7 Things You Need to Know About Sports Scholarships

Reader Comments

Back to blog

wow why would you say that if someone wants their son or daughter to get an athletic scholarship its very hard. Yes it is very hard but it is very much possible that it could happen if you put the right skill and thought into it. I don't know if this is trying to bring excited athletes down or to help.

me of LA 7:15PM October 30, 2012

actually D1 coaches and scout are prohibited from using social network to find talent.Even though they probably do anyways.

K.T of FL 7:47AM October 11, 2012

This makes me think twice about continuing to shell out $3K a season for girls Club Volleyball. Geez, what's the point just play high school.

Me of CA 5:04PM October 02, 2012

My child received a full athletic scholarship from St Thomas Aquinas for track. He is an A student and always wanted to attend a prestigious school. Needless to say, St Thomas Aquinas is not a prestigious school but he will graduate debt free. He likes the school and track program but is not happy with the academics. He was also offered merit money from Brandeis- problem is he will still owe 14,000 a year. He likes the school but track program is not strong. So, he has to decide soon. Does he go for free with a mediocre degree from St Thomas or pay $56,000 for a top notch Brandeis education that could get him into great grad schools or having a better chance to get a great job?

Tonya of NY 9:49PM September 26, 2012

Wow! I happen to search on "how to get a sport scholarship" and this article was first on the list. I WAS hoping for a free ride for my "talented" baseball son. OK, let's rethink this...good thing he is an "A" student. hmmm... I'll send him this link. Thanks!

Melisa of DE 8:11PM August 08, 2012

Use YouTube? Haha. Great advice. "Hey, Coach Saban. Check out my youtube clip at..." Yeah. Coaches have all the time in the world to look at YouTube suggestions from any/everybody.

I hope that everyone reading this realizes that getting your SA's stats/measurables verified by a independent 3rd party is much more reliable that a "soccer mom" sending coaches her son's YouTube video.

beentheredonethat of IL 5:11PM August 05, 2012

Hey Im max and im from ohio and i play u18aaa hockey and im only 15 . i talked to scouts but the chances of me getting a scholarship are slim to none.

max of OH 1:23AM June 17, 2012

You can also call the NCSA Sports Scholarship program. They are excellent at helping you get a scholarship. Toll free number is 888-925-6641

Brett 4:42PM June 14, 2012

Athletegirl:

Most of Lynn's article is dead on accurate. Fortunately for you, your coach may intend to honor a scholarship for all 4 years, however coaches are not bound to do so. Lynn is absolutely right in saying that athletic scholarships are renewable year to year. During the year in which the scholarship is offered, you are right in saying that we as coaches cannot revoke it without cause. However, once the academic year ends, the scholarship expires. The coach can determine to re-issue it, increase, decrease, or extend it to anybody that he or she sees fit.

Secondly, it terms of division 3 scholarships, once again Lynn has valid information. There are a lot of schools with good merit scholarship programs or financial aid packages based on need. Most often division 3 institutions that are state schools offer very low (relatively speaking) tuition rate for in state students and some of the more expensive and elite schools often offer the best need based financial aid packages due to their endowment size (although the current economy is starting to have a negative impact here).

Where I will make one small addition to Lynn's piece would be in regards to the highlight reel. Yes, I agree, youtube is a great tool, but don't throw out those DVDs just yet. A lot of coaches are starting to ask for full game footage of prospective student-athletes. Many of us would rather see what a player can do across an entire match. Yes it can (and should be) one of their best matches, but the information we get from a full game is far more useful than a 5 minute collection of brilliant goals, although don't be afraid to send us that stuff either.

soccercoach of AL 1:20AM May 20, 2012

Ok - I am a division I athlete, and I do not mean to be rude here, but you have a couple of things wrong.. Where you talk about full rides - you are not including tennis (or golf). Maybe this bothers me because it is my sport, but look at any womens tennis team in the united states who attends a division I school. Almost every single girl who has a scholarship on the team (6-7 girls) are on full rides. Really, any womens sport who is small and does not consist of a large amount of players have this privilege because the scholarships are not having to be divided among so many players. However, mens tennis is not like this because of title 9. Next, where you talk about how it is not guaranteed that the athlete will keep receiving the scholarship - that is only going to happen if the athlete does not perform (show effort) or act as they should in practice, competition, and school. Last, when talking about division III, you say this is where the best places for money can be? I agree to an extent, but either the kid has got to be extremely smart, or very good at their sport for the school to come up with the money. I have been through the process, and it is very exhausting and time consuming. To me, I feel like you are being a bit of a debbie downer.. I agree, it is difficult and you must be dedicated to your sport, but there is no need to discourage the ambitions of young athletes out there that are GOOD at their sport.

AthleteGirl of AR 4:07AM April 30, 2012

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

Back to blog

The College Solution

Lynn O'Shaughnessy is a higher-ed journalist, speaker and consultant, who is focused on helping families with teenagers find the right colleges at the right price. Lynn is the author of The College Solution, an Amazon bestseller, and a new eBook, Shrinking the Cost of College: 152 Ways to Cut the Price of a Bachelor's Degree. In addition to her U.S. News college blog, Lynn also shares her knowledge about college strategies at her own blog, TheCollegeSolutionBlog, as well as one at CBSMoneyWatch. Got a question? E-mail her at collegesolution@usnews.com or follow her on Twitter.

advertisement

College Search

Within miles of Advanced Search

Knowledge Centers

Looking at colleges? Find out what you need to know.

advertisement