How Do You Get A College Sports Scholarship?
If you play sports in high school, you likely have a few favorite college athletes that you love to watch play. These student-athletes were once in your shoes, but how in the world do you get into theirs? Many high school student-athletes dream of securing a college sports scholarship, but how it happens can be a bit unclear.
The best way to get a college sports scholarship is to complete the NCAA recruiting process by deciding on your favorite schools, visiting campuses and reaching out to college coaches. There isn’t a quick fix answer for this question—it will come down to completing all the steps required to get noticed by one of your top programs.
One of the first things you should do to secure a college sports scholarship is to decide what type of college you want to attend. The size, location and culture are all essential elements that you’ll want to take into consideration when ranking your top schools.
How To Get Noticed By A College Coach
So if college coaches give out sports scholarships, how do you get noticed by one? It’s a little more complicated than just playing your best and hoping a college coach finds you. There are several steps you can take to get a better shot at a college sports scholarship.
Rely On Your High School Coach: If you have any questions during recruiting, don’t hesitate to talk to your high school coach. They will probably have guided former student-athletes through recruiting and want to help their players be successful. Even if they don’t know the answer to a question, they may be able to put you in contact with someone who does.
Reach Out To College Coaches: Based on your research into your top schools and programs, reach out to college coaches with a quick introduction of yourself. College coaches can’t be everywhere at once, and it’ll be hard to catch their attention if you aren’t one of the very few elite high school student-athletes. Send college coaches an email with your highlight video, taking the opportunity to introduce yourself and emphasize your skills. After a couple of weeks, call the coach to reconnect if they missed your email. Your effort here will be essential in developing a connection with a coach and receiving a college sports scholarship.
Work Hard In School: College coaches look for well-rounded recruits. By keeping your grades up and excelling in school, you showcase your ability to prioritize. Time management skills are crucial if you want to play sports in college, so developing these skills as soon as possible is critical. The NCAA also requires a minimum GPA of 2.3 for student-athletes to become academically eligible.
Confirm Eligibility: To receive a college sports scholarship, you must be NCAA eligible. The NCAA has both academic and amateurism requirements to ensure that all student-athletes are competing on a level playing field. Registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center and completing the necessary paperwork is required for a college coach to make you a scholarship offer.
Take An Official Visit: Hopefully, after contacting college coaches, you will receive an offer for an official visit. These visits are paid for by the university and offer an inside glimpse of the school. Take this opportunity to get a feel for the school. Most official visits consist of a tour of the facilities, meeting the team and might include a chance to work out with the team to see how you play together. Official visits will also have an opportunity to talk with the coach one on one. This meeting is a good time for you to gauge your chances of receiving a college sports scholarship.
The recruiting process can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Do your research on your top schools and urgent deadlines. Don’t be afraid to ask questions at any point; both high school and college coaches want to help make the process as clear as possible.
How Likely Is It To Get A Sports Scholarship?
Getting a college sports scholarship isn’t impossible, and many student-athletes can successfully secure a spot on the roster, which includes a coveted scholarship offer. But, a high school student-athlete rarely receives a college sports scholarship. Your chances of getting a sports scholarship depend on a few things.
By The Numbers: According to the NCAA, just two percent of high school student-athletes receive a college sports scholarship. More specifically, universities give out a total of $2.9 billion every year to 150,000 student-athletes.
Division: Colleges are separated into three divisions, with Division I and II schools being more competitive and athletics focused. Division I college sports programs are generally more competitive than Division II, so your chances of getting an athletic scholarship are slimmer. Division III schools provide a more balanced college experience, giving student-athletes more time to participate in activities outside athletics. Unfortunately, Division III schools don’t offer athletic scholarships and instead offer academic or merit-based financial aid.
Sports: Some sports are easier than others to secure an athletic scholarship. Growing sports, like lacrosse and ice hockey, may give you a better chance at receiving an athletic scholarship. Lacrosse is less popular outside of the U.S., so you likely won’t have to compete against international recruits. More competitive sports, like football and men’s and women’s basketball, are tougher to receive an athletic scholarship because of all the elite talent available for college coaches to choose from.
Receiving a college sports scholarship is a dream come true for many high school student-athletes. Securing an offer alleviates stress about paying for college and ensures a roster spot on a team. While your chances of receiving a college sports scholarship are statistically slim, there is a wide range of opportunities to play sports and receive financial aid for college students, even if it isn’t through the traditional college sports scholarship.
What Is A College Sports Scholarship?
College sports scholarships can include a range of amounts of funding and is often referred to as an athletic scholarship. Student-athletes can receive either a full or partial athletic scholarship, depending on which sport and division they’re interested in.
Full Athletic Scholarships: A full athletic scholarship is what most people think of when it comes to college sports scholarships. This type of financial aid will cover the total cost of tuition and fees, room and board, and books. Full athletic scholarships are usually given out by headcount programs that are only allowed to give out full scholarships until the roster is full. Men’s and women’s basketball, women’s gymnastics, women’s tennis, women’s volleyball, and football are all headcount programs.
Partial Athletic Scholarships: Partial scholarships are a lesser-known option for student-athletes to receive athletic financial aid. A partial scholarship will also cover tuition and fees as well as room and board, but only a portion of what a full scholarship would cover. Partial scholarships are given out by equivalency programs. College coaches at these programs can give out as many scholarships as they want, as long as it doesn’t exceed the total allowed scholarship value. Any Division I program that isn’t a headcount sport is considered equivalency and all of Division II operates under the partial scholarship model.
Spot On The Team Roster: Any athletic scholarship will guarantee you a spot on the team roster. A college coach offers a recruit a college sports scholarship to ensure they commit to their school. An athletic scholarship doesn’t necessarily guarantee you playing time, so it’s vital to play your best and practice hard even after receiving an athletic scholarship.
Additional Scholarships: If you can find other scholarship opportunities through other organizations you are involved in, be sure to check if those are permissible with your athletic scholarship. Send the paperwork for these additional scholarships to the university’s financial aid office to clarify whether or not they are compatible with your athletic financial aid.
A college sports scholarship can include a range of financial aid, from a full-ride to just covering the expense of books. By contacting college coaches and developing a relationship with them, you’ll be able to find out which scholarships you’re eligible for.
Things To Keep In Mind
Play The Long Game: To be successful in securing an athletic scholarship, you have to be comfortable playing the long game. There’s no quick answer to receiving a college sports scholarship. You’ll have to work hard in your sport and in school throughout high school to have a chance to be noticed by a college coach by the time your junior year rolls around.
Evaluate Why You Want A College Sports Scholarship: A college sports scholarship can sound very appealing on the surface. What could be the drawbacks to a full-ride to the college of your choice? In reality, receiving a college sports scholarship means that you will have to put in long hours of practice time and juggle many different priorities. Make sure you are committed to playing sports in college to avoid feeling frustrated with a restricted schedule once you are enrolled.