The Ocean State University (OSU) Women’s Soccer coaches are finalizing travel options for three official visits planned in January. While the coaches were collecting all the required paperwork for hosting the visits, they noticed that all three prospects took the ACT Aspire test. This test replaced the ACT Plan test last year. The legislation requires a prospect to present a score taken from a PSAT, SAT, PLAN or ACT. Since ACT Aspire is not on the list, can OSU use those scores to satisfy the requirement?
Yes through the use of an NCAA approved blanket waiver. NCAA Division I member institutions may use the ACT Aspire test to satisfy the official visit exam requirements through August 1, 2017. In granting this request, the NCAA Division I Committee for Legislative Relief noted:
1. Current official visit legislation specifies a prospective student-athlete must present the institution with a score from the PSAT, SAT, PLAN or ACT taken on a national testing date under national testing conditions;
2. The ACT Aspire test replaced the ACT PLAN test, effective June 13, 2014; and
3. The NCAA Division I Committee on Academics Subcommittee on Student-Athlete Academics and the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics reviewed the official visit legislation related to the ACT Aspire test and recommended that relief should be provided to allow the use of the ACT Aspire test for official visit purposes, expiring August 1, 2017.
See Case No. 853096 in Requests/Self-Reports Online (RSRO) via the search tab. Additional information regarding blanket waivers can be found on the Committee for Legislative Relief homepage.
[Reference: NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.6.3 (requirements for official visit)]
NCAA Bylaw 13.6.3 states that the following requirements must be met before an institution may provide an official visit to a prospective student-athlete: [D] (Adopted: 4/26/07 effective 8/1/07, 5/9/07, 11/1/07 effective 8/1/08, Revised: 8/7/14)
(a) A high school or preparatory school prospective student-athlete must present the institution with a score from a PSAT, SAT, PLAN or ACT taken on a national testing date under national testing conditions, except that a state-administered ACT may be used to meet the requirement. The score must be presented through a testing agency document, on a high school or preparatory school academic transcript (official or unofficial) or through the use of the applicable testing agency’s automated-voice system. An international prospective student-athlete who requires a special administration of the PSAT, SAT, PLAN or ACT may present such a score upon the approval of the Committee on Academics or the Initial-Eligibility Waivers Committee;
(b) A prospective student-athlete must present the institution with a high school (or college) academic transcript;
(c) A high school or preparatory school prospective student-athlete must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center; and
(d) A high school or preparatory school prospective student-athlete must be placed on the institution’s institutional request list (IRL) with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Jennifer M. Condaras
Associate Commissioner
BIG EAST Conference
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