Revised NCAA Rules Guarantee Financial Aid for Transfer Athletes

The NCAA continues to tweek the rules for its college athlete transfer portal.

Revised rules adopted by the organization guarantee athletes who transfer to a new school can receive financial aid through graduation. And the rules make it easier for athletes who have already graduated to transfer to another school.

The NCAA also approved new sport-specific windows for athletes to apply for transfers, but it decided against a proposal that would have allowed athletes to transfer multiple times and remain immediately eligible to participate in a sport. Currently, athletes can play immediately only after the first time they transfer.

The rule changes affecting financial aid and transfer windows were made by the NCAA Division I board of directors on Aug. 31 and took effect immediately. Jere Morehead, chair of the board of directors and president at the University of Georgia, said the new rules were necessary to clear up confusion about financial support for transfers.

“Like their peers in the general student population, college athletes choose to transfer for any number of reasons,” Morehead said in a statement. “We believe the changes enacted today enable member schools to adapt to students’ needs, while also positioning students for long-term academic success. These changes to NCAA rules recognize further study is needed on graduation rates before we consider authorizing multiple transfer opportunities with immediate eligibility. We will continue to review potential modifications to transfer rules as the landscape evolves over time.”

Under the new rules, a school that awards a scholarship to a transfer athlete must provide the scholarship for the rest of the student’s five-year eligibility or until the student completes the requirements for their bachelor’s degree. The only exception is if the student transfers again or joins a professional sports league.

The financial aid rule is critical to the transfer process.

Prior to 2018, for instance, an athlete had to ask a coach for permission to contact other schools when choosing to transfer. A school interested in recruiting the transferring player also had to ask the current school for permission to recruit. Without that permission, the athlete couldn’t get financial aid, essentially blocking a transfer.

The new transfer rule for postgraduates was approved by the NCAA’s Division I Council on Sept. 21. It also took effect immediately.

“The college application process occurs earlier in the year for graduate students, and today’s vote provides immediate relief for college students who are interested in pursuing graduate programs at other schools next year while competing in their given sports,” explained Lynda Tealer, vice chair of the Division I Council and executive associate athletics director at the University of Florida.

An increase in Division I graduate student transfers followed the NCAA’s decision to provide a one-year extension of eligibility for these athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While graduate students can enter the transfer portal at any time, they are still subject to deadlines. Those playing fall and winter sports must enter the transfer portal by May 1, while those engaged in spring sports have a July 1 deadline.

The notification-of-transfer windows are more restrictive for undergraduates:

The new rules also provide special consideration to the transfer rules for student-athletes who experience head coach changes and for those who have their athletics aid reduced, canceled, or not renewed.