The Academic Progress Rate (APR) is a term-by-term measure of eligibility and retention for Division I student-athletes that was developed by the NCAA as an indicator of eventual graduation rates.
Every Division I sports team calculates its APR each academic year, based on the eligibility and retention of each scholarship student-athlete (including medical hardships and ninth semester students). Teams scoring below certain thresholds can face penalties, such as scholarship losses and restrictions on practice and competition. Rates are based on the past four years' performance.
Each semester, the academic eligibility of all JSU student-athletes is reviewed by the Academic Center for Student-Athletes (TIGER CENTER PAGE)Â in consultation with the team's coach and athletics administrator. Student-athletes are encouraged to meet with their advisor every semester for a complete explanation of the eligibility requirements that they must meet. It is the student-athlete's responsibility to be aware of these requirements.
How is a team's APR calculated?
The APR awards two points each term to student-athletes who meet academic eligibility standards and who remain with the institution. A team's APR is the total points earned by the team at a given time divided by the total points possible.
Each student-athlete can earn a maximum of two points for his/her team every semester that he/she receives athletics aid:
-
? Â One point for eligibility if he/she meets all NCAA eligibility requirements (e.g., progress-toward-degree, credit hours and GPA).
-
? Â One point for retention if he/she returns to JSU the following semester. Once a student graduates, he/she will always have a point for retention.
What is the threshold and what are the penalties?
Currently, teams must earn at least a four-year APR of 930 to compete in NCAA championships. While the APR is intended as an incentive-based approach, it does come with a progression of
penalties for teams that under-perform academically over time. The first penalty level limits teams to 16 hours of practice per week over five days (as opposed to 20 hours over six days), with the lost four hours to be replaced with academic activities. The second level adds additional practice and competition reductions, either in the traditional or non-championship season. Additional penalties may be added by the NCAA if needed.
For the 10
th year in a row JSU received favorable NCAA APR scores as the Tigers finished with a 977 APR score.
Â
"This is the type of success everyone should be proud of at Jackson State University," said JSU Vice President & Director of Athletics,Â
Ashley Robinson. "I am very proud of our student-athletes that put in the hard work within the classroom. The work our academics staff does each day should not go unnoticed. They are continually committed to our academic success."
Â
In addition, six of JSU's Division I sports lead the SWAC in APR scores: football, men's cross country, men's tennis, women's basketball, women's bowling, and volleyball.
Â
Football also ranked in the top five percent among the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
Â
Jackson State is one of the leaders in the area of APR among historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and limited-resource schools.
Â
Every Division I sports team throughout the nation calculates its Academic Progress Rate each academic year, like a report card. Scholarship student-athletes each semester earn one point for remaining eligible and one point for returning staying in school or graduating. At schools that don't offer scholarships, recruited student-athletes are tracked. Rates are an average of each school's performance for the past four years to get the multi-year rate.
Â
Â
