Sports
Scholarships
Background Information
Sports play an important role in the everyday social
scene at American colleges and universities. University
sports programmes are offered at the intercollegiate
(organised competition) and the intramural (club-like,
participation-oriented, less competitive) level. Many
universities offer sports scholarships at the intercollegiate
level to students who are both academically qualified
and gifted in a particular sport.
What
is an Athletic (Sports) Scholarship?
Playing for a college team on scholarship is one way
students help pay for the cost of earning an undergraduate
degree. Please note: You do not attend university
solely to play your sport; you are there to earn a
degree.
For
which sports can I get a scholarship?
Athletic scholarships are awarded for the following
sports: baseball, basketball, crew (rowing), cross-country,
fencing, football (American), golf, gymnastics, ice
hockey, indoor track, lacrosse, skiing, soccer, softball,
swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball,
water polo, women’s field hockey and wrestling.
Archery, badminton, bowling, equestrian sports and
squash have been designated as 'emerging sports' and
scholarships in these sports are available to women
only in an effort to achieve gender equity (equality
between men's and women's scholarships). A few universities
offer martial arts, riflery, rodeo, rugby and sailing,
but very few of those (if any) will offer these sports
on a scholarship basis.
What
kind of degree can I get?
Students with athletic scholarships may take undergraduate
degrees in any field offered by the university. There
are no degrees in sports themselves but students whose
main interest is in sports can often take a degree
in physical education, exercise science, physical
therapy or an allied field. Please refer to the Educational
Advisory Service’s (EAS) EAS Guide to Undergraduate Study for further
information about applying to US colleges and universities.
Athletic
Scholarship Awards
Who
grants athletic scholarships?
Athletic scholarships are granted by the university
or in some cases by the athletic association in which
a university participates. Athletic directors or coaches
of your sport often play a central role in award decision-making,
so it is important to establish contact with these
individuals at an early stage of your application
process.
How
much are athletic scholarship awards?
Award amounts vary, and can be anywhere from a few
thousand dollars to nearly $30,000 for one academic
year. Athletic scholarships do not necessarily cover
the full cost of tuition and maintenance. Scholarships
are offered on a percentage basis (i.e. a 75% scholarship
will cover 75% of the total cost for one year), and
universities have strict limits on the total amount
they can award each year. Because of these restrictions,
a university may split a small number of large awards
into a larger number of lesser-value awards. For example,
a university that has three 100% scholarships to offer
per year may split them up to award six 50% scholarships
to twice the number of student-athletes. There are,
however, exceptions for a few sports. American football,
men's and women's basketball, women's tennis, women's
gymnastics and women's volleyball awards must count
as a full scholarship.
How
long will I have the award?
Scholarships are provided on a year-by-year basis,
and can generally be renewed for up to four years,
which is the normal time required to complete an undergraduate
degree in the US. If you enter university with transfer
credit or advanced standing, you will still be considered
a freshman (first-year student) for athletic scholarship
purposes.
Who
will be considered for an award?
It is likely that only students of the highest sporting
standard will be considered, but in some women’s
sports, good ‘club-level’ may be sufficient.
You must have recognisable achievements in your sport
to be considered for an award. Check web sites of
the universities you are interested in for results
of matches or events to see how your ability compares.
College
(University) Athletic Associations
Athletic
associations govern college athletics and set rules
regarding scholarships. There are a number of associations
of which a college or university can be a member.
The main associations include:
National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
There are 973 member universities and 287 provisional
members classified within three divisions of the NCAA.
Athletic standards are high and the level of competition
is intense. Only students with the very highest standard
of ability tend to be recruited.
National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
There are around 350, mostly smaller colleges in the
NAIA, organised by districts. Many NAIA colleges have
excellent sports programmes and may offer some athletic
scholarships. The level of athletic ability is still
high, although the standard is not set as high as
for NCAA teams.
National
Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)
Member colleges are accredited two-year institutions.
The NJCAA is also comprised of three divisions, with
scholarships offered only at the Division I and II
levels. Division I colleges may offer full scholarships,
and Division II may offer partial scholarships (tuition
or fees and books). There are not many Division I
or II junior colleges, so an international student
must have very competitive athletic and academic ability
to receive a junior college scholarship. Students
who attend a junior college with the intention of
transferring to a four-year college must be certain
that their course credits will transfer, as not all
will. For more information on two-year colleges, please
visit our Two-Year Colleges
web page.
Academic
Requirements
What
academic requirements must I meet?
Students with an athletic scholarship must meet the
normal university/college entrance requirements and
then continue to obtain satisfactory grades in order
to receive and maintain such scholarships. As a guideline,
however, various sporting authorities have set their
own academic requirements for competing students:
National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA):
Five or more different academic subject passes at
GCSE grades A-E or Scottish Standard grades 1-7
including maths, English, science and social studies
(history, geography etc.) with an overall average
of grade 'C' or '3'.
