Many people ask me, “What exactly is the NCAA Clearinghouse?” I simply direct them to the definition on the NCAA website:
NCAA Clearinghouse is for students planning to compete at the either the Division I or Division II level during their freshman year. If you are going to compete as a freshman, then you must be registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse during your senior year in high school. The registration simply certifies that you, the student-athlete, are academically eligible to compete under NCAA regulations and guidelines so you can receive athletic based financial aid.
Essentially, as you can read from the information above, the Clearinghouse is a simple way for NCAA D1 and D2 coaches to KNOW that you are academically eligible to play for them next season. It is a way for the NCAA to put a universal stamp approval on you so college coaches can easily and quickly know if you are academically eligible to play at their University.
You can sign up for the Clearinghouse at: www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
REAL LIFE CLEARINGHOUSE STORY
A high school coach told me about one of his players that had a full-ride scholarship to a school in Northern California to play basketball. The college is a good academic school, and the student-athlete was coming from a prestigious high school. The college coach assumed the athlete was cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse. Well, when the athlete got up to college, and the coach found out the student-athlete had not registered for the Clearinghouse, the student almost lost his scholarship…even though he was an academic qualifier.
I share that story with you because it is IMPERATIVE that you register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. It does cost some money, and if you need financial assistance with it the NCAA has a way of subsidizing your costs.
The important thing is that you do well in the classroom, prepare for your SAT/ACT’s, and be sure to get yourself signed up for the Clearinghouse at the end of your Junior academic year.
