It's a financial decision for both player/school & is fair

when you consider the investment a player makes to be a student athlete. Rehabbing an injury to continue to play at a division 1 level is as much a full time job as playing with no rewards on the court, just funding for school, the other full time job these college athletes. Having a daughter who lettered 4 years as a division 1 athlete I truly understand what they go through. When one of her teammates was hurt seriously, more often then not, it ended their career. So when a player makes the effort to come back and be at the level where the school wants to grant another year of funding to the student and ask for a waiver it should always be granted, whether a transfer was part of it or not.

I think the NCAA should always grant the waiver for the 6th season if the player only stepped on the court/field for 3 of their 5 years (like Ali) if an injury precluded one of the seasons. Judgment needs to be applied when a 4th year was most cut off due to injury.
Sorry big fish, I have to argue your point. Of course we all can have different opinions.