Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 24, 1990                   TAG: 9004240071
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Scott Blanchard Sportswriter
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

COLES TO REPAY $200 TO TECH

Tech is required to collect the unused portion of Coles' scholarship under an NCAA rule that prohibits any scholarship student from accepting or earning money in excess of the cost of the grant.

Bob Woolf, an agent, reportedly made the downpayment on Coles' new car.

Taking the money was not an NCAA violation, since Coles already had completed his eligibility. But Tech would have broken an NCAA rule if it had not charged Coles for the remainder of his scholarship, said Rick Evrard of the NCAA legislative services office.

Coles, who met with Braine and assistant athletic director Steve Horton on Monday, could not be reached for comment. He plans to attend summer school in hopes of graduating and reportedly was worried that Tech would charge him tuition for that session, which Braine said costs $1,000 for every three credit hours. But Braine said the school would pay Coles' way through summer school, which is not covered by the same NCAA rules as the regular academic year.

An out-of-state scholarship to Tech costs about $8,000, but the grant's value decreases as the semester progresses.

Horton said each NCAA school sets its own cutoff date after which a scholarship student is not responsible for paying back scholarship money. Tech's cutoff date is April 4; Coles reportedly received the downpayment on April 1.