- Scholarships have been given to both male and female athletes since the early 1970's. An athletic scholarship is a financial award that will pay for all or part of the college tuition for the person awarded the scholarship. Athletic scholarships are largely awarded based on the student's abilities in a particular sport. Athletic scholarships are available at most colleges in the United States. In most other countries, however, this type of scholarship is not typical.
- Sports scholarships are almost always specific to one college or university. There are scholarships available, though, for nearly every single sport. While people may typically think of popular sports such as football, basketball or baseball, there are many scholarships provided on an annual basis to sports such as fencing, golf, tennis and even bowling. Some scholarships will pay the full tuition, including room and board, while others pay just partial tuition or award a lump sum.
-
There are thousands of athletes competing each year for the same, limited number, of available scholarships. Because of this, athletes should definitely not wait until the proverbial 11th hour to begin their search for one.
By freshman year of high school, an athlete should be actively involved in her chosen sport as well as other extracurricular activities. By sophomore year, an athlete should be checking into the NCAA requirements and stay on track with classes and GPA. It is not too early to begin scoping out possible schools at this time, either. - Even if you are the best athlete in your school, you are still up against hundreds or thousands of competitors. When applying for a sports scholarship, make sure you have other special talents and achievements to offer, such as good grades, leadership skills or even volunteer work. Have a backup plan for your schooling, as well, just in case that award does not come through.
- Many people assume that scholarships for athletes are all four-year free rides. In reality, the majority of athletic scholarships only cover part of most tuition. Because of this, students hoping for such a scholarship should plan and prepare for other ways to pay for school, such as grants, loans and academic scholarships. Another common misconception is that college coaches and recruiters seek out potential sports stars. In truth, most scholarship winners are the ones who initiate contact with the school.
