Grades, ACT, financial aid?

You calculate the ACT index by adding the scores from the 4 sections of the ACT together. 

NCAA minimum GPA is 2.0.  Schools can have a higher minimum.  The 3.5 GPA requirement mentioned is for the additional automatic "aid".

Schools can have different qualifications than NCAA.  When it comes to scholarship dollars the school determines what grades/scores/rank deserves the money.  You should make sure to clarify if these standards are mutually exclusive. 

Iowamom23 posted:

Visited a school that offered 2018 a decent bb scholarship. School also offers automatic aid to students with a certain GPA/ACT score, which son easily surpasses.

I asked coach if this could be stacked and he said yes, as long as son has a 3.5 GPA, an ACT index of over 100 or is in the top 10% of high school class. Son is close but under on GPA and won't achieve the last. I went to a web site that claims to calculate his ACT index at over 100.

I get that the 3.5 is part of NCAA requirements, but had never heard of the 100 plus ACT index. Is that really a thing? Who decides what that score is for sure? When would you find out? Is that standard at all schools or just this one? Should I be asking coach for more information or financial aid?

Hoping son gets the GPA to 3.5, but in the meantime, if this index thing is real, I'll sleep better. So any help you can provide would be terrific!

 

My understanding is that you have to meet one of the three criteria of 3.5 GPA, 10% of high school class, or 25 ACT if you are getting academic aid on top of the baseball money for it not to count against the overall baseball scholarship total.  If you do not meet one of the three then any academic aid counts against the total baseball scholarship budget.  It sounds like the coach is telling your son that if he doesn't meet that criteria he is going to have to choose between the baseball money or the academic money.  It is a fairly common practice but a lot of parents have no idea it exists. 

d-mac posted:

Iowamom23 posted:

Visited a school that offered 2018 a decent bb scholarship. School also offers automatic aid to students with a certain GPA/ACT score, which son easily surpasses.

I asked coach if this could be stacked and he said yes, as long as son has a 3.5 GPA, an ACT index of over 100 or is in the top 10% of high school class. Son is close but under on GPA and won't achieve the last. I went to a web site that claims to calculate his ACT index at over 100.

I get that the 3.5 is part of NCAA requirements, but had never heard of the 100 plus ACT index. Is that really a thing? Who decides what that score is for sure? When would you find out? Is that standard at all schools or just this one? Should I be asking coach for more information or financial aid?

Hoping son gets the GPA to 3.5, but in the meantime, if this index thing is real, I'll sleep better. So any help you can provide would be terrific!

 

My understanding is that you have to meet one of the three criteria of 3.5 GPA, 10% of high school class, or 25 ACT if you are getting academic aid on top of the baseball money for it not to count against the overall baseball scholarship total.  If you do not meet one of the three then any academic aid counts against the total baseball scholarship budget.  It sounds like the coach is telling your son that if he doesn't meet that criteria he is going to have to choose between the baseball money or the academic money.  It is a fairly common practice but a lot of parents have no idea it exists. 

Thank you!! Coach said ACT index of 100, which I think he's at 96 after taking it once. Got an overall 24. So either way, hopefully he can get that score up on this next try. I suggested a test-prep class, he said he's going to try answering all the questions this time. :-)

Iowamom23 posted:

d-mac posted:

Iowamom23 posted:

Visited a school that offered 2018 a decent bb scholarship. School also offers automatic aid to students with a certain GPA/ACT score, which son easily surpasses.

I asked coach if this could be stacked and he said yes, as long as son has a 3.5 GPA, an ACT index of over 100 or is in the top 10% of high school class. Son is close but under on GPA and won't achieve the last. I went to a web site that claims to calculate his ACT index at over 100.

I get that the 3.5 is part of NCAA requirements, but had never heard of the 100 plus ACT index. Is that really a thing? Who decides what that score is for sure? When would you find out? Is that standard at all schools or just this one? Should I be asking coach for more information or financial aid?

Hoping son gets the GPA to 3.5, but in the meantime, if this index thing is real, I'll sleep better. So any help you can provide would be terrific!

 

My understanding is that you have to meet one of the three criteria of 3.5 GPA, 10% of high school class, or 25 ACT if you are getting academic aid on top of the baseball money for it not to count against the overall baseball scholarship total.  If you do not meet one of the three then any academic aid counts against the total baseball scholarship budget.  It sounds like the coach is telling your son that if he doesn't meet that criteria he is going to have to choose between the baseball money or the academic money.  It is a fairly common practice but a lot of parents have no idea it exists. 

Thank you!! Coach said ACT index of 100, which I think he's at 96 after taking it once. Got an overall 24. So either way, hopefully he can get that score up on this next try. I suggested a test-prep class, he said he's going to try answering all the questions this time. :-)

 

If he made a 24 the first time with no prep, I'd expect at least a 2-4 point increase with prep.  The time constraint is the most difficult part.  There are some great youtube videos out there on test taking tips and tricks.  

