What is an Athletic Scholarship?

An athletic scholarship is financial support awarded to a student-athlete, based on an individual’s playing ability. The first thing you need to know about getting recruited and being awarded a college athletic scholarship is this, “Don’t make the mistake of sitting around and waiting for the college coach to contact you. College coaches can’t recruit you if they don’t know you’re out there”.

Understanding the difference between a Full-ride scholarship offer and a partial scholarship offer;

Full-ride athletic scholarships are specifically available in six college headcount sports:

  1. NCAA D1 Football
  2. NCAA D1 Men’s Basketball
  3. NCAA D1 Women’s Basketball
  4. NCAA D1 Women’s Gymnastics
  5. NCAA D1 Tennis
  6. NCAA D1 Volleyball

These are known as head count sports that create revenue for the school. A full ride covers the major costs of attending college like tuition, room and board, books, and some course fees. The term “full ride” doesn’t mean for the “full four years.” Full ride scholarships, like all offers, are one-year agreements that may or may not be renewed.

Partial scholarship offers:

Other sports that are recognised by the Athletic Associations that govern college sport have a pool of scholarship money that college coaches can use to attract student-athletes onto their teams. A partial scholarship offer can still cover a significant portion of college costs or very little. It may be that one student-athlete on a team gets a scholarship that covers tuition, while a teammate may only get offered a scholarship that covers the costs of books.

What is an Academic Scholarship?

An academic scholarship is financial support awarded to a student, based on academic achievement or other criteria that may include financial need, for the purpose of education.

Academic scholarships carry a significant level of honor and prestige. They impress a college admissions board and they will impress any future employers. While academic scholarships are highly competitive, if you are eligible for one you should definitely apply. In addition to the cash award which will help you pay for your tuition costs the honor and prestige that comes with an academic scholarship will stay with you as you pursue your college career and ultimately enter the workforce.

USA Colleges are expensive and the possibility of receiving academic financial aid can make your college experience more affordable. If you are entering college with an outstanding academic record you are likely to be accepted to one of the top prestigious universities.

Types of Scholarships?

There are various types of scholarships – the two most common being merit-based and need-based.

Merit-Based Aid:

Merit financial aid is awarded to a student that shows academic, athletic or artistic excellence. Scholarships which will come from the school is your most common type of merit aid.

Need-Based Aid:

During your application process you will supply financial details determining what you are able to afford. If you need 70% off, then you will only pay 30%. Only once you have been accepted will you know what to pay.

How USA College Scholarships work?

The idea of applying to scholarships can be overwhelming for students and parents alike. Many people have a range of misconceptions about how the scholarship process works, when you can apply and where the money goes.

To better understand the basics of college scholarship offers, here are a few key facts you should know:

  1. Most offers are typically one-year agreements. Although multi-year offers are becoming more popular, they are still rare.
  2. Verbal offers from a coach are not binding agreements.
  3. The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a legal binding contract between a student-athlete and the school. Since it is a contract, it is important that you fully understand the agreement.
  4. College Scholarship funding is seen as a discount and is directly discounted on your college fees, but sometimes a student will receive actual money that can be used for other related college expenses.
  5. Coaches can start recruiting in a student’s grade 11 year. Starting early can help you receive a more substantial scholarship offer, although students can still receive a fantastic offer in their grade 12 year.