{"id":310,"date":"2022-09-08T13:21:04","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T13:21:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/?p=310"},"modified":"2022-10-27T14:07:37","modified_gmt":"2022-10-27T19:07:37","slug":"athletic-scholarships-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/athletic-scholarships-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Athletic Scholarships 101"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Athletic scholarships for college are often misunderstood and assumed to be more available than they are. The process to find these and market your athlete appropriately can be a confusing and overwhelming process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I want to start by providing some general considerations, then talk about the main steps in the process, and finally provide some links to help you get started with finding <a href=\"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/make-college-funding-a-breeze-find-these-5-types-of-merit-scholarships\/\">athletic scholarships<\/a> and the overall college recruiting process.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Athletic Scholarships \u2013 General Considerations<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Only <a href=\"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/getting-a-division-1-athletic-scholarship\/\">Division 1<\/a>, Division 2 and NAIA 4-year schools, and NJCAA 2-year schools, give athletic scholarships.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Division 3 schools cannot give athletic scholarships \u2013 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Athletes often rely on merit scholarships or need-based aid given by the school to make these schools more affordable.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Not all Division 1 schools give athletic scholarships<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Ivy League schools cannot give any athletic scholarships. There are also other Division 1 schools that are not funded at all for any athletic scholarships, or not funded at all in certain sports.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Division 1 fully-funded programs in \u201cheadcount sports\u201d can only offer full-ride athletic scholarships<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 There are 2 headcount sports for men, football and basketball, and 4 for women, basketball, volleyball, tennis and gymnastics. In these D1 sports, it\u2019s a full-ride scholarship or nothing.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>For D1 headcount sports, there is a maximum number of athletes on scholarship allowed per team and each of these must be a full-ride scholarship if the program is fully funded. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the program is not fully funded, it can choose how to disperse the scholarship money up to the maximum # of athletes on scholarship.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>All other D1 sports not mentioned in #4 are \u201cequivalency sports\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 There is still a maximum number of \u201cfull\u201d scholarships, but these scholarships can be divided out between athletes. For example, the maximum #of scholarships allowed in Division 1 &amp; Division 2 men\u2019s tennis is 4.5. Instead of only having 4 tennis players on full scholarship and one player on half scholarship, the coaches can divide out the equivalent of 4.5 scholarships among as many players as they want to.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>All D2, NAIA and NJCAA sports are equivalency sports as described above.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The higher the level your student wants to play (D1, D2), the earlier you should start the athletic recruiting process.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The more competitive the sport is at the collegiate level, the earlier you should start the athletic recruiting process<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 In general, this would mean that you should start the process earlier for headcount sports (in fully-funded D1 progams) since students are vying for full-ride athletic scholarships. Beyond that, you will want to look at the general information for athletic recruiting in the sport to see when the process usually starts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Athletic scholarships only cover one year at a time and most are not guaranteed to be renewed<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 In 2015, the power 5 D1 conferences (Big 10, Big 12, PAC 12, SEC and ACC), plus University of Notre Dame, voted to adopt a rule that keeps their student athletes from having their athletic scholarships taken away for any athletic reason. Other D1 schools and conferences can choose to follow this rule, but are not required to do so.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>It is not uncommon for a freshman to be recruited as a walk-on (<a href=\"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/5-things-parents-need-to-know-about-private-scholarships\/\">no scholarship<\/a>) with the \u201cpromise\u201d of a scholarship in later years or to be offered a scholarship that will cover less than 4 years.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is often how headcount sports attract more players than their allotted number of scholarships \u2013 they move the scholarships around from year to year among players who weren\u2019t their \u201ctop\u201d recruits.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Only about 2% of all high school athletes are awarded scholarships to play in college and only about 1% of all college athletes receive full-ride scholarships.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Unless your student is a natural \u201cphenom\u201d that coaches will seek out on their own due to stats and press coverage, your student is going to need to do the work to get recruited.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Finding Athletic Scholarships &amp; Getting Recruited<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In order to get athletic scholarship offers, your student needs to get recruited. Here are the overall steps recommended in order to get recruited.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Must Do:<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Research schools that offer your student\u2019s sport and may be a good academic fit<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 major college search sites like collegedata.com and the College Board\u2019s Big Future site allow you to search schools by athletics.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Have your student contact college coaches<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Start with an introductory email. I have included resources to help with this below. It\u2019s not that hard to find coach emails on the school\u2019s website and\/or athletic website. It\u2019s worth the time and effort to track down the specific coaches and send them personalized emails.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Get video footage of your child competing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 There are highlight videos and skill videos. Highlight videos tend to be most important because these are game\/competition footage that will allow college coaches to get an initial look at your student. You will want to post the videos and have your student send a link when emailing coaches.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Collect your child\u2019s stats<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 these will be needed for filling out college\u2019s online recruiting questionnaires, potentially inserting in the highlight video and filling out any free recruiting profiles<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Have your student register with the <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/web3.ncaa.org\/ecwr3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>NCAA Eligibility Center<\/b><\/a><b> if interested in D1 or D2 sports.