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NCAA Explanation of Implementation

This article, provided by Academic Affairs, offers guidance on the NCAA process for Lincoln Empowered™ courses, including courses delivered with Lincoln Learning Solutions’ Instructional Services and courses implemented by a school of record using other instructional services.

Lincoln Learning Solutions has obtained “Cleared” status as a program through the NCAA Eligibility Center. Several Lincoln Empowered™ courses have been reviewed against NCAA’s criteria for core courses and have been granted NCAA eligibility. These eligible courses meet NCAA’s general expectations for core-course content, length, and rigor.

IMPORTANT NCAA Update: Beginning August 1, 2024, NCAA no longer applies a separate set of requirements for nontraditional courses. Online, blended, independent study, and provider-supported courses are now reviewed through NCAA’s general core-course review process. Schools should still accurately identify the instructional model if prompted in the NCAA High School Portal, but a separate Nontraditional Course Questionnaire should no longer be expected for current reviews.

Lincoln Learning Solutions is not a credit-awarding institution and does not issue official transcripts. Lincoln Learning Solutions may provide a grade report upon completion of a course. The student’s school of record is responsible for issuing the official transcript and submitting transcript information to the NCAA Eligibility Center through the NCAA High School Portal.

A Lincoln Empowered™ course should be clearly identified on the student’s transcript and should match the course title used in the school catalog and on the school of record’s NCAA-approved core course list.

Courses with Lincoln Learning Solutions’ Instructional Services

  1. The student takes a Lincoln Empowered™ NCAA-eligible course.
  2. Lincoln Learning Solutions provides the student’s school of record with the grade report upon completion of the course.
  3. The school of record issues the official transcript and submits the transcript through the NCAA High School Portal.
  4. The school of record should ensure that the Lincoln Empowered™ course is clearly identified and appears accurately on the school’s NCAA-approved core course list.
  5. The NCAA Eligibility Center reviews the student’s documentation and determines whether the course may be used in the student’s initial-eligibility certification.

Course with Other Instructional Services:

Courses with Other Instructional Services

  1. The student takes a Lincoln Empowered™ NCAA-eligible course.
  2. Lincoln Learning Solutions provides the student’s school of record with the grade report upon completion of the course, if applicable.
  3. The school of record issues the official transcript and submits the transcript through the NCAA High School Portal.
  4. The school of record is responsible for ensuring the course appears accurately on its NCAA-approved core course list and that the course was completed in alignment with the school’s policies related to instruction, pacing, credit, and grading.
  5. If the school of record implements the Lincoln Empowered™ course with material modifications, the school may need to submit additional documentation through the NCAA High School Portal to demonstrate that the modified course still meets NCAA core-course expectations for content, length, and rigor. Material modifications may include, but are not limited to

    • Changing the course title, level, credit value, or catalog description;

    • Removing or replacing units;

    • Changing the course sequence or pacing;

    • Replacing major assignments, labs, assessments, or projects;

    • Reducing the rigor or depth of knowledge;

    • Changing instructional expectations or grading requirements; or

    • Customizing the course in a way that makes the delivered version different from the NCAA-eligible Lincoln Empowered™ course.

State standards alignment documentation alone does not necessarily mean a course has been modified. However, if alignment work results in changes to content, sequence, assessments, pacing, or rigor, the school of record should treat the course as modified for NCAA purposes.

 When Additional Documentation May Be Required

The school of record may need to submit additional course documentation if:

  • A course is not currently on the school’s NCAA-approved core course list;
  • A course is being added, retitled, reweighted, or reclassified;
  • A course has been materially modified from the Lincoln Empowered™ version;
  • NCAA assigns the course an additional-information status, such as RC8; or
  • The school is resubmitting or contesting a non-approval decision.

Lincoln Learning Solutions can support the school of record by providing available course titles, descriptions, outlines, sample assessments, and alignment documentation. The school of record is responsible for completing NCAA High School Portal submissions and ensuring tha  transcripted courses match the school’s NCAA-approved course list.




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