BASIC GUIDELINES FOR ELIGIBILITY

BONA FIDE STUDENT
Student must be counted on the daily attendance records at your school. He/she is considered a student at your school after attending one class.

ENROLLMENT
Student must attend class during the first 11 school days of the first semester or he/she will be ineligible for the first 30 school days.

AGE
Student cannot become 19 years of age prior to August 1 of the current school year.

PROOF OF AGE
Student must provide legal proof of age, which meets the provisions of the LHSAA Handbook, to the school administrator to be kept of file.

CONSECUTIVE SEMESTERS
Once a student enters the ninth grade, he/she has eight consecutive semesters to play athletics.

SCHOLASTIC
1.11            SCHOLASTIC REQUIREMENTS - To be eligible under the scholastic rule, students, other than special education students who are not pursuing a diploma, enrolled in high school subjects (grades 9-12) shall meet all scholastic requirements. Individual schools or school systems may set higher, but not lower, scholastic requirements for interscholastic athletic participation. All subjects/units passed shall carry Carnegie units which shall be recorded on the student’s transcript and include all credits/grades earned in any method of remediation and/or distance learning courses approved in Bulletin 741 of the LDE.
1.   The LHSAA will only recognize multi-Carnegie credit for a single course title when a multi-credit course has a dedicated course code assigned by the Louisiana Department of Education, is recorded on the student transcript, and instructional minute requirements for awarding the Carnegie credit(s) have been meet pursuant to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Bulletin 741.
2.   Dual enrollment courses must be posted on a student’s high school transcript if the course(s) are to be used in determining scholastic eligibility.
3.   Eligibility requirements for special education students not pursuing a high school diploma can be found in Bylaw 1.11.15

1.11.1        First Semester Eligibility: To be eligible for the first semester of the school year, a student shall have earned at least six (6) Carnegie credits from the previous academic year (fall, spring and summer), which shall be listed on the student’s transcript and shall have earned at least a “C” average as determined by the Local Education Authority within their Pupil Progression Plan when considering all “graded” subjects.

1.11.2        Second Semester Eligibility: To be eligible for the second semester of the school year, a student must enroll in and successfully pass the number of courses that will allow him/her to earn a minimum of 3 Carnegie credits for the first semester. Note: This can be accomplished by earning any combination of Carnegie units. Six (6) one-half (.5.) Carnegie credits will meet this requirement.

1.11.3        Promotion into High School: Promotion from the 8th grade into the 9th grade for the first time shall fulfill the scholastic requirements. All subjects passed must be recorded on the student’s transcript, and Carnegie units must be shown on the transcript. The student’s transcript shall include all credits/grades earned and attempted in traditional, credit recovery, distance learning courses, and/or summer school classes delivered in accordance with Bulletin 741 of the LDE.

1.11.4        Students who take dual enrollment courses must have those courses posted on their high school transcripts in order to be used to determine athletic eligibility.

1.11.5        Seniors who have accumulated 20 or more units must take the number of courses that will allow them to earn 2 Carnegie units per semester. None of the courses taken shall be subjects/units that the student had previously taken and passed. These courses may include dual enrollment college courses that have been recognized by the LDE and/or the Louisiana Board of Regents. Under the 4x4 block system, a senior must be enrolled in a minimum of courses which will earn him/her 2 Carnegie units per semester in order to be eligible to compete.

1.11.6        A senior who has earned 20 units must earn a minimum of 4 half Carnegie credits or a total of 2 Carnegie credits at the end of the first semester. Seniors will not be penalized for taking more than the minimum number of courses that they need to meet this requirement. In order to maintain eligibility in the second semester, seniors must be enrolled in enough courses that will earn them at least 4 half-Carnegie credits or a total of 2 Carnegie credits.

RESIDENCE AND TRANSFER
If student attends a school outside of his/her "Home Attendance Zone," he/she is automatically ineligible for one year unless he/she meets the provisions of the Residence and Transfer Rule.

UNDUE INFLUENCE
If student has been recruited to your school for athletic purposes, the student will remain ineligible as long as he/she attends your school.

AMATEUR
Student cannot play high school athletics if he/she loses amateur status

INDEPENDENT TEAM
In certain sports, student cannot play on a school team and an independent team during the same sport season.

MEDICAL EXAMINATION
Student must pass a physical examination administered by a licensed physician, a licensed nurse practitioner that is in collaboration with a licensed physician, or a licensed physician’s assistant under the supervision of a licensed physician and complete an LHSAA medical history evaluation form or the Louisiana School Entrance and General Health Exam Form prior to participating. (See Rule: 1.8 of the LHSAA Handbook). This form must be kept on file with the school and is subject to inspection by the LHSAA Rules Compliance Team.

ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION FORM
A school is required to complete and sign this form every year that a student participates in LHSAA athletics at the school. This form must be kept on file with the school and is subject to inspection by the LHSAA Rules Compliance Team.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE/MISUSE CONTRACT
A school shall only be required to complete and sign this form the first time a student participates in LHSAA athletics at the school. This form must be kept on file with the school and is subject to inspection by the LHSAA Rules Compliance Team.

SUSPENDED AND INELIGIBLE STUDENTS
Suspended and ineligible students cannot participate in any interscholastic contest on any team at any school at any level until he/she presents written clearance from the school he/she has been suspended/expelled.

NOTE: All official requests for eligibility rulings must be in writing.