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So, you might think that if an athlete gets recruited to a top program that they received a full-ride. That is not necessarily the case. Especially if you are thinking Athletic Full-Ride! D1 wrestling coaches get 9.9 wrestling scholarships, but they still need to fill a full roster, so therefore need to divide those scholarships up, and that means usually no full-rides, except maybe the top guy, but likely not even that wrestler. D2 gets 9 Scholarships, and D3 none. “While Division III schools do not offer athletics scholarships, 75 percent of Division III student-athletes receive some form of merit or need-based financial aid” (NCAA). According to their website NAIA also offers aid to students. “Each sport has an overall limit on the amount of financial aid it can award to students…. Financial aid awarded to academically gifted students can be exempted from these limits if the student meets academic criteria established by the NAIA.” |
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Many schools at all levels offer need-based Financial aid, even Ivy League and Stanford, etc., but an athlete must get recruited and have Coach’s support, or otherwise will have to go through the general admissions process, and these schools have a low-acceptance rate and are difficult to get into without high tests scores and high GPA, among other criteria. As you can see there are a variety of options/opportunities for you to continue to compete in college. When my son was being recruited, not at the school he is at but another school that wanted him, they assured us that he would get 100 percent financial aid through a variety of ways, and not by loans. They told us that even though colleges can’t give full-ride athletic scholarships, they do have ways to cover all costs, including athletic and merit scholarships and grants. This is another very important reason to make sure your grades and test scores are good–so that they will want to do this for you. |
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| You should apply for all scholarships you are eligible for. One of the best ways to find these scholarships is through the Counselor or Faculty person at your high school who is in charge of Scholarships. You can just ask the office who that person is at your school, if you do not know. There should be a scholarship binder with all the scholarships in it. You should look through it often, and search for any that you might be eligible for, paying special attention to the date your application would be due. Missing an application due date is a bummer reason to not receive a scholarship. Also, read what other criteria is necessary to receive the scholarship, and apply to all in which you qualify. Then, let the college you choose decide if they can utilize that scholarship money. |
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| My son’s university doesn’t accept merit scholarships, but they did allow a $1000 award he received, even though they were already paying for his schooling, that thousand dollars actually just gave them some money back–so it was a win-win. There are all kinds of scholarships including being of a certain ethnicity such as Irish to being the child of a Postal worker, so don’t assume that there won’t be something for you, and go look often at the binder/list, however your school does it. |
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Also, be sure to fill out your FAFSA in a timely manner. The Federal government uses this information to determine if you qualify for Federal Grants/Funds, and colleges use the information to determine your financial need, and whether you qualify for any additional funds they might offer. You and your parents should fill this out together. The new FAFSA form is here! Some states and schools have limited funds, so don’t delay! |
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