Article V, Section B

Institutional Credit Hour: Any credit hour attributed to a course that is recorded on the transcript with a grade and credit hours earned. Institutional credit hours shall be accepted for eligibility certification purposes only after the instructor submits the completed course grade in the normal manner to the institutional registrar for posting on the transcript.

EXCEPTION: Coursework awarded earned credit hours with a grade of F (or the equivalent) shall not be considered institutional credit hours for purposes of the Nine-Hour Rule (Article V, Section C, Item 5), 24/36-Hour Rule (Article V, Section C, Item 6) and the Progress Rule (Article V, Section C, Item 9).

Credit hours attributed to a course in progress shall be considered institutional credit for purposes of determining identification and enrollment in 12 credits when, as applied to the general student body, the course would appear on the transcript with a grade and credit hours earned upon completion.

The grade assigned to a course may include, but is not limited to, a letter grade, credit/no credit, pass/fail, and satisfactory/unsatisfactory.

Did You Know?

• A course still counts as institutional credit even if a student fails it. The credit hours are considered attempted and apply toward identification, 12-hour enrollment, and GPA calculations.

• Whether a course counts as institutional credit depends on how the course is classified—not on the grade earned.

• Once a course and grade are officially submitted to the registrar and posted on the transcript, the credits can be recognized for NAIA eligibility purposes.

Inter-Term: A session or a group of courses that occurs and is reflected on the official academic transcript between two regular academic terms and is reported on the official academic transcript. These sessions cannot meet the definition of a term of attendance as defined in Article V, Section B, Item 21. Summer terms cannot constitute an inter-term.

Non-Term: Any term that does not meet the definition of a term of attendance as defined in Article V, Section B, Item 22.

Application of Inter-Term and Non-Term Credit Toward Eligibility

Inter-term sessions are considered non-terms for NAIA eligibility purposes. Students cannot identify during an inter-term or non-term, and courses taken in these sessions cannot be used to meet the 12-Hour Enrollment Rule (Article V, Section C, Item 3).

However, completed credit earned during an inter-term or non-term can be applied toward eligibility requirements (e.g., progress rule, GPA, 24/36-Hour Rule) once grades are officially posted, as long as the credit is shown to be earned before the start of the NAIA institution’s next regular term (typically Winter/Spring).

To determine when credit is considered “earned”:

• If the issuing institution’s transcript attributes the course to an academic term, credit is earned at the end of that term.

• If the course is not tied to a term but lists specific start and end dates, the end date will determine when credit is earned.

• If no term or dates appear, verification from the issuing institution’s registrar may be used to confirm course dates.

For students with continuing identification at the same NAIA institution, credit must be approved and accepted by the institution and appear on the NAIA institution’s official transcript to count toward eligibility.

Did You Know?

• If a student attends a non-accredited U.S. institution not listed in the Department of Education’s accreditation database, their attendance does not count as a term of attendance for NAIA eligibility.

• Students who attend an accredited institution (as listed in the federal database) will be charged terms of attendance and may be subject to transfer and residency rules.

• Foreign institutions are generally considered accredited for NAIA eligibility purposes.

• High school students can take 12+ college credit hours in a term without being charged a term of attendance.

• Active-duty military members can also enroll in 12+ credit hours during a term without triggering a term of attendance.

Participation is defined as a student representing an institution in an intercollegiate contest—regardless of the length of time, point in the contest, or the student’s academic status.

Why does this matter?
Participation counts, even if a student is not charged a season of competition, such as when they meet an exception (like staying under 20% of the frequency of play or only competing in postseason). While these exceptions may preserve a student’s season, participation still triggers other eligibility rules, including residency requirements, transfer regulations, and whether a student is considered identified in a term. It's a key marker in determining a student’s eligibility history, even when no season is used.

See also:

Participation Prior to Enrollment in the Fall

Summer Participation & Seasons of Competition

Prospective Student: An individual who has never identified or whose previous collegiate identification was with another collegiate institution. The individual remains a prospective student until the student identifies with an institution in accordance with Article V, Section B, Item 8.

