Policies
The Office of the Registrar oversees the following policies:
- Authorization for the Release of Information
- Academic Guidelines for NAIA Eligibility
- International Student Enrollment
Authorization for the Release of Information
According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), educational records can only be released to parents, spouses, or others if one of the following conditions is met:
- Written consent of the student — Students must file a completed “Authorization for Release of Information” available on My Cougar Connection in the section marked Form Central.
- In compliance with a subpoena
- By submission of evidence that the parents declared the student as a dependent on their most recent federal income tax form
For more information regarding FERPA regulations, please contact the Registrar’s Office.
Directory Information
These items can be released/discussed via any communication without student permission.
- Student’s name
- Campus and off-campus address
- Email address and telephone
- Photograph
- Major field of study
- Dates of attendance
- Full- or part-time status
- Admission or enrollment status
- School, college, or division
- Class standing
- Degrees, honors, and awards (including Dean’s List) and date granted
- Participation in university activities and sports
- Physical and performance statistics of members of athletic teams
- The most recent previous institution attended by the student
Non-Directory Information
These items can only be released/discussed with written consent from the student and in person only.
- Birth Date
- Religious Affiliation
- Citizenship
- Disciplinary Status
- Ethnicity
- Gender
- Grade Point Average (GPA)
- Marital Status
- Student I.D.
- Grades/Exam Scores
- Test Scores (e.g., SAT, GRE, etc.)
- Progress Reports
- SSN
- Anything else that is not on the Directory Information list
Academic Guidelines for NAIA Eligibility
To become certified for athletic competition, students must meet the following requirements.
Initial Eligibility for Students Entering USF Directly from High School
To be eligible, the student must:
- Receive official clearance from the NAIA Eligibility Center
- Meet all admissions requirements including receipt of all final, official transcripts
- Meet two of the following three academic requirements:
- A minimum score of 18 (for tests taken before March 2016 *) on the Enhanced ACT or 860 on the SAT
*Exception – For ACT tests taken beginning March 2016, a minimum score of 16 will satisfy this requirement. This exception will apply through the 2018-19 academic year, after which time the exception will expire.
- An overall high school grade point average of 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
- Graduate in the upper half of the student’s high school graduating class
- Be currently enrolled (not waitlisted) in 12 credits
- Declare a bachelor degree major
Initial Eligibility for Students Transferring to USF
To be eligible, the student must:
- Receive official clearance from the NAIA Eligibility Center, if necessary
- Meet all admissions requirements, including receipt of all final, official transcripts
- Complete the NAIA Transfer Player Eligibility Statement
- Be currently enrolled (not waitlisted) in 12 credits
- Have earned a minimum, combined cumulative GPA of 2.0 from all previous institutions
- Have earned a minimum of 24 credits in the two immediately previous terms of attendance
Note: Transfer credits from previous institutions are calculated at face value only for the first term of attendance at USF. Thereafter, only transferred credits accepted by USF and posted to the USF transcript will be used for calculating athletic eligibility
- Declare a bachelor degree major
Continuing Eligibility for All Students
To Maintain Eligibility, students must:
- Students must be in good academic standing.
- Be currently enrolled (not waitlisted) in 12 credits
- Have earned 24 credits in the two immediately previous terms of attendance (unless second term Freshman, then must have earned nine credits in the previous semester) including credits earned in the term after one or both of the two immediately previous terms of attendance
- All students must be in Good Academic Standing according to the University’s catalog
- Declare a Bachelor degree major
- All students are awarded a total of 4 seasons of competition and must complete them within 10 full-time terms of attendance
Eligibility for Upcoming Seasons
To be eligible for upcoming seasons, the following applies:
| Previous Seasons of Competition |
Minimum Number of Earned Credits |
| 1 |
24 |
| 2 |
48 |
| 3 |
72 |
- Repeated courses will affect certification for athletic eligibility
- Check with the coach before dropping courses
- In certain circumstances, other restrictions apply
- This information is not a guarantee of eligibility
International Student Enrollment
International students interested in attending USF should start their correspondence 8-12 months prior to enrollment.
In addition to completing an application, international students must provide the following:
