INDIANAPOLIS--Bellarmine University is among thirty-two NCAA Division II member schools that have been named recipients of the Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence, presented to member schools for earning an Academic Success Rate of 90 percent or higher. This marks the ninth year of the program.
 
Bellarmine had a four-year ASR of 90 in the recently released rates.  The Knights' success helped the Great Lakes Valley Conference tie with the Northeast 10 to lead the 24 NCAA Division II conferences in ASR rates.  Bellarmine was one of five  athletics programs in the GLVC posting scores of 90 percent or more.
 
"The 32 schools recognized with the Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence are dedicated to supporting the academic success of student-athletes," said Gary Olson, president of Daemen and chair of the Division II Presidents Council. "We commend the institutions for their commitment to academic excellence and dedication to preparing student-athletes for life after college."
 
The Academic Success Rate is the percentage of student-athletes who graduate within six years of initial collegiate enrollment and includes virtually all Division II student-athletes.
 
Unlike the federal rate, the Division II ASR includes nearly 34,000 nonscholarship student-athletes and accounts for those who transfer to a Division II school after initial enrollment elsewhere, while removing student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible. The national ASR for the four cohorts of student-athletes who entered college from 2009 to 2012 is 73%.
 
Division II student-athletes continue to graduate at a higher rate than the general student body. Even when using the less-inclusive federal graduation rate, the 2012 entering class of student-athletes graduated at a rate of 61%, compared with 52% for the general student body.

FULL RELEASE FROM NCAA