Degree Completion Program
Members of the NCAS are asked to commit to being active in the Degree Completion and Community Service Programs (DCP) for former student-athletes. In the past 23 years, more than 29,861 student-athletes have returned to schools to complete their degrees after their eligibility expired, including 399 Olympians and 9,593 professional athletes. As of 2009, 13,731 had graduated.
Student-Athlete Requirements
Student-athletes who entered the member institution on an athletic scholarship in a revenue or non-revenue sport in the 10 years prior to the institution joining the NCAS are eligible to be re-admitted, if academically eligible. Tuition is provided by the institution in the same proportion as it was during the student's last year of eligibility.
Student-athletes are able to continue their education as long as they are making progress toward their degree. In exchange for their tuition, returning former student-athletes participate in the school’s community service and outreach program, where they meet with school-age youth to talk about a variety of critical issues for a minimum of ten hours per week. NCAS student-athlete volunteers have served over 17.6 million young people and donated more than 19 million hours of service.
Member School Responsibilities
If an NCAS member’s former student-athlete wants to attend an NCAS school in another geographic location, member schools agree to help those former student-athletes transfer credits. Similarly, NCAS members will aid in facilitating the receipt of transfer credits of student-athletes from other NCAS schools.
NCAS members are not obliged to pay the cost of their students who attend other member schools. Likewise, they are not obliged to pay for former student-athletes from other NCAS schools to come to their institution. However, members do agree to attempt to reduce or eliminate barriers that exist between athletes and degree completion or other educational goals. Assistance should include academic advisement, academic advocacy, and, when necessary, negotiating on behalf of student-athletes with their former colleges and universities.
Furthermore, assistance should become consistent with institutional policies, in the form of the assurance of affordability of higher education for student-athletes via loans, work-study programs, grants and other forms of financial assistance available to all students.
The NCAA has approved aid beyond the fifth year for student-athletes at NCAS member institutions. The ten hours per week is evaluated by the NCAA at a higher per hour rate than normally afforded former student-athletes in a university job, because of the value of public speaking fees.