By Canadian Press

U Sports drops first-year grade requirements for participation, scholarships

Sep 28, 2023 | 12:40 PM

TORONTO — Canada’s governing body of varsity sports is changing its policies to allow students entering universities to be eligible to participate in sports and receive athletic scholarships regardless of their grades.

U Sports said in a statement Thursday that enrolling student-athletes will be able to play and receive scholarships as long as they have been accepted to a member university and enrolled in degree-granting courses.

The changes will come into force for the 2024-25 season.

Currently, student-athletes to have an 80 per cent average in their final year of high school or CEGEP to be eligible for an entering athletic scholarship and a 60 per cent average to be allowed to play varsity sports in their first year.

Also, beginning in the 2024-25 U SPORTS institutions will be required to give a minimum of 45 per cent of their total athletic scholarship units to athletes on men’s teams and a minimum of 45 per cent to athletes on women’s teams. 

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An athletic scholarship unit equals 100 per cent of tuition and mandatory fees for any student-athlete during an academic year. 

“These changes intend to remove systemic barriers impacting a student-athlete’s ability to participate in U Sports and receive funding assistance for pursuing their education,” Pierre Arsenault, U Sports chief executive officer, said in a statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2023.

The Canadian Press