Find out how to score a scholarship to pursue your collegiate athletic dreams.
How would you like to play your favorite sport on a college team
and get financial assistance for it? You can! According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
about $1 billion worth of scholarships are awarded to around 126,000
student-athletes every year. Getting an athletic scholarship is
challenging, but you can make it easier on yourself by learning the
facts and making a game plan.
Myths and Facts of College Athletics
Maybe you’re not Michael Jordan. Still, don’t give up until you
know the facts about getting and keeping an athletic scholarship.
- Some people think that in order to get an athletic scholarship for
college, you have to be an all-star athlete in a major sport like
football, basketball or baseball. But actually, there are scholarships
for athletes who are good (not necessarily superstars) and who play
sports like lacrosse, badminton, rowing, archery and volleyball. To
make it happen, you need to plan ahead, research your options and
pursue those scholarship dollars.
- Getting an athletic scholarship doesn’t mean you’ll cruise until
you graduate. Athletic scholarships are awarded for one academic year
at a time. While there are no guaranteed four-year athletic
scholarships in NCAA Division I or II, one-year scholarships can be renewed annually for a maximum of five years within a six-year period.
- Don’t think that if you’re good enough to play in college, the
colleges will contact you. There are 568,500 high school seniors
playing football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. Across those
three sports there are roughly 24,800 positions available for college
freshmen. So if you want to be eligible for an athletic scholarship,
you have to show recruiters that you’re the player they’ve been looking
for.
Marketing Yourself
Someday, you may make your fortune as a sports superstar selling
soft drinks and shoes. But for now, you need to concentrate on selling
yourself to college recruiters. Here are some tips to help you promote
yourself:
- Start early. Begin thinking about your collegiate athletic/academic plans in your sophomore year.
- Maintain good grades. You won’t be playing at a college unless you have the minimum requirements to attend.
- Collect news articles and videotapes that demonstrate your athletic performance.
- Talk to your high school coach about which athletic programs fit your qualifications.
- Select the schools that are right for you, taking into
consideration the quality and admission requirements of the athletic
and academic programs.
- Find the name of the coach of your sport at each college you are
considering. Write letters stating your interest in their programs and
your academic and athletic goals and achievements. Include statistics,
records, honors, clippings and videotape, if applicable, and let them
know you require financial aid.
- Apply. College coaches will take more of an interest in you once they see you are serious about coming to their school.
- Keep in contact with the coach by inquiring about the status of your application and by visiting the school.
Scholarship Tips & Advice
Get Connected
Most collegiate athletic programs belong to an association. Each
association has different regulations regarding eligibility and
financial aid, so become familiar with the specific rules—you don’t
want to ruin your chances on a technicality. Consult these Web sites
for more information:
If the school you are interested in is part of the NCAA, familiarize yourself with its particular division; there are different regulations for each division.
Like any sport, getting an athletic scholarship means playing by
the rules and working hard. Keep this in mind and you might just win
the athletic scholarship game!
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