Johns Hopkins University Athletics

The Department of Athletics and Recreation at Johns Hopkins considers participation in intercollegiate athletics a privilege, not a right. As a member of a Johns Hopkins University Intercollegiate Athletic Team the student-athlete accepts the responsibility to represent Johns Hopkins University in the most positive, professional manner possible. Student-athletes are asked to remember that they are always representatives of Johns Hopkins University and their team. Student athletes, who violate the Student Conduct Code, will be disciplined and may forfeit their right to be members of their respective athletic team and or the University community. For additional information about the Student Conduct Code please visit the full detailed policy here: http://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies/student-code/

Johns Hopkins University and the Department of Athletics unequivocally oppose any situation created intentionally or unintentionally that produces mental or physical discomfort for their student-athletes. Furthermore, situations may arise in which a student-athlete believes that a member of the Athletics Department – including but not limited to: coaches, administrators, support staff or other student-athletes – has treated them unfairly or that a policy or procedure has been administered in a detrimental manner to the student-athlete. JHU and the Department of Athletics seeks to provide fair and equitable treatment in all areas related to a student-athlete’s well-being. If a student-athlete believes they have received improper treatment, a proper avenue exists to voice concerns external to the Department of Athletics in an attempt to avoid biases and other miscellaneous issues related to the offending party or the Department of Athletics.

For more detail or to report a concern please refer to the full Policy on Student Concerns.

It is required that all student-athletes must sign the drug testing consent form in order to be able to participate (i.e. practice or competition) in intercollegiate athletics at Johns Hopkins University. Failure to sign this form will result in the student-athlete not being able to participate in any organized intercollegiate team activities at Johns Hopkins University. 

The random selection and testing of student-athletes will be performed by an unbiased third-party professional organization. Johns Hopkins University administraters and athletic department staff, including coaches, will have no influence on the selection and testing of student-athletes. 

For further information related to the Student-Athlete Institutional Drug Testing Program please refer to the Student-Athlete Handbook and the NCAA list of banned substances.

At the beginning of each academic year, each student-athlete will receive an e-mail from the Compliance Office (through ARMS) with a link taking them to NCAA rules that are relevant to the student-athletes’ eligibility for the upcoming year. Student-athletes must follow the link in that e-mail and complete the forms before each academic year in order to be eligible to compete. 

For more information please refer to the NCAA website which hosts samples of the annual forms.

Division III

Division I

Any questions should be referred to the student-athlete’s head coach or the Compliance Office.

Division III student-athletes are required to be in good academic standing and maintain a minimum enrollment of 12 credits while Division I student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and a minimum enrollment of 12 credits. Division I student-athletes must also maintain a certain GPA and a percentage of degree completion as defined by the NCAA based on year of enrollment. Additionally, Hopkins coaches may require higher GPA’s for participation within their program.

All student-athletes are expected to monitor their credits earned, course grades and GPA each semester and to be aware that deficiencies could result in being placed on academic probation and put them at risk of dismissal from their team if the unsatisfactory work continues the following semester.

For more information, please refer to the NCAA’s Staying on Track to Graduate.

Athletically related financial aid may be awarded for any term during which a Division I student-athlete is in regular attendance as an undergraduate or graduate student with eligibility remaining under NCAA bylaw 14. Athletically related financial aid awards are based on a percentage of the Cost of Attendance as determined by Student Financial Services and are limited by the NCAA to the equivalent of 12.6 scholarships (men’s lacrosse) and 12.0 scholarships (women’s lacrosse). Any student-athlete who receives athletically related financial aid in a given academic year becomes a “counter” for the period of the award.

The renewal of institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability shall be made on or before July 1 prior to the academic year in which it is to be effective. Johns Hopkins University will give the recipient of the athletically related financial aid a written statement of the amount, duration, conditions, and terms of the award. Student Financial Services will notify the student-athlete in writing the opportunity for a hearing when said aid is to be reduced or canceled during the period of the award or is reduced or not renewed for the following academic year. 

