|
Exchange
Students Policies and Requirements
Florida High School Athletic Association Requirements
for Athletic Registration
The following registration requirements
policies and regulations are set forth by the Florida High School Athletic Association
(FHSAA).
Policy 17 of
the FHSAA handbook clearly dictates what are the necessary steps in order to
establish (if possible) the eligibility of Youth Exchange Students.
The FHSAA
acknowledges the importance of permitting foreign-born and U.S. students to
experience the benefits of participation in interscholastic athletics. The
following policy and procedures shall govern the eligibility of foreign-born
students who attend member schools and U.S. students wishing to study abroad.
Note: Federal guidelines do not permit students holding a B1, B2 or B1/B2
U.S. Visa or those visiting through the Visa Waiver Program to study for
credit in the U.S.
17.1 Students
in Youth Exchange Programs
Youth
exchange program participants, like all non-immigrant visitors to the United
States, are subject to U.S. immigration laws. Educational institutions,
including high schools, are subject to immigration regulations with regard to
non-immigrant students who visit the United States as F-1 academic students
and J-1 exchange visitors. The FHSAA will adhere to the standards adopted by
the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) and
will permit a youth exchange student to participate in interscholastic
athletic competition under the following conditions:
17.1.1 U.S.
Nonimmigrant Registration. Youth exchange students must be registered through
one of the following:
17.1.1.1 The
F-1 youth exchange student must have a “Certificate of Eligibility for
Non-immigrant (F-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students” (Form
I-20A-B) for the high school at which the student is receiving instruction as
required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
17.1.1.2 The
J-1 youth exchange student must have a “Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange
Visitor (J-1) Status” (Form DS-2019) and be sponsored and placed with a U.S.
host family by a “bona fide” international student exchange program that has
been accepted for listing by CSIET and recognized by the U.S. Department of
State.
17.1.2
Placement with Host Family
(a) the
school that the student attends may assist with locating and screening
potential host families (Note: member schools that participate in locating
and screening potential families must develop a written process which may be
reviewed by the Association upon request),
(b) no member
of the school’s coaching staff may serve as the host family,
(c) no
representative of the school’s athletic interest, as defined in Bylaw
1.4.18(c-f), who is associated with the same sport as the youth exchange
student, may serve as the host family; and (d) the host family placement must
be approved by the national headquarters of the sponsoring CSIET organization
for J-1 youth exchange students.
This does not
preclude a member school or its representatives from violations of the
Association’s recruiting policy. Note: certain CSIET agencies, including but
not limited to the Rotary Youth Exchange Program, allow or require exchange
students to change their host families mid-way through their stay, which will
require the student to re-submit a portion of the EL4 Form. If this change
requires a change of schools the student will be classified a transfer
student (see 17.1.5 below).
17.1.2.1 Host
Family Restrictions.
(a) A host
family that wishes to host more than one youth exchange student per school
each year, for the same gender and sport, must have approval of the Executive
Director.
(b) A host
family that wishes to house more than four (4) youth exchange students in the
same home, must have approval of the Executive Director.
(c) Unless
otherwise approved by the Executive Director, each youth exchange student
must be roomed in a self-contained bedroom, with no more than one other
occupant.
17.1.3 Visa
Requirements. The youth exchange student must possess either an F-1
or a J-1 visa issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or
Department of State, respectively. The F-1 academic student program is a
non-immigrant visa category intended for the use by nonresident students
whose primary purpose for visiting the United States is to study full-time at
an approved institution. The J-1 exchange visitor program is a non-immigrant
visa category designed to promote mutual understanding between the people of
the United States and the people of other countries through bona fide
educational and cultural exchange.
17.1.3.1
Exception: Citizens of Bermuda or Canada. In general, citizens of Bermuda and
Canada do not need a visa to travel in the United States. However, these
students must meet 17.1.1.1 and have a completed I-20 A-B Form as per the
requirements of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). 2016-17
FHSAA Handbook 77
17.1.4
Attendance. The student must be in attendance at the school
within the first twenty (20) days of the school year and must be
enrolled in a full-year program, rather than a program of shorter duration
such as a six-week, three-month or six-month program, etc.
17.1.4.1
Exception. A student who arrives within ten (10) schools days after the start
of the second semester of the FHSAA member school, after having completed the
full school year in their home country coinciding with the end of the first
semester of the FHSAA member school and provided the student has not
completed the terminal grade in the home country, may be eligible.
