NCAA Policy Concerning Athlete Travel Reimbursement
by NSSF Press Release -
1/18/2006
NCAA Policy Concerning Travel Expense Reimbursement for Athletes' Parents and Coaches
There have been numerous questions concerning travel expense reimbursement to National level high school meets for athletes, coaches and parents. Please refer to the NCAA policy concerning this. In short, providing travel expenses to parents and/or coaches is not permitted unless all parents and coaches of all athletes in a meet are reimbursed. (This does not apply to the athletes themselves, as reimbursing legitimate travel expenses is perfectly acceptable).
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PDF of the NCAA policy concerning athlete travel reimbursement
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STATEMENT REGARDING NCAA BYLAWS AND ATHLETE TRAVEL EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT
NCAA Regulations permit reimbursement of actual and necessary travel and accommodation expenses incurred by an athlete attending competition sponsored by a non-professional organization. It is important that the reimbursement be for specified and itemized expenses related to travel and accommodation of the athlete only. Recipients of any expense reimbursement should receive a letter from the sponsoring organization detailing the exact nature and amount of their travel grant.
While organizations are permitted to reimburse expenses for athletes, the same is not true of expenses of the parents or legal guardians of the athlete. Regulation 12.1.1.1.4.6 prohibits such reimbursement unless similar reimbursement is extended to the parents/legal guardians of all athletes attending the competition.
The foregoing statements are made in reliance on the following NCAA Rules reprinted from the NCAA Division I and Division II Manuals:
12.1.1.1 Prohibited Forms of Pay
"Pay" as used by Bylaw 12.1.1 above includes, but is not limited to, the following:
12.1.1.1.4 Expenses and Benefits
Excessive or improper expenses, awards and benefits (see Bylaw 16 regarding permissible awards, benefits and expenses to enrolled student-athletes).
12.1.1.1.4.4 Unspecified or Unitemized Expenses
Payment to individual team members or individual competitors for unspecified or unitemized expenses beyond actual and necessary travel, room and board expenses for practice or competition.
12.1.1.1.4.5 Expenses from Sponsor Other Than Parents/Legal Guardians or Nonprofessional Sponsor of Event.
Actual and necessary expenses or any other form of compensation to participate in athletics competition (while not representing an educational institution) from a sponsor other than an individual upon whom the athlete is naturally or legally dependent or the nonprofessional organization that is sponsoring the competition.
12.1.1.1.4.6 Expenses for Parents/Legal Guardians of Participants in Athletics Competition.
Expenses received by the parents or legal guardians of a participant in athletics competition from a nonprofessional organization sponsoring the competition in excess of actual and necessary travel, room and board expenses, or any entertainment expenses, provided such expenses are made available to the parents or legal guardians of all participants in the competition. (Adopted: 1/16/93, Revised: 1/11/97.