Athletic Scholarships

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WHAT IS AN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP?

An athletic scholarship is a form of financial aid that colleges and universities offer to high school athletes. These scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate exceptional talent in a particular sport and meet the academic requirements of the institution. Athletic scholarships can be partial or full scholarships, and they may cover tuition, room and board, and other expenses.

WHY STUDENT-ATHLETES SHOULD APPLY FOR A ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP?

Though some may view college athletics as a frivolous extracurricular activity, there are many reasons why student-athletes should consider applying for a sports scholarship. In addition to the obvious benefit of receiving financial assistance for school, student-athletes also gain valuable experience in leadership, time management, and teamwork. These skills can be extremely beneficial in their future careers. Participation in college athletics can also help students to build relationships with faculty and staff members outside of the classroom, potentially opening doors to internships and other opportunities. For student-athletes who are dedicated to their sport, a scholarship can provide the opportunity to compete at the highest level and develop their skills on a wider stage. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to apply for a sports scholarship is a personal one, but there are many compelling reasons why student-athletes should give it serious consideration.

10 Athletic Scholarships for Student Athletes in 2024

Take a look at the available 2024 scholarships for athletes below. Each scholarship has unique awards and due dates. 

1. Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program
2. The New York Ramblers Scholarship for Student Athletes
3. Craig M. Epstein Memorial Scholarship Fund
4. Triple-Impact Competitor Scholarship
5. Lee Brennan Memorial Scholarship
6. Norma and Rita Nussbickel Memorial Scholarship
7. Challenge Scholarship
8. Coach Wade Pittsford Scholarship
9. Big Sun Scholarship
10. Mike Frick Memorial Baseball Scholarship

WHICH SPORTS HAVE ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS?

Athletic scholarships are available for several sports, including football, basketball, baseball, soccer, ice hockey, and golf. Here is a more comprehensive overview of five such scholarships.

BASKETBALL SCHOLARSHIPS

Irv Noll Memorial Scholarship Fund: If you’re a Pennsylvania high school senior who has played golf, basketball, or baseball for your school for at least two years and will continue playing in college, then this scholarship is for you. This annual one-time award of $400 is from Berks County Community Foundation. To be eligible for this scholarship, students must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher (or 80 percent or higher) and demonstrate financial need.

BASEBALL SCHOLARSHIPS

John A. McCluskey And Helen McCluskey Scholarship: This scholarship is available to graduating African American seniors at Middleton High School in Middletown, Ohio who display a passion for athletics. The scholarship is worth $1,000. Applicants must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and demonstrate a commitment to community service.

SOCCER SCHOLARSHIPS

Bryan Cline Memorial Soccer Scholarship Program: The Albuquerque Community Foundation offers an annual $800 award to a graduating senior of the Eldorado High School soccer team. To apply, you must name your varsity soccer team coach and provide two reference letters along with verification that you attend college as a full-time student.

FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIPS

Pinellas All-Star Football Classic Scholarship: These scholarship values vary from $500 to a welcoming $5,000 and may even renew annually. You only need one application that will suit your future needs and interests. Eligible senior students in the Pinellas County Public High School system may apply. To kick start the process, you must first sign up for an account.

ICE HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIPS

Maynard and Ferne Brownell Family Scholarship: The Brownell family has established this award for graduating seniors from Beacon, John Jay, or Roy C. Ketcham high schools. One scholarship will be given to a student who plans to attend an accredited college or university for up to four years. You do not need to play hockey to qualify but to be eligible, candidates should have good grades, experience with sports and/or community service activities, and show financial needs.

Classifications of College Athletic Programs

The National Collegiate Athletic Association, more commonly known as the NCAA, is responsible for organizing college and university sports in America. If you’ve seen “college sports” before on television, it was likely an NCAA game.

The NCAA has three subdivisions:

• Division I
• Division II
• Division III

The divisions of schools generally correspond with the level of interest and investment that the school puts into its athletics department. The biggest, most well-funded schools are Division I while athletic programs in Division III are usually much smaller.

A general rule of thumb is that the most financially generous scholarships come from Division I schools. However, Division II schools also offer athletic scholarships but Division III does not. If being an athletically-funded student is something you’re striving for, look towards Division I and II colleges!

Division 1 eligibility requirements

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the governing body for college sports in the United States. In order to be eligible to compete in NCAA Division 1 athletics, student-athletes must meet a set of academic requirements. These requirements are designed to ensure that athletes are prepared to succeed in college and have a realistic chance of completing their degree. For high-school athletes graduating in 2022 or 2023, the core course GPA requirement will be 2.3 or higher. In addition, athletes will need to complete 16 core courses using pass/fail grades (for a full breakdown see the list below). The ACT or SAT will no longer be required for NCAA eligibility. Finally, athletes will need to receive final certification on their amateurism status via the NCAA Eligibility Center. By meeting these requirements, student-athletes will be well-prepared to compete at the collegiate level and pursue their academic goals.