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>If interested in D1 or D2 athletics, make sure you and your student understand the academic standards that must be met in order to be eligible to compete<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (you can find these through the NCAA Eligibility Center guide linked in the resources section below)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Have your student fill out online recruiting questionnaires for schools they are interested in<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 these can usually be found pretty easily by going to the school\u2019s athletics website, selecting your student\u2019s sport, and looking for a link to the recruiting questionnaire<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Have an official ACT\/SAT score report sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center by end of Junior year of high school<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (if looking to get recruited in D1 or D2)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Have your student\u2019s high school send their official transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center by end of Junior year of high school<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (if looking to get recruited in D1 or D2)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>If your student competes with a club team and the club offers recruiting services included in the club fees, take full advantage of this opportunity to help identify schools interested in your student athlete<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 they are not going to do all the work for you, but can be very helpful in making the right contacts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Make sure you understand the rules for contact with coaches in D1, D2 and NAIA sports.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optional:<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>FREE online recruiting profiles through services like NCSA, CaptainU, SportsRecruits, BeRecruited, etc.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 I do not recommend paying for any services offered through these sites, but it can be helpful to have a profile out there with a link to your student\u2019s highlight video in case a coach is searching for potential recruits on these sites<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>College sports camps, recruiting combines, and recruiting showcases<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 While not absolutely necessary, these are recommended in order for your student to get visibility from schools they are interested in. There is a cost involved so it\u2019s best to be selective and attend camps at the schools that your student is most interested in and\/or combines and showcases that have the best coach\/recruiter attendance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Utilizing a local recruiting expert who knows many colleges coaches and has seen your student compete <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013 There are some opportunities to hire someone local and reputable to help with your student\u2019s recruiting. Make sure this person has a long track record of success, will watch your student compete (multiple times), and will be contacting college coaches to talk up your player as someone to watch <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(this would be similar to a club\u2019s recruiting coordinator, but someone you are paying extra for)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. There\u2019s a huge difference between this type of contact and paying for a major online recruiting service. I\u2019m talking about someone who has a standing reputation in the sport, will get to know your student, and has ongoing relationships with college coaches.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not Necessary:<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Paying for athletic recruiting services through a large site like NCSA, CaptainU or others<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 These services will try to convince you that you need them in order for your student to get recruited. However, experts and coaches will tell you that they don\u2019t put much stock in these big and impersonal sites. They want to hear directly from students or from their coaches or club recruiting directors who know the student\u2019s abilities first hand.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><b>Spending money on expensive video creation services \u2013 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">College coaches will do just fine with video you shoot yourself as long as it is clear and steady and it is clear which athlete is yours. Also, make sure to take out the audio. Coaches don\u2019t need to hear the cheering and\/or parent commentary.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t Do:<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Parents, don\u2019t contact coaches for your student \u2013 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coaches expect the students to do the contacting themselves. The only other people coaches want to\/expect to hear from are your athlete\u2019s coaches, recruiting directors or any private recruiting experts you employ <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(see the last bullet under Optional for a description of the type of recruiting experts that you might want to consider and when they may be helpful)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Don\u2019t send mass emails through a recruiting platform \u2013 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recruiting platforms like SportsRecruits, CaptainU and others have the capability to do mass-emailing while automatically replacing the school name and a few other details. I\u2019m not saying this can never be done. However, most coaches can tell when an email is generic. They would much prefer to get an email from your student-athlete that speaks specifically to why they are interested in the school and the team. This will make the coach much more likely to pay attention and consider whether your student may fit with their program.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Helpful Resources<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncaapublications.com\/productdownloads\/CBSA19.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NCAA Eligibility Center Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsasports.org\/recruiting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NCSA College Recruiting Guide<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsasports.org\/recruiting\/contacting-college-coaches\/email\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Email College Coaches (and Sample Emails)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/exactsports.com\/blog\/sample-letters-from-athletes-to-college-coaches\/2018\/05\/16\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sample Letters from Athletes to College Coaches<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/usatodayhss.com\/2018\/recruiting-column-how-to-build-and-share-an-effective-recruiting-video\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Build and Share an Effective Recruiting Video<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/usatodayhss.com\/2017\/a-quick-parent-guide-to-getting-quality-video-for-a-highlight-film\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Quick Parent Guide to Getting Quality Video for a Highlight Film<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The college recruiting process is an exciting journey! These resources will help you get started. Make sure you and your student both have a realistic view of what division he or she is well suited for, both based on athletic talent and the demands involved. The NCAA Eligibility Center Guide linked above will help you understand the demands. If you don\u2019t know where your student\u2019s talent would put them, get an evaluation from a trusted source. It\u2019s best to start with school and club coaches and athletic trainers \u2013 make sure they are people who have seen your student compete in person (and hopefully know your student\u2019s personality and how they respond to coaching).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Good luck!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Athletic scholarships for college are often misunderstood and assumed to be more available than they are. The process to find these and market your athlete appropriately [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":53,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[6,97],"tags":[48,49,50],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/blog-img-4-600x400.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/blog-img-4-600x480.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Bill Rabbitt","author_link":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/author\/rabbs\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegeaidpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}