Faculty Advisors of Student Athletes

Guide Sheet

Please use this information as a reference to advise student athletes on their course work at Virginia Tech.  It is intended to provide you with guidelines regarding the University, NCAA, and the Atlantic Coast Conference requirements for student athletes.

1.  Student athletes must be enrolled “full time” (12 credits for undergraduates, 9 for graduates) each semester to maintain NCAA eligibility for practice and competition.  If a student athlete wishes to drop below 12 hours, permission must be obtained from the University Registrar and the student’s academic dean (after the drop deadline).  Unless a student is enrolled in the final credits needed for graduation, a drop below “full time” status will immediately render them ineligible to compete and practice and may have financial aid consequences.  Please note that a student’s use of VT’s Course Withdrawal policy does not affect full time status.
2. In general, student athletes must pass 24 degree applicable credit hours each academic year to maintain NCAA eligibility.  To accomplish this may require summer school, if lighter course loads are taken during their athletic seasons.   Additionally, student athletes must complete a minimum of 6 degree applicable credits in order to maintain competitive eligibility in the successive semester.  Free electives taken beyond the student’s major allowable limit can not be used to satisfy these credit totals, as they do not help toward graduation.
3. The NCAA requires that student athletes be enrolled in a degree granting major by the beginning of their fifth semester of enrollment.  For majors that require options, minors, and/or concentrations these must be formally declared in order to satisfy this requirement.
4. To be eligible for competition, student athlete’s who first enrolled starting in the fall 2003 and after must meet the following progress toward degree requirements:
   1. Start of third year:     40 percent of degree completed
   2. Start of fourth year:   60 percent of degree completed 
   3. Start of fifth year:      80 percent of degree completed
5. When helping students with their class schedules, please make every effort to help them schedule courses without conflict with required practice time (free time).  If a required course is offered only during the practice time please contact the SAASS office or ask the student to discuss the possible conflicts with their SAASS coordinator so that their practice block can be lifted to accommodate the class.
6. Student athletes must meet the same GPA requirements as all VT students to maintain good academic standing.  To be eligible for NCAA competition, a student athlete must achieve the following minimum GPA:
   1. Start of second year:    90 percent of GPA required for graduation              1.80 GPA
   2. Start of third year:     95 percent of GPA required for graduation                   1.90 GPA
   3. Start of fourth year :     100 percent of GPA required for graduation             2.00 GPA

If you have questions regarding any of these items, call Chris Helms, (1-6165).  Official academic eligibility is handled by the University Registrar, Wanda Dean (1-7951).  Official scholarship eligibility and NCAA policy is handled by Tim Parker, Assistant Athletic Director (1-5497).

Student Athlete Academic Support Services