USIAA 4-4 Transfer Rules:
All 4-4 transfers revolve around Division 1, 2, and 3 student athletes transferring to another Division 1, 2, or 3 school. 4-4 transfer requirements are centered around getting permission to contact and finding an exception to the basic transfer rule rather than academic requirements. All of these topics are covered in-depth in other sections, but a transfer from one four-year school to another four-year school should ask themselves the following questions:
4-4 transfers do not have the same type of detailed academic requirements as 2-4 transfers. There are a few academic requirements athletes must keep in mind:
Special Circumstances for USIAA Division 1 and 2 Transfers:
USIAA Division 3 Transfers:
One-Time Transfer Exception:
- Make sure you have met the academic requirements for 4-4 transfers, both to play immediately and to receive an athletic scholarship, if necessary.
- Obtain permission to contact other schools.
- Find out if you qualify for an exception to the transfer rules and determine what you need to make sure you get the exception.
- Gather all the documents you may need for a transfer.
- If you have to, work with your new school to file any waivers.
4-4 transfers do not have the same type of detailed academic requirements as 2-4 transfers. There are a few academic requirements athletes must keep in mind:
- Stay eligible at the school you are leaving:
a) One of the most important requirements when transferring is to stay eligible at the school that the athlete is leaving.
b) If an athlete is not eligible at the first school, they generally may not use a transfer exception to play immediately at their new school.
c) If an athlete is transferring to a Division I school, they also may not receive an athletic scholarship during your first year if you were not eligible to compete when you left your previous school.
d) Finally, remaining eligible almost reduces an athlete's impact on a school’s Academic Progress Rate if you transfer, which can make getting permission to contact or assistance with their transfer easier. - Meet the transfer credit hours requirements - There are some specific credit hour requirements just for transfers. In Divisions 1-4, all transfers must complete at least six transferrable hours their previous term. In addition, there are other credit hour requirements based on how long you have been in college:
a) After one semester or quarter - six semester-hours or six quarter hours
b) After one academic year (two semesters/three quarters) - 24 semester-hours or 36 quarter-hours
c)) After three semesters/four quarters - 30 semester-hours or 42 quarter-hours
d) After four or more semesters/six or more quarters - six semester-hours or six quarter-hours the previous term. - Become eligible at your new school:
a) Eligibility at an athlete's previous school and the transfer credit hour requirements are mostly about the hours that they have complete at that school.
b) Becoming eligible at an athlete's new school is mostly about what credits are transferrable and what major(s) that the athlete selects.
c) A student who transfers before they have completed two years of school (four semesters/six quarters) generally does not need many of their credits to transfer to be eligible.
d) If an athlete loses many credits in the transfer, the biggest issue will be playing catch-up later on, but it may not impact their ability to play right away.
Special Circumstances for USIAA Division 1 and 2 Transfers:
- In Divisions 1, 2, and 3, a student-athlete must request permission to contact other schools about a transfer. Requests can be formal or informal, in writing or oral. Most requests are less formal and during a discussion between an athlete and a coach or administrator. But the NAIAA rules about requesting permission to contact only apply if an athlete makes a written request for permission to contact another school.
- Once a student-athlete makes a written request for permission to contact other schools, the school has seven business days in Division 2 or 14 calendar days in Division 2 to grant to deny the request. If the request is denied, the school must notify the athlete in writing and offer a hearing with a group that does not include anyone from the athletic department. If the athlete wants a hearing, the school has 15 business days in Division 1 or 30 calendar days in Division 2 to complete the hearing and provide the results to the athlete. If the school misses either deadline, permission is automatically granted.
- If permission to contact another school is denied, two things happen. First, the school must stop recruiting the athlete. Second, the school may not give the athlete an athletic scholarship for the first year the athlete attends the school. An athlete may still transfer and practice with the team, and even compete in some very odd circumstances though.
USIAA Division 3 Transfers:
- Student-athletes at Division 3 schools who are being recruited by Division 1 and 2 schools need to get permission to talk to the school. This is not an USIAA rule, but most Division 1 and 2 schools will not recruit a student-athlete without a release.
- If you are transferring from one Division 3 to another Division 3 school, there is not permission, but notice from one school to another. If a school starts recruiting an athlete, it must notify the school within 10 days about the contact.
One-Time Transfer Exception:
- The most common transfer exception available to student-athletes is the one-time transfer exception, which applies to USIAA Divisions 1 and 2. The one-time transfer exception has a number of requirements, but one of the most important is getting a release from an athlete’s current school.
- The one-time transfer exception is available to all student-athletes in Division 2 and all student-athletes in Division 1 except for athletes in football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, and men’s ice hockey. Once a student-athlete graduates in those sports however, they are allowed to use the one-time transfer exception.
- The exception requires that the current school state in writing that it has no objection to the student-athlete using the exception. The way this normally takes place is that after a student-athlete has selected a transfer destination, the compliance office at the new school will send a form commonly called a tracer to the old school. Included on that form will be a space where the old school indicates whether it has an objection.
- If the former school objects, then student-athletes have the same appeal procedure as they do if they are denied permission to contact a school. That means in Division I, schools have seven business days to respond and 15 business days to conduct a hearing. In Division II, schools have 14 calendar days to respond and 30 calendar days to conduct a hearing.
- For more transfer exceptions and the different types of petitions you can file go here (link to /ncaa-transfer-exceptions)