The ACT sum is 105 for D1.

IowaMom23, is this a Division I or Division II school that offered your son?  The reason I ask is that the numbers you quoted from the coach are a mix of the Division I and Division II requirements.

By the way, D-Mac was correct on his explanation, but again the numbers don't line up as all D-1 or D-2 requirements.

Bylaw 15.02.4.3 covers this. I do believe it is 100 for D2, though. There are also several types of scholarship aid that are exempt from this rule. 

My 2018 is currently at 104, which is frustrating as hell!

I think this is the right list of exempted scholarships:

15.02.4.3 Exempted Institutional Financial Aid. The following institutional financial aid is exempt and is not counted in determining the institution’s financial aid limitations: (Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04)

(a) An honorary award for outstanding academic achievement or an established institutional research grant that meets the criteria set forth in Bylaw 15.02.6 (and must be included in determining if the student athlete’s cost of attendance has been met); (Revised: 1/10/91, 1/10/92, 10/31/02 effective 8/1/03)

(b) A postgraduate scholarship awarded by an institution in accordance with Bylaw 16.1.4.1.1; (Adopted: 4/25/02)

(c) Federal government grants awarded based on a student’s demonstrated financial need [e.g., Supplemental Educational Opportunities Grant (SEOG)], regardless of whether the institution is responsible for selecting the recipient or determining the amount of aid, or providing matching or supplementary funds for a previously determined recipient; (Adopted: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)

(d) State government grants awarded based on a student’s demonstrated financial need, regardless of whether the institution is responsible for selecting the recipient or determining the amount of aid, or providing matching or supplementary funds for a previously determined recipient, provided the aid is administered in accordance with the federal methodology for determining a student’s financial need and has no relationship to athletics ability. However, such aid is not exempt for purposes of determining a football or basketball student-athlete’s counter status pursuant to Bylaw 15.5.1.2; (Adopted: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)

(e) State government merit-based grants, regardless of whether the institution is responsible for selecting the recipient or determining the amount of aid, or providing matching or supplementary funds for a previously determined recipient, provided the aid is awarded consistent with the criteria of Bylaws 15.5.3.2.2.1, 15.5.3.2.2.2 or 15.5.3.2.2.3 and has no relationship to athletics ability. However, such aid is not exempt for purposes of determining a football or basketball student-athlete’s counter status pursuant to Bylaw 15.5.1.2; and (Adopted: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)

(f) Matching payments made by the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program [see Bylaw 15.2.5.1-(e)]. (Adopted: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)

Rick at Informed Athlete posted:

IowaMom23, is this a Division I or Division II school that offered your son?  The reason I ask is that the numbers you quoted from the coach are a mix of the Division I and Division II requirements.

By the way, D-Mac was correct on his explanation, but again the numbers don't line up as all D-1 or D-2 requirements.

This particular one was D1. Who is the best person at the school to ask? My assumption is that baseball coaches are good at baseball, financial aid people are good at financial aid. Not sure who's good at mixing the two?

Honestly, all of this is good news. I'm glad to know there is an alternative to the 3.5.

My 2018 is good at standardized tests. I think even a 105 is realistic for hm, while the 3.5 probably isn't.

My daughter, on the other hand, easily got the 3.5, but struggled to get to a 21 on her ACT. 

To exempt an academic scholarship from counting against the team limit of 11.7 scholarships in Division I, the requirements are 3.500 GPA, top 10% of the graduating class, or an ACT sumscore of 105.  

The Director of Compliance is usually the best person on campus to mix the two.  

Rick at Informed Athlete posted:

an ACT sumscore of 105.

Is that the sum score from one taking of the ACT, or can you use your best scores from different portions from different dates?

 

Iowamom23 posted:

Rick at Informed Athlete posted:

an ACT sumscore of 105.

Is that the sum score from one taking of the ACT, or can you use your best scores from different portions from different dates?

 

Good question, kind of like how some schools will super score the ACT for the best ACT composite.  If a particular college is willing to super score the ACT composite, it would make sense they'd take a "super sumscore".  

Gov posted:

 

Iowamom23 posted:

Rick at Informed Athlete posted:

an ACT sumscore of 105.

Is that the sum score from one taking of the ACT, or can you use your best scores from different portions from different dates?

 

Good question, kind of like how some schools will super score the ACT for the best ACT composite.  If a particular college is willing to super score the ACT composite, it would make sense they'd take a "super sumscore".  

I"m guessing that's maybe an NCAA decision? But maybe not. If we can combine best scores, son is at a 105. If he has to take all scores from one test, he's taking it again!

Several of the colleges we've talked to said they superscore the SAT but not the ACT. Not sure why that is or if it's the "industry-norm" but something to keep in mind.

IowaMom23, the answer is Yes.  For the purpose of NCAA eligibility requirements, as well as to be able to exempt academic aid from counting against the baseball scholarship limit, universities are permitted to take the best sub-scores from different test dates to achieve the highest possible score.