List of 16 core courses you need to complete:

• 4 years of English
• 3 years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
• 2 years of natural/physical science (You must take one year of lab science if your school offers it.)
• 1 additional year of English, math, or natural/physical science
• 2 years of social science
• 4 additional years of English, math, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy
• You must complete 10 of the core courses by the end of your junior year, which is before you start your seventh semester. Out of those 10 courses, 7 need to be in English, math, or natural/physical science. The grades from these seven courses will then become “locked in” and you won’t have the opportunity to retake them to improve your grades.

Division 2 eligibility requirements

The NCAA Division 2 requires student-athletes to meet certain eligibility requirements in order to compete. For high school athletes graduating in 2021 or 2022 and enrolling in college full-time in 2022-23 or 2023-24, they must graduate high school and complete 16 core courses using pass/fail grades. In addition, they must earn a core course GPA of 2.2 or higher and receive final certification on their amateurism status via the NCAA Eligibility Center. The ACT or SAT is no longer required for Division 2 student-athletes; however, they are still encouraged to take either test.

List of 16 core courses you need to complete:

• 3 years of English
• 2 years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
• 2 years of natural/physical science (One year of laboratory science is required if your school offers it.)
• 3 additional years of English, math, or natural/physical science
• 2 years of social science
• 4 additional years of English, math, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy

Division 3 eligibility requirements

NCAA Division 3 schools set their own academic eligibility rules, so if you plan on vying for one of these institutions or are unsure which division level you’ll be competing at, begin with a free NCAA Profile page. You can always upgrade to a Certification Account later if you decide to pursue a D1 or D2 program instead.

How to Get Athletic Scholarships

The best way to secure an athletic scholarship is by researching your options and finding opportunities that fit you. Some important factors to keep in mind as you start your search include:

1. Start Early

The process of applying is both competitive and time-consuming, so it’s important that you start researching colleges about two years before the date you plan to attend.

2. Gather all the information you need

As you do this, gather a list of the coaches’ names and emails. Create a resume that highlights your performance stats, awards, academic transcripts, and ACT/SAT scores. You may also want to create a video showcasing your skills so the coach can get a better idea of your abilities.

3. Don’t Let Your Grades Slip

It’s not only your athletic ability that gets you an athletic scholarship; good grades matter, too. The NCAA requires all incoming Division I athletes to have at least a 2.3 GPA in order to play their freshman year. After that first year, you need to maintain a minimum GPA each year based on the number of credit hours earned if you want to stay eligible for playing.

4. Make connections with college coaches

One of the best ways to get an athletic scholarship is to make connections with college coaches. It’s important to stay in touch with the coaches once you’ve been offered a scholarship, letting them know how you’re progressing in your studies and athletics. Maintaining a positive relationship with the coaching staff can help ensure that you have a spot on the team when you arrive on campus!

5. Evaluate your athletic scholarship offers

When you receive an athletic scholarship offer, it’s important to evaluate all of your options before making a decision. Some factors you may want to consider include the cost of attendance, the school’s academic standards, and the level of competition you would face as an athlete. If you’re not sure whether or not to accept a scholarship, talk to your parents or other trusted advisors about what is best for you. They can help you weigh the pros and cons of each offer and make a decision that is right for your future.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FULL-RIDE VS PARTIAL ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP

The two types of scholarships offered for athletes are full-ride and partial. These scholarships have different purposes and help with various expenses. A full-ride athletic scholarship helps with the entire cost of attendance, which includes tuition, fees, room and board, and books. This type of scholarship can be renewed for up to four years or may only be a one-year contract.

There are six sports that you may receive full-ride scholarships.

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

The amount of money for scholarships that coaches have in these sports typically needs to be divided among their players. As a result, one student-athlete might only receive an offer to cover the cost of tuition while another player’s offer may only pay for books.

CAN AN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP BE TAKEN AWAY?

There are a few scenarios that may cause a student-athlete to lose their athletic scholarship. The two primary reasons for this happening are non-renewals and sports injuries.

1. The Scholarship Does Not Renew: There are many reasons why non-renewals occur. The current coach could leave, the student-athlete gets in trouble, or many schools set standards for grades and sportsmanship that must be met in order to keep your scholarship. Consequently, any substandard performance may jeopardize your academic funding.
2. Sports Injury: An injury might prohibit a player from continuing their athletic scholarship. While academic scholarships are more reliable and the funding will stay in place as long as you maintain good grades. However, this is not always guaranteed.

List of Athletic Scholarships

Check out our list of athletic scholarships below. We have 6,267 awards worth $18M.