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College Athletics

The governing bodies for college athletics have specific requirements that must be met by prospective student athletes in order to compete at the college level, including academics and GPA standards. 

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a member-led organization dedicated to the well-being and lifelong success of college athletes. To learn more about the NCAA visit www.ncaa.org.

The NCAA is divided into three divisions, each with its own guidelines. Student athletes wishing to play sports at a Division I or Division II school need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center to ensure they have met standards and are academically prepared for college coursework. Click here to visit the NCAA Eligibility Center.

NCAA Scholarship Opportunities

NCAA Division I
Division I schools generally have the biggest student bodies, manage the largest athletic budgets, and offer the most generous number of scholarships. Learn more about Division I. For a list of DI schools in Iowa click here.

NCAA Division II
Division II offers a "partial-scholarship" model for financial aid in which most student-athletes' college experiences are funded through a mix of athletics scholarships, academic aid, and need-based grants and/or employment earnings. Learn more about Division II. For a list of DII schools in Iowa click here.

NCAA Division III
Division III does NOT award athletic scholarships. Learn more about Division III. For a list of DIII schools in Iowa click here.


National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

The NAIA has 50,000 student-athletes participating at nearly 300 member colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. Learn more about the NAIA.

Prospective college athletics hoping to play at a NAIA institution must register with the NAIA Eligibility Center - PlayNAIA. Click here to visit PlayNAIA. 

NAIA Scholarship Opportunities

The NAIA offers scholarships on both the Division I and Division II level. Division III level sports do not offer scholarship funding. 

Click here for a list of NAIA schools in Iowa.


National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)

The NJCAA promotes and fosters two-year college athletics. Learn more about the NJCAA. To learn about the eligibility requirements to play college sports within the NJCAA, click here.

NJCAA Scholarship Opportunities

The NJCAA awards full and partial scholarships to student athletes. Eligibility requirements may vary by school, so for more information about specific scholarship opportunities, contact the athletic department at the school you are interested in attending. 

Click here for a list of sports by college and division for the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference.

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