Athletic Scholarships

Your first step toward winning a sports scholarship is to decide whether participating in collegiate-level sports is what you really want. College sports demand tremendous time and commitment. You won't have as much time for fun, dating, travel, or much else. Also, you should be honest about the level at which you play. Are you skilled enough for a Pac 10 school? Or would you be happy to play for personal satisfaction? Or something in between? Have a heart-to-heart talk with yourself and your coach before you commit.

The NCAA's Oversight of College Sports Scholarships

Student athletes and their families should understand that the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) regulates and oversees most college sports competition, college team recruiting, and the distribution of athletic scholarships. It is a huge and extremely influential organization that works with the U.S. Congress and the Department of Education to control the flow of funding and financial aid for college sports programs.

Based on the size of the college and the level of competition, the NCAA divides member colleges into three groups: Divisions I, II, and III. Division I colleges award the most scholarships. Division III colleges offer only academic, not athletic, scholarships.

About 300 small colleges belong to another association, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which runs national championships in 13 sports. Many of these colleges also offer athletic scholarships. For more information, visit the NAIA's website at naia.org.

NCAA Standards for Scholarship Eligibility

The NCAA sets academic standards that college athletes must meet in order to be eligible to compete at the college level. Member colleges also must adhere to the NCAA's academic standards and requirements when recruiting athletes.

To be considered eligible for an athletic scholarship from an NCAA Division I or II college, you must fulfill four requirements:

• Graduate from high school.
• Complete the required number of core high school courses, listed below. Division I athletes must complete 16 core courses; Division II athletes must complete 14.
• Earn a minimum GPA in your core courses (it varies for each course, but the minimum for Division I athletes is 2.0, or a grade of C, otherwise the NCAA asks students to follow their school's policy for a passing grade).
• Achieve a certain SAT or ACT score. For Division I schools, you must achieve a combined SAT or ACT score (not including the SAT or ACT writing tests) that matches your core course grade point average in the NCAA published index. For instance, a core GPA of 3.0 requires a combined SAT score of at least 620 or an ACT sum score of at least 52. But a core GPA of 2.0 requires a total SAT score of at least 1010 or an ACT sum score of at least 86. Students attending Division II colleges must achieve a minimum SAT score of 820 or a minimum ACT score of 68.

Required High School Courses for Athletes

For Division I, NCAA requires you to complete 16 core courses:

• Four years of English
• Three years of math (Algebra I or higher)
• Two years of science (including one year of lab science if offered by your high school)
• One additional year of English, math, or science
• Two years of social science
• Four years of extra core courses (from any category listed here, a foreign language, or non-doctrinal religion/philosophy)

For Division II, students must complete 14 core courses:

• Two years of math (Algebra I or higher)
• Three years of English
• Two years of science (including one year of lab science if offered by your high school)
• Two additional years of English, math, or science
• Two years of social science
• Three years of additional core courses from any category listed here, a foreign language, or non-doctrinal religion/philosophy

For Division III, simply gaining admission to the college means you have automatically fulfilled core course requirements.

Applying for Sports Scholarships

High school athletes planning to participate in sports at a Division I or II college must file an online Student Release Form at the end of their junior year. The application is available from the NCAA website, or you can complete it online. The admission fee is $60. Fee waivers are available for those who qualify. Division III students do not need to file this form.

You must arrange for your high school to send transcripts of your grades to the NCAA. The transcripts must include grades from your sophomore through senior years of high school and from every school you have attended. These and other requirements are spelled out in the NCAA's Guide for the College-Bound Student Athlete, which is available for free download on the NCAA website, from your high school counselor, or by calling the NCAA at (800) 638-3731.

If you have filed your NCAA Student Release Form, the NCAA will send a preliminary report of your eligibility to college officials who request it. You may also request a copy of this report at ncaa.org or by calling the NCAA Eligibility Center toll-free at (877) 262-1492.

Getting on the Team

Coaches of highly competitive sports teams that are well supported by their colleges have a "Don't call me, I'll call you" strategy. They search for the most outstanding athletes to fill open spots on their teams using a network of contacts with high schools, word of mouth, and media coverage. If you show up on their radar, a scout might come out to watch you play. If they like what they see, they will contact you through your high school. They will also notify the NCAA that they would like to recruit you.

This scenario, however, is rare. What about contacting coaches directly? There is no NCAA rule against this. In particular, Division II and III coaches may appreciate your introducing yourself. (This may also be true for some Division I sports departments with low recruiting budgets.) Many student athletes make a stop at the coach's office during their campus visits to drop off their sports bio and clips of their playing performance. (You can also speak to the coach by phone, and mail your bio and clips.) Some students post web pages for coaches to view that display videos of their playing and statistics about their performance. If a coach likes what they see and pursues you, be sure you understand the recruitment rules posted on the NCAA website at ncaa.org.

Understanding What Your Scholarship Covers

If you get a sports scholarship, there is no guarantee it will cover all your college costs. In fact, most sports scholarships only partially cover college costs. All athletic scholarships, once awarded, are for one year only. Each year, it is up to the coach and the financial aid department to decide if they will renew your scholarship, reduce the amount, or keep it the same. They must inform you of these decisions no later than July 1 each year for the following academic year.

If You Can't—or Won't—Play

Suppose, after you enroll and receive your scholarship, you get injured or otherwise become ineligible for competition? The financial aid office is free to reduce or cancel your athletic scholarship. This is likely to happen if you:

• Lie on your application
• Accept non-scholarship money or gifts from anyone involved with the college
• Break the college's rules
• Withdraw from competition voluntarily

There's More to Life Than Being a Player

A successful college experience includes more than winning championships. It helps you prepare for a promising career and a rewarding life. No matter how good you are in your sport, the odds are against your becoming a world-class, highly paid athlete after graduation. Always have a backup plan and choose your major accordingly. That way, you'll win no matter how your final season turns out.

You can find other athletic scholarships in a variety of sports with CollegeData's Scholarship Finder, where you can search among 545,000 awards worth more than $2.2 billion.

Note: Financial information provided on this site is of a general nature and may not apply to your situation. Contact a financial or tax advisor before acting on such information.