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Application & FAFSA Walkthrough
From your first form to your first practice. The coaching staff, La Sierra admissions, and the financial aid office are all involved. You’re not navigating this alone.
Two-minute intake form. Sport, state, current school, name, height, position, GPA, film links. We use this to start the recruiting conversation. Submitting does NOT commit you to anything. It just tells our coaching staff you’re interested.
Submit ProfileSeparate from the recruiting form, you apply to the university itself. La Sierra accepts the Common App and its own application. The application is free for students who apply early. Our staff can introduce you to admissions if helpful.
You’ll need: high-school transcript, recommendation letter (from a teacher, counselor, or pastor), and a short personal statement. SAT/ACT scores are optional but recommended if your GPA puts you in range for the top La Sierra University Grant tier.
Apply to La Sierra
Every NAIA athlete has to register with PlayNAIA before they can compete. It’s the NAIA’s eligibility center, similar to the NCAA Eligibility Center. They verify your high-school transcript, test scores, and amateur status. Once you’re cleared, you’re officially eligible to play NAIA basketball.
Tip: most recruits register during their senior year of high school, but you can start earlier. The NAIA charges an eligibility fee at registration ($90 for domestic students, $180 for international). After you register, ask the high-school counselor to send your transcript directly to PlayNAIA.
Register at PlayNAIAThe FAFSA is the single most important step in unlocking aid. It’s free, takes about 30 minutes with your tax info handy, and opens the door to the federal Pell Grant, California’s Cal Grant, and any other state-based aid you qualify for. La Sierra’s school code is 001215.
Tip: file early. The FAFSA opens October 1 each year for the following academic year. Some California aid is first-come-first-served, so don’t wait until spring.
Open the FAFSAOnce you’re admitted and your FAFSA is on file, La Sierra’s Financial Aid office sends an award letter detailing what you qualify for: La Sierra University Grant (by GPA), SDA Membership Award (if applicable), Pell, Cal Grant, work-study, loans. Our coaching staff and the FA office can walk you through it together.
Award letters typically arrive within 2–4 weeks of FAFSA processing for admitted students. Don’t hesitate to ask questions. The FA office is friendly and answers fast.
See What You Could GetWhen you’ve got your award letter, your PlayNAIA clearance, and your admission status, come see La Sierra in person. Meet the staff, sit in on a chapel, watch a practice, walk Riverside. The fit either feels right or it doesn’t. Both are okay. If it’s a fit, we’ll talk roster spot and class schedule together with your family.
Numbers Worth Knowing
FAFSA School Code
001215
Use this on the FAFSA to send your info to La Sierra.
FAFSA Opens
Oct 1
Each year, for the following academic year.
PlayNAIA Fee
$90
One-time, paid at registration. International students $180.
Recruiting Team
recruiting@lasierra.edu
Direct line for questions about the program.
Two minutes. The rest of the process is just paperwork, and we’ll help with that too.
Submit Your Profile