Each year, the NCAA sponsors a pair of Regional Rules Seminars, presenting an educational opportunity to athletics administrators and coaches from Divisions I, II and III institutions. The seminars are designed by the NCAA's membership services staff and attendees are educated about issues such as amateurism, eligibility, recruiting, financial aid and other hot topics.

I'll spend the next few days in San Antonio, where I will pick and choose from dozens of educational sessions offered by the NCAA staff. Yesterday, I attended presentations titled "Agents, Advisors and Enrolled Student-Athletes," "Advanced Financial Aid - Division I," and "Playing and Practice Seasons - Division III."

During the advanced financial aid session, the presenters discussed the rules for increasing and decreasing athletics-based aid at different periods of the year. Essentially, athletics programs aren't permitted to reduce or cancel aid during the period of an award, unless a student-athlete becomes ineligible, is fraudulent, engages in serious misconduct or voluntary withdraws from the program.

On the flip side, financial aid cannot be increased during the period of an award due to athletics performance. Awards can be increased, if scholarship limits allow, for reasons other than athletics performance, but athletics departments must demonstrate the appropriate rationale before that happens.

Athletics scholarships are one-year awards, which means that after the year is up, any reason can be used not to renew an award. For instance, if a student-athlete doesn't perform up to expectations on the basketball court, the program isn't obligated to provide the same award or offer any scholarship at all for the following academic year.

Student-athletes are always provided with a hearing if their aid is reduced or cancelled, and a diverse representation from the institution's administration is present to make a final determination.

Prospective student-athletes may agree with a coach on a scholarship for his or her freshman year, but if they think it's a four-year award, they could be in for a rude awakening. That second year is not at all guaranteed.

To sum up, athletics awards are agreed upon for one year at a time. If a student-athlete doesn't misstep off the field to violate the terms of the agreement, the award cannot be reduced or cancelled. After the year is up, however, all bets are off.

Do you think these rules make sense? Should financial aid awards be for one year? Or should agreements be guaranteed for four-year terms?