Going the junior college route gives you the opportunity to improve your athletic skills while earning credits toward a degree. You can transfer after two years, and still have two years of playing eligibility. Many coaches are now looking for junior college prospects to come in and compete right away.
The NJCAA serves as the national governing body for two-year college athletics in the United States and is the nation’s second-largest national intercollegiate sports organization (second to the NCAA). Each year nearly 60,000 student-athletes from 525 member colleges compete in 28 different sports.
What are the eligibility requirements for junior college?
- Every student must be a high school graduate with an academic diploma, general education diploma or a State Department of Education approved high school equivalency test.
- Each institution is different when it comes to academic eligibility requirements. It is recommended that each potential student-athlete discuss their athletic eligibility with the specific college.
What are the junior college recruiting rules?
- No institution shall permit an athlete to be solicited to attend by the promise of a gift or inducement other than an athletic scholarship.
- An institution may pay for one visit to its campus by direct route, for a stay not to exceed two days and two nights. The paid visit must be limited to the campus and local community where the college is located.
- A student-athlete must have completed his/her junior year in high school in order to receive an official recruiting visit by a member NJCAA college.
- While recruiting a potential athlete on campus, a college representative may purchase meals for the athlete. The value of the meals may not exceed the amount provided to a college employee while traveling on college business.
Does the NJCAA have National Letter of Intents?
The NJCAA Letter of Intent is used to commit an individual to a specific institution for a period of one academic year. The form is only valid for NJCAA member colleges and has no jurisdiction over NCAA or NAIA colleges. The student may not, however, sign a NJCAA Letter of Intent with two NJCAA colleges. If a student does sign with two NJCAA colleges, that student will become immediately ineligible to compete in NJCAA competition for the next academic year in any sport.
What type of scholarship funds can NJCAA schools offer?
Each institution belonging to the NJCAA can choose to compete on the Division I, II or III level in designated sports.
- Division I colleges may offer full athletic scholarships
- Division II colleges are limited to awarding tuition, fees, books and up to $250 in course required supplies
- Division III institutions may provide no athletically related financial assistance.
What Sports are offered by the NJCAA?
The NJCAA provides opportunities for participation, including National Championships, for student-athletes in the following sports:
- Fall Baseball – Men’s
- Spring Baseball – Men’s
- Basketball – Men/Women
- Bowling – Men/Women
- Cross Country – Men/Women
- Football – Men’s
- Fall Golf – Men/Women
- Spring Golf – Men/Women
- Half Marathon – Men/Women
- Ice Hockey – Men’s
- Indoor Track and Field – Men/Women
- Outdoor Track and Field – Men/Women
- Spring Lacrosse – Men/Women
- Fall Lacrosse – Men/Women
- Fall Softball – Women’s
- Spring Softball – Women’s
- Fall Soccer – Men/Women
- Spring Soccer – Men/Women
- Swimming & Diving – Men/Women
- Fall Tennis – Men/Women
- Spring Tennis – Men/Women
- Fall Volleyball – Women’s
- Spring Volleyball – Women’s
- Wrestling – Men’s
