The National Collegiate Athletic Association has recently changed the requirements for athletes to emphasize the importance of education along with sports.

“The minimum required GPA is now 2.5 instead of 2.0,” said De Anza College Athletic Academic Advisor Matt Trosper.

Division I schools will only accept two units of PE toward a player’s GPA to transfer. This no longer allows students to take unlimited classes in the PE category Trosper said.

Even though these changes could challenge student athletes more academically, it could keep them more focused in order to attain the 2.5 GPA.

All of these new requirements are in effect for the current period for transfer students.

Division II schools are also going to change their prerequisites, but those will not be in effect until August 1, 2016.

The new requirements include a minimum 2.2 GPA and a limit of two credits of PE.

Other changes involve 12 semester or 12 quarter-hours of transferable degree credits per term, which must include six or eight hours of English, three semester or four quarter hours of math and three semester or four quarter hours of science, according to Competition Requirements for a Division II Two-Year College Transfer.