The Truth About Athletic Scholarships
What is your college recruiting goal?
For most people, the answer is, “To get a DI scholarship.” But what it should really be is, “To play at the right college.” If you can get an athletic scholarship at the right college, all the better. But if you get one at a school that’s really not a good fit, you’re not going to be happy.
Aiming for an athletic scholarship is a fine goal, as long as it’s secondary to finding the college that’s right for you academically and socially.
4 myths you have to understand:
Myth #1: Athletic scholarships are abundant – Reality: The NCAA severely limits the number of athletic scholarships a college team can offer.
Myth #2: College teams actually have every scholarship the NCAA allows – Reality: Even though a team might be allowed 10 scholarships, it may only have enough money to pay for 3 of them.
Myth #3: Most players who get scholarships get full rides – Reality: Actually, very few athletes get full rides. Often, the best players in the country are only on partial athletic scholarships.
Myth #4: Division I athletes get the most financial aid – Reality: DI athletes do get the most athletic financial aid. But the average DIII athlete gets more total financial aid. So a DI athlete might get a $5,000 athletic scholarship, while a DIII athlete might get a $10,000 academic scholarship.
What to do with this knowledge:
Now that we’ve looked at scholarship myths and realities, here’s how you should pursue the goal of playing at the right college and hopefully getting some scholarship money:
Review your colleges list. Ask yourself this question: “Do I honestly like this school or is the main appeal that they offer athletic scholarships?”
Remove the schools that don’t pass this test.
Send emails and build trust with the coaches at the colleges that are still on your list.
Once you’ve built some trust with the coaches, ask them what opportunities are available to pay for your education if you decide to go there. Leave the question open-ended, so you can talk about all kinds of scholarships, not just the athletic variety.
The golden full ride many athletes hope for may not be realistic, but here’s the silver lining: you’re much more likely to be happy at the college you end up attending. If it’s not all about athletic scholarships, you’ll make a much better decision.
Courtesy of Captain U