Prospective students are not permitted to practice or compete with an institution’s team unless one of the following exceptions are met:

Exception 1 – Summer Practice & Competition (May 16–July 31)

In simple terms:
A high school graduate who hasn't played for a college team yet can practice or even compete with an NAIA team during the summer as long as one of the following is true:

• ✅ They are enrolled full-time in summer classes at that school,
  OR

• ✅ They are already enrolled in at least 12 credits for the upcoming fall term at that school.

These activities do not count as tryouts and do not trigger identification.

Example 1:
Taylor just graduated from high school in May and is planning to attend Midwestern College in the fall. She’s already enrolled in 15 credit hours for Fall semester. In July, she joins Midwestern’s soccer team for summer training. She is allowed to do this without becoming identified.

Example 2:
Jordan is a high school graduate who hasn’t committed to any college yet. He enrolls full-time in summer classes at Westside University. Since he’s now a full-time summer student, he can practice and even play in games with Westside’s basketball team during the summer (before August 1) without officially identifying with the team.

Exception 2 – Pre-Term or Break Period Practice

In simple terms:
A high school graduate who hasn't played for a college team yet can practice with an NAIA team before the school year starts or during breaks between terms—as long as the practice is happening during the team’s official 24-week season.

This practice does not count as a tryout and does not trigger identification.

Example 1:
Sophia has been admitted to Lakeside University and will begin her first semester in the fall. Classes start on August 28, but the volleyball team begins official practices on August 10. Since Sophia is a high school graduate and not coming from another college, she’s allowed to join the team’s practices before the term starts, and it won’t count as a tryout or trigger eligibility rules.

Example 2:
Alex, a prospective baseball player, joins winter break practices at his future NAIA school before the spring term begins. As long as it’s within the team’s 24-week season, he can participate in those practices without identifying or using eligibility.

See also: 

Tryouts with Prospective Students & 24-Week Season

Prospective Student-Athletes: Tryouts & Camps/Clinics

Summer Activities with Prospective Student-Athletes

Transfer: A student who becomes identified with an NAIA institution after having previously been identified with a two- or four-year institution of higher learning. Transfer students must complete the official NAIA Transfer Player Eligibility Statement prior to their first participation at the NAIA institution no matter how long ago the transfer occurred.

Once the student has completed the transfer form and has been in attendance for one term, the student is no longer considered a transfer student at the institution.

CASEBOOK EXAMPLE

Transfer from Institution Offering 2-Year & 4-Year Degrees

Case: A student attends a two-year institution in which the athletic programs compete under the NJCAA. This institution has begun to offer numerous four-year degree programs. Is the student classified as a two-year or four-year transfer?

Approved Ruling: The student would be considered a two-year college transfer. The athletic association of the particular institution must be taken into account to consider whether a student is considered a two-year or four-year transfer. Similarly, if the student participated when the two-year institution competes under a four-year athletic association, the student would be considered a four-year transfer.

Determining 2-Year vs. 4-Year Institution Status

Why this matters:
Whether a student is transferring from a two-year or four-year school affects NAIA transfer rules, like residency and transfer exception eligibility.

1. The Athletics Division Matters

• If the school competes in a sports association that separates 2-year and 4-year schools,
  → The division they choose (2-year or 4-year) is what the NAIA will use.

Example:
If a college offers both associate and bachelor’s degrees but plays in the 4-year division of the NJCAA, the NAIA treats it as a 4-year school.

2. The Degree & Transcript Matter (When There’s No Division)

• If the school does not sponsor athletics or competes in an association that doesn’t separate 2-year vs. 4-year,
  → The NAIA looks at what degree the student was pursuing:

  • If the student was pursuing a bachelor’s, it’s treated as a 4-year school

  • If pursuing an associate’s, it’s treated as a 2-year school

Example:
If the transcript shows a student was working toward a bachelor’s degree at a small college in the USCAA (which doesn’t separate divisions), NAIA will treat it as a 4-year transfer.

Common FAQs: Mid-Year Transfer Scenarios

Transfer - No Season Charged in Previous Term

See also:

Mid-Year Transfer Student Eligibility and Key Scenarios: A Comprehensive Guide

48-Hour General Education Requirement, Transfer Students