Page 123 - 2025-26 By-Laws

Rule 19 - Eligibility and Transfer

Receiving School under section 19-6.1(n) is the parent’s acceptance of a
position at the Receiving School, and under section 19-6.3(b)(4), the student
must enroll at Receiving School no later than the 15th day of the first semester
or trimester following that event (the parent’s acceptance of the position).
Here, since the parent’s accepted the position a year ago, the student would
have had to Enroll at the Receiving School no later than the 15th day of the
first semester or trimester following that acceptance, and since that date has
passed, the student here would not qualify for full eligibility under rules 19-
6.1(n) and 19-6.3(4).
Moves Between Parental Households
Q. 19-28 Can a student transfer to a Receiving School and obtain full eligibility at a
Receiving School if the student’s parent or legal Guardian accepted a new
position at the Receiving School, but has yet to begin work at the Receiving
School?
A. No. The parent or legal Guardian must have accepted and commenced
employment. A parent or legal Guardian has commenced employment no
later than the beginning of the first day on which the employee is authorized
or required by the School to be on duty on the School’s premises.
Q. 19-29 If a family owns a business that serves several school Districts, owns a home
in Two (2) different Districts, the father and the student live in a Public School
District A and the student attends the Public School in District A, the mother
live in the apartment in Public School District B, and because of supervisory
considerations, it is decided that the student should live with the mother in
Public School District B and should attend School B, will the student be granted
full eligibility?
A. No, the student would be granted Limited Eligibility, since a single family unit
may not maintain Two (2) or more residences for athletic eligibility purposes,
unless the student would qualify for full eligibility under another provision of
rule 19. (rule 19-6.2; See definition of Bona Fide move)
Q. 19-30 If a student, who has been living in another state with the student’s divorced
mother, who has legal custody, moves to live with the student’s father and
Enrolls at the IHSAA member School which Serves the Residence of the father,
may the student be eligible at the new School?
A. Yes, provided this is the first or second move between parents. (rule 19-7.1(e))
Q. 19-31 Does the existence of a broken home, separated parents, or other factors
mean that eligibility in terms of residence will automatically be granted?
A. No, each of these circumstances is only a factor which permits the
Commissioner or his/her designee to review the individual circumstances of
the student’s case and make a ruling on the basis of an investigation and the
provisions of the By-Laws. (rules 19, 17-8)
Emancipated Student
Q. 19-32 Can an Emancipated Student, who transfers to a Public School which does
not serve the residence of his/her parents, get full eligible under rule 19-6.1(i)?
A. Yes. However, the eligibility of an Emancipated Student under rule 19-6.1(i)
turns, not upon the School serving the parents’ residence, but upon the School
serving the Emancipated Student’s residence. So, if the Emancipated Student
can establish his/her residence is in a new District which Serves the Public
School where the Emancipated Student Enrolled, the Emancipated Student
should get full eligibility under rule 19-6.1(i).
Guardians
Q. 19-33 If a student’s parents determine that it is in the student’s best interests for
the student to live with the student’s grandparents, and the parents arrange
for the grandparents to become the legal Guardians of the student, and the
student then moves in with the grandparents and enrolls at the Public School

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