Being a college athlete is not given to anyone. It is a privilege and opportunity to play at the collegiate level in a sport at its highest level. When athletes get to college, they fall into a state of laziness when it comes to their work. GPA standards for college athletes are to maintain a GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (O'Neil). This GPA gives college athletes the opportunity to relax and put in less effort than a typical student does. I believe GPA standards for college athletes should be raised and enforced higher. ESPN's Dana O'Neil summarized that a jump in the minimum required GPA from 2.0 to 2.3 is more difficult. If the athlete does not follow these rules, it should automatically result in a year of non-participation in their respective season. Getting into college as an athlete can be challenging from the start. Before entering college, you must have completed all high school requirements to play at the college level. All core high school courses must be completed. According to the College Board website, core courses include the core subjects: math, English, science, and social studies. Three years of mathematics are required, six semesters of science, two semesters of United States history, one semester of American government, one semester of economics, one semester of world history or geography as well. Two years of foreign language is a compulsory art and a computer application course is required. Colleges typically look for the core areas of English, math, and science. If a student-athlete graduating from high school meets these requirements, they are eligible to enroll in a college and play the collegiate sport they play in which they may or may not have received a...... middle of paper . ......if college athletes don't. I think if they change the GPA to 2.5, student-athletes will not only have to work hard in their respective sports, but also in the classroom. The NCAA requires each college sports team to have 8 hours of study per week with the goal of achieving student-athletes' grades and GPA. If the athlete does not maintain the required GPA, they should be required to sit out until their GPA is up to par. This gives the college athlete the opportunity to relax and not work as hard as they should in class. Although athletes have challenges and strengths in their sport, they also have them in the classroom. I think the focus is misplaced on athletics and an athlete starting so early in their education plays a role in our educators being paid so poorly compared to athletes when we become adults..