National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA):
'C' or '3' grade average overall in GCSE subjects,
Scottish Standards, or an alternative qualification
such as GNVQ or GSVQ if the school authorities can
confirm that his/her marks were in the 'Top Half'
of the class.
National
Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA):
Individuals who do not qualify for either of the
above but who are talented athletes may be able
to gain admission to a junior college. Each college
will set its own entrance requirements. Only 25%
of scholarships at a junior college can be given
to international students.
Admissions
Tests
What
SAT
score do I need for admission?
National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA):
From August 1996, the NCAA began to apply a sliding
scale for the minimum SAT scores that are required
for acceptance to NCAA Division I colleges. This
will be dependent on your average academic grade.
The higher your average academic grade is then the
lower the minimum SAT score required. So, students
who have achieved an average academic grade of B-
must obtain a minimum SAT score of 820 points out
of a possible 1,600, whilst students with an average
academic grade of C must score a minimum of 1010.
A minimum score of 820 is required to compete at
NCAA Division II level.
National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA):
A student must have a minimum score of 18 on the
ACT or 860 on the SAT (if you take the SAT more
than once, combining scores is NOT acceptable) to
compete at a NAIA institution.
National
Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA):
NJCAA colleges in general do not have a minimum
passing score although individual colleges may set
one.
When
can I take the SAT?
The test is given in Britain six times every year
and students should pre-register at least six weeks
in advance to meet registration deadlines. You are
advised to take the test in the autumn before, or
at the latest the spring of, the year which you intend
to enter college. It is possible to get an SAT/ACT
waiver, which will allow you to take the SAT/ACT after
you arrive on campus. Please contact individual institutions
directly to enquire about the SAT/ACT waiver.
What
is the TOEFL, and do I have to take it?
The TOEFL
is the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Students
whose native language is not English must take this
examination. If a student has completed studies in
the US or the UK, he/she may be able to obtain a waiver
from the relevant university. TOEFL is now a computerised
exam and offered every month, but the registration
deadlines are three weeks ahead of the test date.
How
can I register for the SAT and the TOEFL?
Information and application forms for the SAT and
TOEFL can be obtained by sending a large A4 envelope
with enough postage to cover 300 grams to the Educational
Advisory Service, 62 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2JZ.
NCAA
Divisions
What
is the difference between NCAA Divisions I, II, and
III?
NCAA Divisions are determined by specific requirements
that include the number of sports sponsored for both
genders and an average audience attendance number
at games. Member institutions must adhere to the following
guidelines:
Division
I:
At least seven sports for men and women (or six for
men and eight for women) including two team sports
for each gender. There are a minimum required number
of contests and participants for each sport, as well
as scheduling criteria. There are maximum financial
aid award amounts for each sport that a Division I
school cannot exceed. The level of athletic ability
within the NCAA is highest at the Division I level.
To play regularly on a Division I team, students must
have proven outstanding abilities within their sport.
Division
I-A and I-AA:
These schools meet the Division I criteria and also
offer American football as one of their sports. Division
I-A teams are large programs and must meet minimum
audience attendance requirements. Division I-AA teams
do not need to meet these attendance requirements.
Football games are often televised, and each year
teams compete for a place in "Bowl Tournaments".
Division
II:
At least four sports for men and four for women, with
two team sports for each gender. There are a minimum
required number of contests and participants for each
sport, as well as scheduling criteria. There are maximum
financial aid awards for each sport that a Division
II school must not exceed. Division II schools are
nearly as competitive as Division I in recruiting
athletes with the best athletic ability. The athletic
standard is also nearly as high.
Division
III:
At least four sports for men and four for women, with
two team sports for each gender. There are a minimum
required number of contests and participants for each
sport, as well as scheduling criteria. Division
III does not award financial aid on the basis of athletic
ability – only on the basis of need or academic
excellence. Proud athletic rivalries tend to flavour
Division III athletics, and a competitive athletic
standard is still needed to participate.
What
are the Big Ten, Big Twelve or Big East?
Each sports association and division divides its teams
into conferences (or leagues), usually comprising
between 8 and 12 members. The NCAA Division I has
nearly 30 conferences, some of the most important
of which are the Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10 and Southeastern.
Some schools have traditional athletic rivalries within
these conferences, and prestigious, televised championships
are held each year in big sports such as basketball
and American football.
What
are the eligibility requirements to play for a NCAA
division university?
A student athlete playing at a college within any
NCAA Division must meet both general and academic
eligibility requirements. For Division I, a student
has five years from the date of his/her first
enrolment at any university in the world to compete
for four years of competition. However, he/she
must stop competing on the day he/she turns 25 and
any scholarship must finish at the end of that semester.
Division II and III have no age limits and allow 10
semesters of college attendance (which need not be
consecutive) to complete four years of eligibility.
