Education is at the forefront of Division I’s mission. Division I schools collectively award billions of dollars in athletic scholarships each year. Many also offer cost-of-attendance stipends so student-athletes can receive funds to help with additional college costs not covered by a scholarship. Additionally, the NCAA funds more than $10 million in scholarships and grants annually for graduate student-athletes and member schools. That funding includes degree completion assistance awards and diversity grants and scholarships. As a result of this collective commitment, Division I student-athlete graduation rates continue to climb.
 
As at all NCAA colleges and universities, student-athletes at Division I schools are required to meet specified academic standards to practice and compete in athletics. These benchmarks are called initial-eligibility standards — a combination of core courses, GPA, and ACT or SAT test scores — for incoming freshmen and transfer students. There are also progress-toward-degree standards that current Division I student-athletes must meet to remain eligible for athletics participation.
 
These criteria ensure that student-athletes are prepared for the rigors of college coursework and are on a path to graduate throughout their college experience. (These standards are outlined more specifically at the NCAA Eligibility Center website, where all prospective student-athletes seeking to participate at Division I or II schools must register.)