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OSSAA Student Academic Eligibility FAQs

The following list addresses frequently asked questions regarding the Academic Rule.

Does physical education and competitive athletics count toward the semester grades if a student has already been given two credits as a freshman and sophomore?

Answer: Yes. Local regulations could bring about inconsistencies if ruled on otherwise.
May physical education or competitive athletics be counted if the school only gives one-fourth credit per semester.

Answer: Yes.
When does a student become eligible after passing only four solid subjects in the spring semester?

Answer: The end of the six week's period during the next semester (student becomes eligible with first hour of class on the seventh week) if the student is passing all subjects enrolled in on a week to week to basis. Note: Any part of a week will count as a full week when school ends that week.
May a student participate while on probation?

Answer: Yes.
Is a student on probation for two consecutive weeks when he/she fails a course one-week and a different course the following week?

Answer: No. The student would be ineligible the second week as it is impossible to be on probation two consecutive weeks.
Is there a limit to the number of probationary weeks a student may have during a semester?

Answer: No, except for the fact that probation cannot occur on two consecutive weeks.
Does the scholastic eligibility rule apply to students in non-athletic activities?

Answer: Yes. If the student is involved in an activity that involves competition between two or more schools. There are no exceptions when competition is involved.
Does the weekly grade check apply to the grades a student made during a one-week period?

Answer: No. The key to understanding this portion of the rule is to ask the following question: Would this student be passing if you had to give him/her a semester grade today? (The weekly grade check is for the cumulative grade a student has earned for all of the time he/she has been in school during a semester.)
If a school checks grades on Friday and a student shows up as failing a class, would he/she be eligible to participate on that Friday night?

Answer: Yes. The rule defines the period of ineligibility as beginning the Monday following the day grades are checked and continuing through the next Sunday.
If a student is serving a week of ineligibility and makes up a test on Thursday, would they be eligible to participate on Friday?

Answer: No. Once a student becomes ineligible, he/she will remain ineligible for a period defined by the rule to be from a Monday through the next Sunday.
If a student is ineligible to start the next semester and our school begins its semester on a Thursday, does the first two days that first week count as a complete week?

Answer: Yes. For the purpose of determining the end of an ineligibility period, if any part of a semester falls with a calendar week that will be considered a full week.
If a senior only needs two credits to graduate, can they maintain eligibility by only passing two classes?

Answer: Yes, if the student is passing the two required for graduation and is enrolled in four or more classes. P.E. may be counted toward the four.
How is a student's eligibility affected when dropping a class?

Answer: If a student drops a class after the first three weeks of the semester, he/she will be ineligible for a three-week period. To regain eligibility a student must be passing all subjects and complying with Rule 3, Section 2-b. (Exception: A senior can be enrolled in no less than four subjects.) An exception is allowed for a student who enrolled in an AP or honors-level course and wishes to drop that course. A student dropping an AP or honors-level course after the first three weeks of the semester may maintain continued eligibility provided that (i) the student had a passing grade in the AP or honors-level course at the time of withdrawal; and (ii) the student enrolls in a non-AP or honors-level course in the same subject.
Does the academic rule apply to junior high schools?

Answer: Yes, the only difference is the interpretation of the classes that can be counted for eligibility. Since 7th and 8th grade courses are not counted for graduation, individual schools can count any of the classes they have in their curriculum offerings.
If a school adopts a more restrictive rule, such as requiring a grade of "C" in every class, would the school still be required to do a weekly grade check?

Answer: Yes, the rules of the OSSAA allow a school to have rules that are more restrictive than the OSSAA's and while the above question reflects a more restrictive rule on grade requirements; it is less restrictive in terms of enforcement.
If a senior is taking three classes at our school and two classes at a nearby college, must he/she be passing all five classes to maintain eligibility?

Answer: No. If the student only needs the three classes that he/she is taking at the high school to graduate, the only classes that would be used to determine eligibility would be the three taken at the high school. The concurrent enrollments in college courses meet the requirements of taking a minimum of four classes.
If, when the semester ends, a student passed five subjects counted for graduation and if that student was ineligible due to the week-to-week grade check, is that student eligible before the next semester begins?

Answer: Yes, when a student passes five subjects counted for graduation, he/she becomes eligible on the Monday following the close of the previous semester.
If a student's ineligibility period, due to the week-to-week grade check, is scheduled to begin during the Christmas or spring breaks, what is the student's eligibility status during the breaks and the week following the breaks?

Answer: The student would retain the same status for both weeks. Exception: If contests are scheduled during the breaks which would cause the student to miss contests two weeks in a row, the school may ask the OSSAA office for a waiver.
What is the eligibility status of a student when a meet, contest or tournament was originally scheduled, but the status changes during the next week when a meet, contest, or tournament is rescheduled because of inclement weather?

Answer: A student's current eligibility status would not change if an OSSAA event (Note: playoff contest only) were delayed into the next week due to inclement weather or other extreme circumstances.
If a senior passed five subjects at the end of the semester but failed one subject that was required for graduation, is that student eligible?

Answer: No. Seniors must pass all subjects required for graduation. A senior would be ineligible for six weeks.
Are member schools with students enrolled in Career Tech or concurrently enrolled in college courses required to receive documentation of the student’s grades prior to being allowed to participate for the purpose of maintaining week to week or semester eligibility?

Answer: Yes. Students must be passing weekly as well as passing all required courses at the end of a semester, inclusive of Career Tech or concurrent enrollment courses.