NCAA rules prohibit Division III student-athletes from receiving financial aid based in any way on athletics ability. All sources of aid received from outside the University must be reported to the Student Financial Services.

A student-athlete’s eligibility may be compromised should they knowingly provide information to individuals involved in organized gambling activities concerning any sports competition (to include intercollegiate or professional), solicit a bet on any sports team, accept a bet on any team representing Johns Hopkins, or solicit or accept a bet on any sports competition for any team (i.e. cash, shirt, dinner) that has tangible value. It is strictly prohibited for any student-athlete to participate or compete in a fantasy sports league where there is an entry fee and/or a tangible prize. It is also strictly prohibited for a student-athlete to place a bet on any sport (college or professional) that the NCAA sponsors a championship in. 

For more information, visit http://www.dontbetonit.org/. 

The NCAA defines an extra benefit as any special arrangement made by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution’s athletics interests to a student-athlete or a student-athlete’s family member or friend not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Receipt of a benefit by student-athletes or their relatives or friends is not a violation of NCAA legislation if it is demonstrated that the same benefit is generally available to the institution’s students or their relatives or friends or to a particular segment of the student body determined on a basis unrelated to athletics ability. Student-athletes are not permitted to receive extra benefits. This means that it is not permissible for a Hopkins student-athlete to receive any benefit that is not available to the general student body simply because they are an athlete.

Examples of extra benefits include, but are not limited to: 

• Cash or loans from boosters or staff members 
• The use of a coach, booster or staff member’s automobile 
• Free or reduced cost meals or services to celebrate a win 

Questions should be addressed to the Compliance Office. Violations of these regulations can affect a student-athlete’s eligibility.

Both Division I and Division III student-athletes can initiate the transfer process at any time by providing a written notification to the Compliance Office that they wish to be added to the NCAA Transfer Portal. This request may be made via official University email or through the Transfer Portal Request form on ARMS. Upon receipt of the written request, the Compliance Office will encourage the student-athlete to meet with their head coach and/or sport administrator (though no such meeting is required), and the Compliance Office will notify both parties that the student-athlete will be entering the Transfer Portal. Per NCAA rules, the student-athlete's information will be added to the “Permission to Contact” form within the Transfer Portal within two business days. 

Division III student-athletes retain the ability to provide other Division III institutions permission to contact them through the NCAA self-release form. This form allows student-athletes to communicate with athletics department staff at other Division III institutions for 30 days. If student-athletes are undecided at the end of the 30-day period, they must send a new copy of this form to have additional contact with the college or university. Further, because this second release is beyond the first 30-day period, the new college or university must notify Johns Hopkins within seven days of the issuance of the second release.

It is permissible for student-athletes to receive compensation for teaching or coaching sports skills or techniques on a fee-for-lesson basis, provided:

• Hopkins facilities are not used to provide the lesson;
• When lessons for multiple individuals are provided, the instruction each individual receives is comparable to the instruction that would be provided during a private lesson;
• The student-athlete completes and submits the Student-Athlete Employment Information Form on ARMS before their first lesson;
• Payment for the lesson is provided from no one other than the recipient or the recipient’s family; and

General Promotional Activities

Student-athletes may participate in promotional activities related to institutional, charitable, educational or other nonprofit entities for which they are not compensated provided the guidelines within 12.5.1 are followed. Prior approval from the institution via the athletics compliance office is required, but general guidelines include (but are not limited to) the following:

• The student-athlete does not miss class
• All money derived from the activity goes directly to the institution, charitable, educational or other nonprofit entity
• The student-athlete may accept actual and necessary expenses related to participation
• The institution provides educational materials to a representative of the charitable, educational, nonprofit, or other agency regarding the use of a student-athlete’s name, image and likeness

Name, Image, and Likeness Activities (Compensated)

Please see the NIL page for more information.