Finding
Your Athletic Scholarship
There
are several ways in which students obtain athletic
scholarships. These options include:
Option
1:
Athletic Scholarships are often offered by coaches
who tour the US searching for talent. Occasionally
these coaches visit Europe or see non-US students
at international events. If a coach invites you to
play for his/her team, you must still apply to the
university through the regular academic application
process. You should make sure that the college will
meet your academic needs as well as your sports needs.
Never go by a verbal agreement on a scholarship, or
even by a letter from the coach. A contract must be
provided with details of the scholarship offer. A
coach can offer an award for one year in the first
instance and renewal is based on recommendation by
the athletics department, which must be approved by
the financial aid office. Scholarships are also sometimes
announced in national and international sporting magazines.
Option
2:
Some students choose to use a placement
service instead. Be aware that these services
charge a fee and make sure they have relevant contacts
with US colleges and universities.
Option
3:
You can approach the coach for your sport at individual
colleges and universities. In order to attempt this
you must have an identifiable achievement in your
field and you will still need to research which institutions
offer scholarships in your sport. Check web sites
of these universities for results of matches or events
to see how your ability compares. You will need to
put a sport CV together and the coach may also ask
you to provide a video demonstrating your abilities.
The Educational
Advisory Service holds publications that can help
in this search in its reference library. If you cannot
visit our office, you can request a list of sports
scholarships to be posted to you (please send an A4
SAE).
Applying
for an Athletic Scholarship
Students
will need to apply to the admissions office for a
place at the university and apply to the coach for
the scholarship. Please refer to our EAS Guide to Undergraduate Study for further
information about applying to US colleges and universities.
Step
1:
Spend time carefully researching schools that not
only offer athletic scholarships in your sport but
will also meet your academic needs.
Step
2:
If you choose to find athletic scholarships on your
own, write a letter to the relevant coach that explains
your academic ability and your athletic ability in
terms that can be identified by him or her (i.e. tournament
results, teams played for, championships participated
in, or records held). The name and status of the coach
providing your reference is also useful. Also write
a separate letter to the Director of Undergraduate
Admissions for application forms. You need not elaborate
on your athletic abilities when corresponding with
the admissions department, but simply indicate that
you have written to the coach enquiring about athletic
scholarships.
Step
3:
If you are applying to a university that is a member
of the NCAA, you will need to register in the NCAA
Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse . The Clearinghouse
is an agency that provides initial eligibility certification
for prospective NCAA athletes. The Clearinghouse is
NOT a placement agency. It provides initial eligibility
certification results to colleges/universities that
request the information. To register in the NCAA Clearinghouse,
you must submit an application, original and official
academic records (certified, literal translation of
non-English records required), SAT or ACT test scores
and a fee of US$27. To contact the NCAA Clearinghouse:
NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse, 2255 N. Dubuque
Road, P.O. Box 4044, Iowa City, IA 52243-4404, Phone:
(001) 317 337 1492, http://www.ncaa.org
Eligibility regulations for entrance into the NAIA
for undergraduate study are gathered by the individual
institutions and then submitted to the NAIA. If you
have questions regarding your eligibility status at
a NAIA institution, please contact the Faculty Athletics
Representative (FAR) at the institution in which you
wish to enrol. The FAR is the only person on campus
who can verify the eligibility of the institution's
athletes.
Step
4:
Sit the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). If necessary,
also sit the Test of English as a Foreign Language
(TOEFL).
Step
5:
Complete all admissions forms and return them well
before the deadlines. Follow any other instructions
or requests given by the coach. On the college/university
application form mention your sporting activities
and achievements in the section which asks you about
extracurricular activities.
Deciding
Which Award Offer to Accept
•
Consider each offer based on academic opportunities
at each university.
•
Check the small print of each offer very closely
– what happens if you are injured and cannot
play your sport?
•
Consider the level of sport played at each university
– will you be able to play on the college team
regularly?
Postgraduate
Restrictions
Can
I get an athletic scholarship for postgraduate study?
Athletic scholarships are generally not available
to fund postgraduate study. However, under new National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I
and II rules, it may be possible for a student who
graduates from a Bachelor’s programme in three
years to have one further year of competition (and
funding) whilst enrolled in a postgraduate programme.
N.B.
Please be aware that there are requirements other
than those on this information sheet. The requirements,
however, may be specific to your sport, nationality,
previous education, desired institution or other factors.
You will need to contact individual institutions and
the NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA to make sure that you meet all
of the appropriate eligibility requirements.
For
More Information
Other
On-Line Resources
Financial
Aid for Student Athletes
Lists athletic associations and general resources
for financial aid.
Off-Line
Resources for Sports Scholarships
The
US Educational Advisory Service's reference library
contains self-help guides on sports scholarships,
including several directories that list colleges who
offer athletics and/or scholarships, international
academic standards for athletics ability, recruitment
guidelines, data on team records, coaches and college
facilities, test preparation guides for reference
use or for sale, and application forms for the SAT
and TOEFL. You are welcome to consult these materials
during our opening
hours.
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