Current Warhawks

Auburn University at Montgomery is committed to operating a competitive intercollegiate athletics program in compliance with NCAA, Gulf South Conference and AUM regulations. Accordingly, each student-athlete has a responsibility to familiarize themselves with the NCAA Policies concerning eligibility and amateurism, as well as the AUM Athletics Student-Athlete Handbook. Below is additional information to assist you with this responsibility.

Eligibility
To be eligible for practice, competition, and financial aid, you must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours during the fall and spring semesters. Graduate students who have eligibility remaining must be enrolled in at least nine credit hours to be considered full-time at AUM.
To maintain your eligibility, you must meet progress toward degree (PTD) requirements:
1) Complete 24 credits prior to second year of enrollment;
2) Earn 18 semester credits during the academic year (excluding summer);
3) Earn 9 academic credits in the previous regular academic term or full-time enrollment;
4) Declare a major no later than the beginning of your fifth semester or third year of enrollment and, thereafter, complete the required credits in courses applicable to your declared major;
5) Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.

Path to Graduation

Drug Testing
Student-athlete are randomly selected for institutional, conference, and NCAA drug testing throughout each academic year. Student-athletes are held accountable for all drugs within the banned-drug class. Before consuming any nutritional or dietary supplement product, review the product and its label with the Sports Medicine Staff. Additional information can be found on the NCAA and Drug Free Sports websites:

NCAA Banned Drug List
Drug Free Sports
NCAA Drug Testing

Employment
Student-athletes should be treated as the employer would any employee doing similar work when it comes to things like, time off, breaks, scheduling, etc.
Student-athletes should be provided only those benefits, like free uniforms or meals during work hours, that are provided to all employees.
Student-athletes should be paid only for work actually performed, and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services.
Student-athletes should not be paid based on the value he or she may have for their employer's business due to their athletics reputation or ability.

Student-athletes' names or images may not be used to promote their employer's business or any commercial product or service.
Student-athletes may not be paid for endorsing a commercial product or service or using that product or service.
Student-athletes may not receive transportation from their employers (for work or otherwise) unless the employer provides it for all of their employees.

If you are employed or your employment status changes, please submit an updated Employment Verification Form through ARMS.

Playing & Practice Seasons
A sport's playing and practice season is divided up into 2 segment in-season and out of season. During the out of season segment you are limited to:
- Total of 8 hours of countable athletic related activity per week
- A maximum of 2 hours per week on skill instruction and/or team practice
- At least two required days off with no countable athletic related activities
- No missed class time.

When you are in season you may be participating in your championship season or your non-championship season. During this segment you are limited to:
- Total of 20 hours of countable athletic related activity per week
- Total of 4 hours of countable athletic related activity per day
- At least one required day off with no countable athletic related activity
- No Class Time Can be missed for any practice activities in the championship segment
- No Class Time Can be missed for any countable activities (including games and travel) during the non-championship segment
- Competition and all pre-game activities count as 3 hours no matter the duration

For a list of countable and non-countable athletically related activities, CLICK HERE (PDF).

Gambling
The NCAA opposes all forms of legal and illegal sports wagering, which has the potential to undermine the integrity of sports contests and jeopardizes the welfare of student-athletes and the intercollegiate athletics community.

Amateurism
Amateur competition is a bedrock principle of college athletics and the NCAA. Maintaining amateurism is crucial to preserving an academic environment in which acquiring a quality education is the first priority. In the collegiate model of sports, the young men and women competing on the field or court are students first, athletes second.
All incoming student-athletes must be certified as amateurs. With global recruiting becoming more common, determining the amateur status of prospective student-athletes can be challenging. All student-athletes, including international students, are required to adhere to NCAA amateurism requirements to remain eligible for intercollegiate competition.

In general, amateurism requirements do not allow:
- Contracts with professional teams
- Salary for participating in athletics
- Prize money above actual and necessary expenses
- Play with professionals
- Tryouts, practice or competition with a professional team
- Benefits from an agent or prospective agent
- Agreement to be represented by an agent
- Delayed initial full-time collegiate enrollment to participate in organized sports competition

To request approval for Outside Competition or a Professional Team Tryout, please complete the corresponding form through ARMS.

Extra Benefit
An extra benefit is any special arrangement from the institution, its staff or its boosters to provide a benefit to student-athletes or their friends or family unless that benefit is provided to the institution's students generally or specifically permitted by NCAA rules.

Examples of Impermissible Extra Benefits:
- The use of an automobile
- Giving a loan or helping to secure a loan
- Discounts on services, like dry cleaning or car repair
- Discounts on purchases, such as clothing or airline tickets
- The use of a cell phone or phone card
- Receipt of services from businesses, like movie tickets or dinner

Examples of Permissible Benefits the institution may provide:
- Athletics scholarships
- Appropriate equipment for practice and competition
- Travel expenses for competition
- Complimentary admissions to their contests for family and friends
- Awards to recognize their participation and achievement
- Medical treatment
- Academic support services

These are only some examples of impermissible and permissible benefits. The area of extra benefits is very complex and we do not want our student-athletes to inadvertently do something that jeopardizes their eligibility. That is why we encourage them to talk to us before accepting a benefit if they have any question about whether or not it is permissible.

Financial Aid
Student-athletes may receive institutional, need base, athletic related, and outside aid. Any aid received by a student-athlete must be documented with the Office of Financial Aid. The institution will not award financial aid in an amount over the institution's cost of attendance. Institutional aid may be awarded through Auburn University at Montgomery Office of Admissions, Departments, Colleges, and University Advancement.

An athletic grant-in-aid is awarded by recommendation of the Department of Athletics through the Office of Financial Aid. An athletic grant-in-aid may consist of:
- Tuition
- Mandatory fees (administration, activity, health, and technology fees)
- Additional academic related fees (lab, hybrid, and online course fees)
- Books, required course materials
- Board and room

Student-athletes seeking need-base aid are encouraging to complete their FAFSA and apply prior to March 1st of the upcoming academic year.

Student-athletes receiving outside aid must submit the Outside Aid Verification Form (PDF) to the organization in which the aid is being received to assist the institution in determining whether the aid is countable or non-countable.

Community Service / Promotional Activity
Student-athletes are encouraged to participate in community service, community engagement, and promotional activities on and off-campus with their team, SAAC, and individually. Prior to participating in any community service, community engagement, or promotional activity student-athletes must review the guidelines and receive approval from the Athletic Compliance Office. A Name & Likeness Release Form must be on file through ARMS.

Request Form for Community Engagement and Promotion Activity (PDF)

Recruiting
A student-athlete may serve as a student-host for a prospective student-athlete on an official visit. Here are a few reminders regarding hosting a prospective student-on campus.
- Publicity: Student-hosts may not post a photograph, comment or status update of a prospect while the prospect is on a campus visit.
- Boosters: Boosters may not come in contact with the prospects or provide funds to entertain a prospect.
- Meals: The designated student host may receive meals when accompanying the prospect.
- Entertainment: It is not permissible to entertain other relatives (e.g., siblings) or friends of a prospect at any time.
- Comp Admissions: General seating to home athletics contests only. Media/bench area, press box, suite access is not permitted.
- Host Entertainment Money: AUM may provide a host with a maximum of $30 for each day of the official visit to cover the actual costs of entertaining the prospect (and the prospect's parents, legal guardian or spouse).
- Souvenirs: AUM may not give or buy a prospect or those persons who accompany the prospect any souvenirs such as shirts, photographs, jerseys, shoes, etc. The $30/day entertainment money may not be used to buy souvenirs.