List of USIAA Scholarship Rules:
All USIAA D1, D2, D4, & "merged-division" Sports are "equivalency" sports, in which the USIAA limits the total financial aid that a school can offer in a given sport to the equivalent of a set number of full scholarships:
All USIAA D3 sports are "head count" sports:
All student-athletes in all 4 levels of the USIAA can mix both athletic and academic scholarships based on their academic and athletic performances:
- This means that awards can be split into partial scholarships in any proportion up to the maximum amount of scholarships allowed:
a) For example, an USIAA Division I school can allocate a number of partial athletic scholarships equivalent to 12 full scholarships in any proportion among, say, 35 baseball players. - The listed number is the allotted max number of approximate full scholarships that all programs on that particular level can give.
All USIAA D3 sports are "head count" sports:
- This means that the stated scholarship limit is absolute & the number of athletes receiving athletic awards cannot exceed this number, regardless of whether the scholarship is full or partial.
- The full cost of attendance (tuition, room & board, books and fees.
- Living expenses (ex: food & rent outside room and board, laundry, etc.).
- However, all USIAA institutions are allowed to give any number less than the max number at their own discretion, as they are not required to give out the max number.
- In addition, all USIAA institutions may also provide no athletically related financial assistance if they so desire, regardless of their level/division.
All student-athletes in all 4 levels of the USIAA can mix both athletic and academic scholarships based on their academic and athletic performances:
- All D1 & D2 Colleges may grant full athletic scholarships (tuition, books, fees, room & board), up to $250 in course required supplies, and transportation costs one time per academic year to and from the college by direct route.
- All D3 & D4 Colleges may grant athletic scholarships, but scholarships are limited to tuition*, books, fees, and up to $250 in course required supplies:
a) All D3 athletes can receive no more than 10% of the institution's out-of-state tuition fees; for example, a Wabash baseball player is eligible to be given no more than $5,070 in athletic aid.
b) All D4 athletes can only receive an amount equal to the institution's in-state tuition fees; for example, a Vincennes basketball player is eligible to be given no more than $6,699 in athletic aid. - All academic aid to all USIAA students who play at the junior varsity and/or varsity levels do not count in the overall limit on athletic scholarships.
- The US Military Academies (Army, Navy, Air Force & Coast Guard) do not award athletic scholarships, but all students receiving an appointment to the academies have their tuition paid in full.
- However, there is no limit for academic scholarships (for both walk-ons & those receiving athletic scholarships).
- All athletic and academic scholarships that are granted to all student athletes are guaranteed for the player's entire career and would be unable to revoke it based solely on athletic performance, but can still be revoked for reasons such as poor grades, academic misconduct or other forms of improper behavior.
- However, this only includes products officially made and/or sponsored by the university (examples = jerseys, bobble-heads, signed memorabilia, appearing in commercials and/or YouTube videos made by the institution, etc.), not those outside of its influence.
- Also, such payments are also exempt from the official athletic scholarship limits, but are taxable by both the federal & state governments under their respective income tax laws.
- Athletes also cannot hire agents who can procure business and sponsorship deals. In addition, it is not illegal for individual schools and/or the USIAA to punish student-athletes for seeking such agreements.
- All D2, D3, & D4 athletes are not eligible to be paid from the revenue sales, if only because the merchandise sales will probably not be on the same level as D1.
- All student athletes who participate in either 1) a D1, D2, or D3 athletic sport that generates at least $4 million in revenue or 2) a D1, D2, or D3 athletic department that generates at least $40 million in revenue must receive a max of a 2019 US$2,000 allowance that con only be spent toward only 1) the full cost of attendance, 2) travel expenses for players' families, or 3) living expenses. This must be annually adjusted for inflation.
- Failure to do so results in the athlete not being able to participate in more than 1 team practice session per week until they raise their current GPA. However, the coaching staff is required to help the athlete raise their GPA in any manner possible without violating any USIAA rules:
a) If the student-athlete fails to raise their GPA in 1 semester, they will not be eligible to participate in any team activities for all of the upcoming semester.
b) If the student-athlete fails to raise their GPA in 2 semesters, they will lose their stipend (if they receive one), and not be eligible to participate in any team activities for all of the upcoming academic year.
c) If the student-athlete fails to raise their GPA in 3 semesters, they will have all of their scholarships revoked and be forced to leave the athletic team, but must stay with the university at the university's expense until the end of the academic year.
d) If the student-athlete fails to raise their GPA in 4 semesters, they will be forced to leave the university and lose their eligibility to participate in any USIAA sport(s) on any level except Division 4 where they must stay for at least 2 years after they have transferred. - All coaches and/or AD's who fail to report their students will face the following penalties (these are only minimum, the university can set additional penalties):
a) 1st offense - 10% salary deduction for the rest of the current season and all of the next season.
b) 2nd offense - 20% deduction for the rest of the current season and for the next two seasons, and a loss of 1/3 allotted scholarships scholarships for the next season.
c) 3rd offense - 30% deduction for the rest of the current season and for the next three seasons, and a loss of 1/2 allotted scholarships for the next two seasons.
d) 4th offense - 40% deduction for the rest of the current season and for the next four seasons, and a loss of all scholarships for the next three seasons.
e) 5th offense - Automatically fired at the end of the current season and a 2-yr ban of coaching/ directing an athletic department on the college level.
- If they get caught at least 3 times (i.e. at least 3 individual athletes in any sports) in a period of 6 years, then all members of the Athletic Department, Coaching Staff, and the athletes who are involved will be forced to leave the institution and be declared ineligible to coach, direct a program, or compete in the USIAA for at least 2 years.