the director of athletics certification by the financial aid director or the chair of the financial aid committee that such awards are part of the institution's normal arrangements for academic scholarships; awarded independently of athletics ability, participation and interests and in amounts consistent with the pattern of all such awards made by the institution.

15.5.3.3.2.2 Renewals. The renewal of an academic honor award (per 15.5.3.3.2) is exempt from a Division I institution's equivalency computation, provided:

(a) The recipient achieves a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.000 (based on a maximum of 4.000) at the certifying institution, and

(b) The recipient meets all NCAA, conference and institutional satisfactory-progress requirements

Source: NCAA Division I Board of Directors [Management Council (Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet) (Committee on Financial Aid)].

Effective Date: August 1, 1999.

This proposal will encourage the recruitment of student-athletes who qualify for academic awards and scholarships, thus, improving the academic profile of the institution. Under current rules, such academic awards that are based on the recipient's high-school record must count against the institution's team limits in the applicable equivalency sport. Such a requirement discourages institutions from recruiting individuals who also will be receiving some institutional athletically related aid. Such scholarships have nothing to do with athletics ability, participation or interests and should not count in the institution's team limits in the applicable equivalency sport.

Under this proposal, if the award qualifies under the specified criteria it will be excluded from the institution's team limits (but will continue to count toward the recipient's individual limits). The exclusion of such awards from the team limits will reward academic excellence and provide more financial opportunities for qualified students who, otherwise, are unable to receive the maximum amount of athletically and academically related aid for which they qualify. If an institution wants to use the aid to meet financial aid minimums, it may do so simply by not filing the necessary certification and, thus, include the aid in the institution's team limits in the applicable equivalency sport. Finally, student-athletes now are permitted to exempt $2000 of employment earnings (outside the athletics department or athletics facility), so they also should be able to exempt academic-performance dollars.