NCAA-approved core-courses are courses in high school that you must complete to be eligible for financial aid in college as a student-athlete. Most high schools have a list of the NCAA-approved core-courses which mostly relate to key academic subjects such as math, sciences, and English. It’s up to you to ensure you’re taking the required number of core-courses to ensure eligibility for NCAA funding. And, yes, you do also need to be in good academic standing with all of your core-courses.