Five year Rule (Division I)
If you transfer from a two year college to a Division I school, you must complete all your seasons of competition within five calendar years from your original date of full time enrollment in any collegiate institution, including two year colleges. This "five year clock" does not stop except under special circumstances (for example: time spent in the armed forces, or on official church missions). If you then stayed out of school for two years to work, you have two years of eligibility remaining on your "five year clock" at a Division I school.
10 Semester Rule (Divisions II and III)
If you transfer Two-year college to a Division II or III school, the 10 semester/15- quarter rule applies. This rule is different from the five-year rule for Division I, and give you more flexibility in completing your seasons of competition. This rule requires to complete your seasons of competition during your first 10 semesters or 15quarters of full-time collegiate enrollment. Under this system, a student a two-year college as a full-time student for two semesters withdraws from school for two years may return to a Division II or III school and have eight semesters of eligibility remaining. If you have spent time out of school for personal or financial reasons, you may wish to consider a Division II or III school.