ATHLETIC HANDBOOK
Eligibility Rules

The Director of Intercollegiate Athletics is the only person authorized to determine the eligibility of a student-athlete. Coaches should be familiar with current N.J.C.A.A. Eligibility rules, however, are not to attempt to determine an athlete’s eligibility.

The following is a partial listing of the conditions that a student must meet in order to participate in the intercollegiate program at Raritan Valley Community College.

The athlete:

1. must be a matriculated student
2. must have a high school diploma or its equivalent (proof of which is required)
3. must be currently enrolled for 12 credit hours of course work (remedial courses are acceptable)
4. must pass a physical examination immediately prior to the first practice of the season of competition in which the athlete participates
5. must maintain enrollment of 12 or more credit hours of College course work as listed in the College Catalog during each term of athletic participation. If the athlete drops below 12 credit hours he/she immediately becomes ineligible for athletic participation.
6. At the conclusion of the athlete’s first full-time semester of enrollment, he/she must have passed at least 12 credit hours with a 1.75 GPA or higher to be eligible for the upcoming term.
7. Prior to a second season of participation*, the athlete must pass an accumulation of 24 semester hours with a 2.0 GPA or higher.
8. If the athlete has never been a full-time student at any college, he/she may become eligible for a season of participation in a sport by meeting the following conditions:
1. The athlete must be matriculated and attend Raritan Valley Community College for at least one academic year as a part-time student prior to the year of participation*, passing at least 12 credit hours with an overall grade point average of 1.75 or better during that year.
2. During each term of participation*, the athlete must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours at Raritan Valley Community College.
3. Prior to second season of participation* in any sport, the athlete must pass a total of 24 credit hours with a 2.0 GPA or higher.
4. If in any term the athlete enrolls full-time, he/she relinquishes the privileges under this provision for part-time students.
5. If the athlete withdraws completely or drops to less than 6 credit hours, he/she immediately becomes ineligible.
9. The athlete may only participate in two seasons of any one sport.
10. If the athlete is a transfer, he/she must provide an official transcript from the institution(s) he/she has attended. The athlete must also meet all eligibility rules for NJCAA transferring athletes.
11. The athlete is required to complete a pre-eligibility form and sign an official N.J.C.A.A. Eligibility Form. Any falsification of these documents will result in permanent ineligibility for all RVCC athletics and referral for College disciplinary action.

There are exceptions to some of the above regulations. If an athlete does not clearly fall into the categories listed above or has questions, check with the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics in the Athletic Office.

In all cases, credit hours include remedial courses and an "S" and "X" grade is calculated as a "C" and a "U" as an "F" in the Athletic GPA.

*Athletic eligibility includes the right to practice unless a written exception is received by the coach.