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Transfer Student-Athlete

A transfer student is an individual who transfers from a collegiate institution after having met any one of the following conditions at that institution:

(a) The student was officially registered and enrolled in a minimum, full-time program of studies in any quarter or semester of an academic year, as certified by the registrar or admissions office and attended class;(Revised: 1/9/06)

(b) The student attended a class or classes in any quarter or semester in which the student was enrolled in a minimum full-time program of studies, even if the enrollment was on a provisional basis and the student was later determined by the institution not to be admissible;

(c) The student is or was enrolled in an institution in a minimum full-time program of studies in a night school that is considered to have regular terms (semesters or quarters) the same as the institution's day school, and the student is or was considered by the institution to be a regularly matriculated student;

(d) The student attended a branch school that does not conduct an intercollegiate athletics program, but the student had been enrolled in another collegiate institution before attendance at the branch school;

(e) The student attended a branch school that conducted an intercollegiate athletics program and transfers to an institution other than the parent institution;

(f) The student reported for a regular squad practice (including practice or conditioning activities that occurred before certification), announced by the institution through any member of its athletics department staff, before the beginning of any quarter or semester, as certified by the athletics director. Participation only in picture-day activities would not constitute "regular practice;" or

(g) The student participated in practice or competed in a given sport even though the student was enrolled in less than a minimum full-time program of studies.

Transfer Eligibility

A student who transfers to a member institution from any collegiate institution is required to complete an academic year of residence at the certifying institution before being eligible to compete for or to receive travel expenses from the member institution, unless the student satisfies the applicable transfer requirements or receives an exception or waiver as set forth in this section. (Revised: 1/10/91 effective 8/1/91, 5/7/10)

Transfer Execptions: Two-Year College Transfers

A student who transfers to the certifying institution shall be immediately eligible if:  

(a) The student has not previously used a season of participation at a Division III institution pursuant to Bylaw 14.2.4.1, and has never practiced or competed in intercollegiate athletics at a non-Division III institution.  This provision is not applicable to a Division III student who has been granted a hardship waiver per Bylaw 14.2.5 or a season-of-participation waiver per Bylaws 14.2.6 or 14.2.7; (Revised: 1/9/06)

(b) The student transfers from a two-year college or from a branch school that conducts an intercollegiate athletics program without having been enrolled full time at a four-year collegiate institution and would have been academically and athletically eligible had he or she remained at that institution.  A student-athlete who has exhausted his or her athletics eligibility at the two-year college may use this transfer exception if the student-athlete was otherwise academically or athletically eligible for competition at the two-year college; or

(c) The student transfers from a four-year institution to a two-year college, and then to the certifying institution, provided the student either would have been athletically and academically eligible, at the time of transfer to the certifying institution (see Bylaw 14.5.2),  had he or she remained at the previous four-year institution or he or she successfully completed at least 24-semester or 36-quarter hours of transferable-degree credit at the two-year college and spent at least two full-time semesters or three full-time quarters of attendance at the two-year college. (Revised: 11/16/05, 12/19/07, 1/12/11)

Transfer Exceptions: Four-Year College Transfers

A student who transfers to the certifying institution shall be immediately eligible if:  

(a) The student has not previously used a season of participation at a Division III institution pursuant to Bylaw 14.2.4.1, and has never practiced or competed in intercollegiate athletics at a non-Division III institution.  This provision is not applicable to a Division III student who has been granted a hardship waiver per Bylaw 14.2.5 or a season-of-participation waiver per Bylaws 14.2.6 or 14.2.7;   (Revised: 1/9/06)

(b) The student transfers from a four-year collegiate institution and would have been academically and athletically eligible, at the time of transfer to the certifying institution (see Bylaw 14.5.2),  had he or she remained at the previous institution; or (Revised: 1/12/11 effective 8/1/11)

(c) The student transfers from a four-year collegiate institution that did not sponsor the student-athlete's sport and, while at that institution, the student-athlete: (Adopted: 1/12/11 effective 8/1/11)

(i) Successfully completed at least 24-semester or 36-quarter hours of transferable-degree credit; and

(ii) Completed at least two full-time semesters or three full-time quarters.