GHSA Strengthens Rules On Transfer Student Athletes Across Georgia With New Bylaw

The Georgia High School Association hosted its annual summer meetings and addressed a number of topics as it gears towards the 2025-2026 academic school year. One of the notable changes was to the bylaw in regard to transfer and migrant students, with stricter rules and compliance for student-athletes in Georgia. It was a revision to the GHSA bylaw 1.60. A player must now provide additional residency proofs when transferring to a new school. The GHSA 1.62 bylaw was voted on by the GHSA Board of Trustees, with everyone accepting the terms except one member. Here is a more in-depth look at the bylaw.

A transfer student who has established eligibility at a former school in grades 9-12 shall be immediately eligible at the new school if:

1. The student moved simultaneously with the entire parental unit and all other persons he/she lived with at the former residence, and that residential unit moved into the service area of the new school with simultaneous enrollment of the student in the new school. This is known as a “bona fide move.” (NOTE: A move within the same service area does not constitute a bona fide move.)

   1. The student may choose the public or private school serving that area.

   2. It must be apparent that the parent(s) and all the persons residing with the student and the student have relinquished the residence in the former service area and have occupied a residence in the new service area.

   3. The following factors, although not conclusive, may be evidence of relinquishment of the former residence: Selling the residence and vacating it; OR vacating the residence and listing it for sale at a fair market value; OR vacating the residence and leasing it to another (other than a relative) at fair market value; OR abandoning the residence and shutting off the unnecessary utilities. NOTE: When a family claims multiple residences, the residence for which they apply for a homestead exemption will be declared the primary residence provided the family spends the majority of their time at this residence.

   4. The bona fide move is validated when the student’s family maintains the new residence for at least one calendar year. A return to the previous service area within that year renders the student to be a migrant student. All hardship appeal processes are available.

2. The student was enrolled in a private school or a magnet school and has a bona fide move from one public school service area to another public school service area. A student in this situation may attend either the public school or a private school serving his area of residence.

3. The student was enrolled in a non-member school in Georgia and, without a bona fide move, transferred to a GHSA member school that serves his area of residence as long as:

   1. It is the initial move of the student from a non-member school to a member school serving his area of residence, AND

   2. The student was enrolled at the high school serving his area of residence in grades 9-12 before attending the non-member school, OR

   3. The student has not yet established eligibility in grades 9-12 at a member school. Eligibility is established the first time the student enrolls in a GHSA member school, regardless of service area.

   4. A student who transfers from a GHSA member school to an independent school entering the GHSA in the next school year must be enrolled at the entering independent school by January 31 of the year preceding their becoming a GHSA member school in order to be eligible. NOTE: Rules about joint custody transfers have control over the one-time transfer restriction in this by-law.

   5. In compliance with the Dexter Mosley Act, schools must file eligibility for home study students using the Transfer Eligibility Form “HS” found on the GHSA website.

Another important thing to consider for student-athletes is the number of times they transfer. In the bylaw, if a student transfers more than once after his freshman year, he will have to sit out a full year. It will also require schools to send copies of driver’s licenses, utility bills, and leasing agreements to prove transfers made a Bona Fide move. The new bylaw will have ramifications across the state of Georgia and even in the southeast. We see players from Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, and even Tennessee transfer in from out-of-state to Georgia high school programs all the time. Major programs in the state retool their roster with transfer players, especially if they graduate a huge senior class. Programs across the state will now have to take the extra step to ensure they are following all the criteria and bylaws so they don’t have to vacate wins. We’ve seen several teams in 2024 have to vacate wins because of recruiting. Those notable programs include Appling County and Stockbridge. The changes to the bylaw are set to take effect on August 1st.