Olathe West offered a NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) informational meeting for all students interested in playing sports on the college level on Sept. 27.

Pat Butler, Olathe West athletic director, and Alicia Jackson, Olathe West counselor, hosted the meeting for students and parents. The meeting was about what the required grades and test scores are to play sports in college.

Students are required to take 16 core classes in high school including four years of English, three years of math, two years of science, one additional year of either math or science, two years of social science, and four elective classes.

To be fully qualified to play in college, students must have a 2.3 GPA and get an ACT score corresponding with the requirements of the college where they want to play.

Full qualifiers are able to practice, compete, and receive scholarships. On the other hand, athletes can have an Academic Redshirt, which is if the student has a GPA of 2.0, then he is unable to compete his first year but is able to practice.

According to the NCAA, Division I and II schools provide more than $2.7 billion in scholarships for athletes while Division III schools do not offer athletically related financial aid.

If students are interested in playing in college, they need to submit their ACT or SAT scores to the NCAA Eligibility Center and make sure they are taking the core courses needed to graduate.