Improve Your Chances for an Athletic Scholarship
Academics Plus Athletic Drive Make a Winning Combination
Athletic scholarships for elite athletes are competitive and political, no doubt, and this is the unfortunate press on athletic scholarships. But did you know that there are so many more athletic scholarships given to students willing to compete for smaller colleges and universities? Notice the “winning combination” above: academics plus athletic drive, not necessarily talent, but passion. A winning athlete at any level believes in his or her game. Without this passion you’ll not find a coach anywhere, at any school, at any level of play, who will care about you.
We help you pinpoint attainable money for your sport, at your level of play.
National Athletic Organizations: NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA
Three main, national athletic organizations represent voluntary college and university members and provide eligibility rules and stringent bylaws for competition: National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
Popular Athletic Scholarships
The most advertised and competitive athletic awards are the NCAA scholarships, by far, but there are so many more opportunities that go under-advertised for student athletes: those with schools in the NAIA and the NJCAA open up exponentially more scholarships. And an especially hot trend: emerging women’s sports.
NCAA Scholarships
The NCAA is by far the largest collegiate athletic association in the U.S. with well over 1,000 schools in its fold. Divisions I, II, and III serve to demarcate the sizes and monetization of athletic programs: formal athletic scholarships can be extended to athletes that play for Div I and II schools, but not for athletes in Div III schools. What determines which schools fall into which divisions? Generally a combination of school size along with types and sizes of athletic programs. If you are interested in how to position yourself for a NCAA scholarship make sure to check out the eligibility rules and get yourself registered in the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. The NCAA’s list of athletic scholarships is separated into categories: Undergraduate, Post-Graduate; and then further separated by Division.
Athletic programs at Div I and Div II schools are mid- to large-sized and extremely competitive. Coaches at these schools are in the business of wooing top athletic talent, the best of the best across the country. Div III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, per se. Their athletic programs are much smaller, but make no mistake—many are quite competitive.
NCAA Special Interest Scholarships
Every student passionate about athletics may not be an athlete. Here are a couple of the unique “athletic” scholarships that the NCAA funds:
- The Freedom Forum NCAA Sports Journalism Scholarship Program. This award is given to college students with a fierce desire to pursue sports journalism.
- The NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship Program is open to students heading into post-grad studies with an eye on sports administration, coaching, or a closely related career. Eligible applicants must be ethnic minorities to be considered for these awards.
NAIA Scholarships
The NAIA represents a much smaller contingent of member schools—about 300, located in Canada and the U.S. The NAIA sponsors athletic divisions I, II, and III—not to be confused with the NCAA divisions. Sponsored athletics are those generally outside the scope of NCAA Div I levels with a marked emphasis on the academic records of student athletes. Only about a dozen sports are represented and member institutions tend to be smaller. NAIA Div I and II sports programs may offer scholarships.
NJCAA Scholarships
Two-year colleges are represented by the NJCAA. There is divisional breakdown in some of the most competitive men’s and women’s sports, but not in others. Scholarships, called grant-in-aid by the NJCAA, may be available in the Div I and II sports. NJCAA scholarship sports for men are: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, outdoor track and field, soccer, and tennis. NJCAA scholarship sports for women are: basketball, cross country, fast-pitch softball, outdoor track and field, soccer, tennis, and volleyball. Make no mistake, community college athletics can foster fiercely competitive athletes. If you’re considering transfer to a four-year school, a two-year athletic program can get you really prepared to compete.
Full Scholarships vs. Partial Scholarships
So how much money does an athletic scholarship include? Scholarships awarded for athletic ability typically fall into one of two categories: full scholarships and partial scholarships. These are completely dependent on the schools themselves. In the NCAA, over 125,000 student athletes are on full or partial athletic scholarships. Full scholarships regardless of division may include tuition, books, transportation, room and board, plus other expenses. Partial scholarships may cover various portions of those expenses just listed.