17.1.5
Transfer. Any subsequent transfer by the student to a different school during
the school year must meet the provisions in Bylaw 9.3.2.
17.1.6
Eligibility for One Year Only. The J-1 youth exchange student may be
eligible for a maximum of one year at any school or combination of schools in
this or any other of the United States commencing with his/her initial date
of enrollment in a U.S. school. The F-1 youth exchange student, pursuant to
federal law, attending a public school is eligible to remain in the U.S. for
a maximum of one year and must reimburse the public school for the cost of
his/her U.S. education.
17.1.6.1 A
youth exchange student (J-1 or F-1) is not permitted to return for any
additional years using a different youth exchange Visa (i.e. J-1 or F-1) and
participate in interscholastic athletics.
17.1.7 Placed
in Academic Track. The student must be placed in a traditional academic
track that leads to a high school diploma by the member school.
17.1.8 Must
Not Have Been Recruited. The student must not have been recruited to attend
the member school for athletic reasons by any individual or agency, whether
or not associated with the school’s athletic interest, or selected or placed
in the school on any basis related to his/her athletic interests or
abilities. The student must complete and submit a GA4 Form with the school,
in addition to the requirements in Policy 17.3, before the student added to a
roster and allowed to participate in an interscholastic contest.
17.1.9
Financial Assistance. No individual or agency associated with the school’s
athletic interest may provide financial assistance to the international
student in gaining necessary visas, assist in the payment of the student’s
transportation to the U.S., or contribute to the student’s living expenses
while in the U.S.
17.1.10
Student Must be an Undergraduate. The youth exchange student must not have
completed the terminal grade in either the U.S. or his/her home country.
Youth exchange students will not be eligible once they have completed the
terminal grade in either the U.S. or their home country. The terminal grade
of the student is based on the graduation requirements of the country the
student last attended school, including the completion of the GED or its
equivalent.
17.1.11 FHSAA
Eligibility. The student must meet all other eligibility standards
of the FHSAA Bylaws while a student at a member school. Limit of eligibility
(Bylaw 9.5) is based on the compulsory education requirements of the
student’s former country.
17.3
Registration Procedures
All youth
exchange students (J-1 and F-1), in addition to any other international or
immigrant students that do not meet the requirements of Policy 17.2.1 and
Policy 17.2.2, must be registered with this association, utilizing the
official Association process as approved by the Executive Director, prior to
participation at a member school. Requested with this registration, include
the completed EL4 Form (Registration Form for Youth Exchange, Other
International or Immigrant Students) electronically submitted to the
association and, but not limited to:
17.3.1 Proof
of Age. A scanned copy of the student’s original passport or original birth
certificate (including translation, if necessary) or U.S. Visa or U.S.
Permanent Resident Card;
17.3.2 U.S.
Customs Documentation
17.3.2.1
Youth Exchange Students. A scanned copy of the F-1 or J-1 “Eligibility
Certificate” (Form I-20 A-B or Form DS-2019, respectively).
17.3.3
Original Language Transcripts. A scanned copy of the original official
transcripts from the school(s) in the foreign country, in the original
language (un-translated), of grades since entering the 8th grade (or its
equivalent);
17.3.4
Translated Transcripts. The school, with the assistance of the student, the
host family or the student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s), must complete and
submit a translation of the original language transcripts on a form provided
by the association or an equivalent form provided by the school.
Additionally: For athletic eligibility purposes, after the first semester of
attendance at a member school, the school must include all transfer courses
on an official transcript of the student and these courses must be reflected
in the cumulative GPA for the student. This may require the completion and
submission of a form provided by the association.
17.3.5
Returning Students. Returning, previously approved, youth exchange and
any other international or immigrant students that still do not meet Policy
17.2, must submit electronically, the EL4 Form, a scanned copy of their
I-20A-B Form or I-94 Form, respectively, a complete official transcript from
the member school and change of host family residency information (where
applicable). For athletic eligibility purposes, after the first semester of
attendance at a member school, the school must include all transfer courses on
an official transcript of the student and these courses must be reflected in
the cumulative GPA for the student. This may require the completion and
submission of a form provided by the association.
17.4 U.S.
Students Studying Abroad
While the
FHSAA acknowledges the benefits of U.S. students studying abroad as youth
exchange program students, a student who studies abroad will do so at his/her
own jeopardy in relation to the association’s limit of eligibility bylaw
(Bylaw 9.5.1) and the student will not gain an additional year of
eligibility.
|
