24/36 Hour Rule - NAIA

If a student …
Competes in a contest
Is enrolled in 12 hours and attends one
class while being enrolled in 12 hours
Identification
Ways a student identifies with your institution.
24/36 HOUR RULE
Charged with season
Charged with term
Charged with term
This rule applies to students once they have been enrolled in your institution or any collegiate institution for two terms, whether it’s
two semesters, two quarters or two trimesters.
Before we go any further, we need to discuss which academic terms must be counted. In the NAIA, terms are countable when a
student “identifies” during a term. There are two ways for a student to identify. The first is by playing in a contest against another
team. Regardless of anything else, if the student plays in a contest representing an institution against another team, the student has
identified.
The second way a student can identify is by being enrolled in 12 hours and attending one class. Again, if the student enrolls in 12
hours and attends one class, the student has identified. No subsequent action by the student or the institution can change
identification. This is true even if the student withdraws from all courses the day after attending class and that institution’s transcript
does not show the student enrolled during that term. This makes it very important for you to interview the student carefully when the
student fills out the transfer form and the competitive experience form.
Once the student has identified during two terms, the student must have 24 hours to be eligible. If we are talking about quarter
institutions, once the student has been enrolled for three quarters, the student is going to be responsible for having earned 36 hours
going forward. The other important thing to remember, and this is true with all NAIA eligibility rules, is that we certify on aterm-by term basis, which means this is a rolling 24/36 hours.
The way this rule works is that you look at the student’s previous two terms or previous three quarters to determine whether the
student has earned the requisite hours. I am going to use semester hours as an example, but the same rules apply for a student in
the quarter system.
NAIA National Office • 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64106 • 816.595.8000 • Resources at www.naia.org/member-services 2