The Visionary Sports Academic Portal

A resource designed for elite student-athletes to assess their standing for post-secondary opportunities.

FAQs

Find answers to some of the most common questions for student-athletes as they pursue scholarships and post-secondary opportunities in Canada and the US.

NCAA

What are the key differences between Division 1 and 3? How do they differ in terms of academic requirements?

D1

18 athletic scholarships that can be split up among entire roster.

Minimum 2.3 GPA requirement

Guidelines set by NCAA

D3

–        Academic Scholarships only

–        Minimum 2.0 GPA requirement

–        Each School’s admissions set entry requirements

consequatur.

Is the SAT mandatory for the NCAA as a requirement?

It is not, since COVID it’s been removed as a mandatory requirement. But it can still help with certain programs admissions and with academic scholarship/grant opportunities.

Why are academics crucial in the pursuit of a scholarship?

Academic Funding Opportunities

College Hockey programs are evaluated based on the Student GPA of their players.

Learn and develop the ability to manage time efficiently at the post-secondary level.

Your grades are a representation of your work ethic and habits that coaches pay attention to.

What are considered core classes? What classes count towards your GPA?

An NCAA-approved core course must meet the following requirements:

Is a four-year college preparatory course in one of these subject areas:

English

Science (Including one year of lab, if offered)

World

Language

Math (Algebra I or higher)

Social

Science

Comparative

Religion or Philosophy

Is taught by a qualified instructor.

Is taught at or above your high school’s regular academic level.

You receive credit toward high school graduation and the course appears on an official transcript with course title, grade and credit awarded.

 

Courses that ARE NOT NCAA-approved

Is in a noncore area, such as driver education, typing, art, music, physical education or welding.

Prepares you for work or life, or for a two-year college or technical school, such as personal finance, consumer education or tech prep.

Is taught below grade level, at a slower pace or with less rigour or depth, such as basic, essential, fundamental, or foundational courses.

Is a credit-by-exam course.

How does the SAT work?

There are  2 components to the SAT – English/ Reading Comprehension & Math

800 points for each component for a maximum possible score of 1600

Can attempt as many times as you would like, to increase your score

Find available test dates/locations.

Is it possible to attend an NCAA program with weaker grades?

Yes, as long as a student athlete achieves the minimum GPA for the level they can proceed through the Eligibility Center but it will also depend on the individual program recruiting them. They must have the grades for that school’s admissions to be accepted.

U Sports

Do U Sports schools offer scholarships?

Yes, they are available in the form of AFAs (Athletic Financial Awards). AFAs are allowed to apply to (tuition, books, school fees, housing, mandatory fees).

The CHL has an agreement with CIS which allows former CHL players to apply their scholarship program to U Sports schools to earn eligibility.

Are certain grades required to attend a U Sports program?

As of October, 2023, there is no minimum requirement to receive an AFA for a program. Formerly, an 80% average was required to receive an AFA while maintaining a 65% average in your courses during college. Now, there’s no restriction as long as a student athlete is accepted by the school’s admissions. Certain grades will still be required to enter certain programs of study such as Business Administration or Nursing.

How can your grades help with U Sports opportunities?

You will need higher grades to enter into specific programs such as Health Sciences, Nursing, or Business related.

Canada also has a number of athletic awards & grants that student-athletes are eligible for through their academic performances. Stronger marks likely mean more financial opportunities to offset the cost of education.

Is the SAT or another exam needed for U Sports?

No

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