Mike Farris:
Until spring of 2004 homeschooled athletes, unlike other students, were unable to establish eligibility with the NCAA until they had been accepted at a college or university. Once accepted, the compliance officers at their school could begin the complicated process of establishing eligibility.
Although homeschoolers had the same core course requirements as public school students, verification of their coursework was tedious.
These unfair requirements put a burden on the homeschooled athlete and teacher.
The National Center for Home Education, which is a division of HSLDA, has worked hard with the NCAA to help all qualified homeschooled athletes get through this maze.
And now, the good news is that in April of 2004 the NCAA changed its procedures to make verifying the academic achievement of homeschoolers much more streamlined. Students can begin their initial eligibility once their junior year is completed, just like the public school students. Core courses can be verified just by sending in titles and publishers of books used, rather than requiring the entire table of contents or sample work from each of the core courses.
We really appreciate the changes the NCAA has made to accommodate these excellent student athletes. You can contact HSLDA for a detailed list of all the items needed for NCAA compliance. I'm Mike Farris.
To find out more about the NCAA's new policy, call us and ask for our free fact sheet, "Homeschoolers and College Sports." The number is 866-338-8614. Or visit our website at homeschoolheartbeat.com.