You can get a scholarship from a Div III school. Here’s how
You’re a talented athlete, but you’re looking at Div III schools and you’re bummed because they are not allowed to extend formal athletic scholarships. Notice I said “formal athletic.” The truth is that Div III schools care deeply about their athletic programs. Competitive sports programs allow smaller schools to attract a wider student audience, keeps them well-rounded, so hearty athletic programs are a goal. They get around athletic scholarship limitations by marketing their programs to their best athletic prospects that also have great academic records. No one says they can’t offer academic scholarships…. So, our “winning combination” is true: combine your athletic drive and skills with a really good academic record and you may find some scholarship money after all.
Good Athletic Scholarships You May Not Know About
We’ve talked a lot about what schools offer which kind of athletic scholarships, but there are other sources to search for when you’re looking for scholarship money. First, browse our athletic scholarships by sport. In almost every instance you will find athletic scholarships from untapped sources alongside larger, “reach” scholarships. For example:
- Under hockey scholarships you’ll find memorial funds, money from hockey associations, and a scholarship from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- Search rodeo scholarships you’ll find a blend of scholarships from colleges and universities that have rodeo teams, and a few good scholarships from regional rodeo associations.
- Browse archery scholarships and find a slew of archery and bow-hunters association scholarships alongside college and university scholarships.
The secret is to check out the less competitive scholarships, those especially from regional clubs and associations. Remember there are plenty of awards that are based as much on other personal attributes as they are on athletic skills: leadership qualities, extracurricular involvement, and community service.
Women Athletes-- Emerging Sports Offer Good Scholarships
Women athletes, if elite Div I or II athletic scholarships are out of reach, why not set your sights on one of the women’s emerging sports? Scholarships for archery, bowling, rifling, and rodeo are gaining ground.
Women are also breaking ground in traditional men’s collegiate sports, as well. You no longer need to be a pioneer, there are colleges and universities large and small expanding their programs to include women’s ice hockey, water polo, rowing, and lacrosse.
Don’t expect to find full athletic scholarships, but emerging sports are just that—on the rise. Many schools offer partial scholarships to talented athletes in efforts to grow successful athletic programs. The opportunity just to play is as important.
Want to Be a Top Athlete?
Top-notch student athletes vying for Division I football scholarships or top basketball programs in any of the three athletic organizations, must be able to conform to the following requirements:
- Excel in the sport.
- Possess the drive and passion to pursue one of these high-dollar scholarships. Competition is fierce.
- Agree to perform once you arrive on campus, both academically as well as athletically. Your sport becomes your job.
Best Athletic Schools
Some of the lists of top athletic schools consistently include such reputable programs as Texas, UCLA, Florida, and Tennessee. US News offers a detailed list of the schools with the highest percentage of athletic scholarships.
Issues in College Athletics
Should College Athletes be “Paid to Play”?
The perennial controversy in Div I collegiate athletics is the issue of money, as in salary and paycheck. Do you think college athletes should be paid? Here are a couple of articles that debate the question:
What is Gender Equity?
The Collegiate sports arena is often punctuated with the term “gender equity,” or the ratio of women participating in college sports compared with the number of men. Since the birth of Title IX, colleges and universities have been constitutionally obligated to offer a well-balanced mix of men’s and women’s athletic programs. This means that many more sports have become available for female athletes in the last couple decades; many that offer partial or full scholarships.
The issue of gender equity continues to be hotly debated from time to time typically on issues directly related to high athletic budgets and division of athletic program monies between the sexes. If you’re interested in how your college stacks up on the issue, check out the Women’s Sports Foundation’s hard facts on gender equity in college athletics.
Beware of Paid Recruiting Services—How to Avoid Being Conned
Athletes seriously shopping for good athletic scholarships often pursue their sports goals in one of two ways:
- Many do it the “old-fashioned” way; they are recruited by a collegiate coach, wined and dined, then offered either a partial or “full ride” scholarship.
- Others choose to pay one of a zillion recruiting services to campaign for them.
The main idea behind the athletic recruiting services is to promote your athletic and academic talent, market you to appropriate colleges and coaches. But not all “recruiters” are legitimate. Beware of fake athletic recruiting services that only steal your money:
- Research recruiting services before you hand over any cash for services.
- Get a reference for a recruiter from someone reputable.
The truth is; if you are the caliber of talent a school is looking for, you should not have to pay anyone to promote you. College coaches are in the business to know the names and stats of the best candidates within their sport.
Be smart; don’t get burned; learn about scholarship scams.
