NCAA Core Courses for Your Eligibility

As a hockey player preparing to play in the NCAA, you need to make sure that you take care of your off-ice responsibilities. From the time you enter high school, your grades will impact your eligibility to play college hockey.

If you hope to play Division I college athletics or receive a scholarship you will have to achieve a minimum Grade Point Average in your NCAA core courses that match your SAT or ACT test scores on the sliding scale.

16 NCAA Core Courses:

• 4 years of English
•  3 years of Math (Algebra 1 or higher)
• 2 years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science of offered by your high school)
• 1 extra year of English, math, or natural or physical science
• 2 years of social science
• 4 years of extra core courses (from any category above, or foreign language, nondoctrinal religion or philosophy
• All courses must be an academic course at or above your high school's regular academic level (no remedial, special education or compensatory courses).

Make sure you ask your guidance counselor for a list of the NCAA approved core courses at your high school.

In addition to completing the core courses, you must also do so in 8 semesters, so in other words, you must graduate high school on time and with the same class you entered grade 9 with.

If you graduate on time, you are allowed to upgrade one core course requirement within 1 year after graduation. You can complete this course in the summer or academic terms.

Once you enter high school, there is no time to waste. You need to start working toward graduation and your core courses. There are countless hockey players who have the ability to play Division 1 hockey, but lose their opportunity because of their poor academic achievement or not completing the proper courses.

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