THE COMPLIANCE NEWSLETTER
UNC DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS
Vol. VI - No. 5 - December 30, 1999
Welcome to the fifth issue of the 1999-00 edition of The Compliance Newsletter. This issue is designed to inform its readers about reduction or cancellation of financial aid and involvement with professional teams.
CHANGE IN FINANCIAL AID STATUS
Institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability may be reduced or cancelled during the period of the award if the recipient:
Renders himself or herself ineligible for intercollegiate competition;
Fraudulently misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement;
Engages in serious misconduct warranting substantial disciplinary penalty; or
Voluntarily withdraws from a sport at any time for personal reasons; however, the recipient's financial aid may not be awarded to another student-athlete in the term in which the aid was reduced or cancelled.
An institution may not decrease a student-athlete's financial aid from the time the student-athlete signs the financial aid award letter until the conclusion of the period set forth in the financial aid agreement, except under the conditions set forth above.
An institution may not set forth an athletically related condition (e.g., financial aid contingent upon specified performance or playing a specific position) that would permit the institution to reduce or cancel the student-athlete's financial aid during the period of the award if the conditions are not satisfied.
Institutional financial aid may be increased as follows:
Between the period of time when the student-athlete signs the financial aid award letter and the beginning of the period of the award; and
Subsequent to the date on which the student-athlete receives any benefits as part of the student's financial aid grant (which is determined on the first day of classes for a particular academic term or the first day of practice, whichever is earlier), an institution may increase the student-athlete's financial aid if the institution can demonstrate that such an increase is unrelated in any manner to athletics.
Institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability may not be increased, decreased or cancelled during the period of its award:
On the basis of a student's athletics ability, performance or contribution to a team's success;
Because of an injury that prevents the recipient from participating in athletics; or
For any other athletics reason.
Any reduction or cancellation of aid due to ineligibility, fraudulent misrepresentation, misconduct, or withdrawal is permissible only if such action is taken by the regular disciplinary or financial aid authorities of the institution and the student-athlete has been provided written notice of an opportunity for a hearing.
INVOLVEMENT WITH PROFESSIONAL TEAMS
The following information relates to a student-athlete's involvement with professional athletic teams.
A student-athlete shall not try out with a professional athletics team in a sport or permit a professional athletics team to conduct medical examinations during any part of the academic year while enrolled in a collegiate institution as a regular student in at least a minimum full-time academic load, unless the student-athlete has exhausted eligibility in that sport.
A student-athlete may try out with a professional organization in a sport during the summer or during the academic year while not a full-time student, provided the student-athlete does not receive any form of expenses or other compensation from the professional organization.
An individual may inquire of a professional sports organization about eligibility for a professional-league player draft or request information about the individual's market value without affecting his or her amateur status.
An individual loses amateur status in a particular sport when the individual asks to be placed on the draft list or supplemental draft list of a professional league in that sport, even though:
(a) The individual asks that his or her name be withdrawn from the draft list prior to the actual draft;
(b) The individual's name remains on the list but he or she is not drafted; or
(c) The individual is drafted but does not sign an agreement with any professional athletics team.
A student-athlete in the sport of basketball may enter a professional league's draft one time during his or her collegiate career without jeopardizing eligibility in that sport, provided the student-athlete is not drafted by any team in that league and the student-athlete declares his or her intention to resume intercollegiate participation within 30 days after the draft.
