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Overview of Lessons: Athletic scholarships, one of the most recognizable forms of merit-based financial aid is governed in the United States by the NCAA(National Collegiate Athletic Association), which establishes the rules governing the type, number, and amount of athletic scholarships awarded annually by its member-institutions. However, the NCAA does not award athletic scholarships, but rather it establishes the academic qualifications and other eligibility criteria for student-athletes attending NCAA member-institutions as outlined in the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student Athlete. The NCAA oversees 89 championships in 23 sports where over 400,000 student-athletes compete, and is made up of three membership classifications known as:

  • Division I (346 colleges and universities), where students bypass the normal admissions process and work directly with the athletic department of the college
  • Division II(307 colleges and universities), where students typically receive a combination of merit-based (i.e., athletic scholarship) and need-based financial aid to make up their award package
  • Division III (439 colleges and universities), where no athletic scholarships are awarded and, students must qualify for admission through the normal admissions process. Students may receive a merit- and need-based financial aid package to cover all or a portion of the Cost of Attendance
  • Athletic scholarships are awarded to students directly by the colleges or universities in Division I or Division II

Lesson 1: Research the NCAA. The NCAA has strict recruiting guidelines and eligibility requirements for students to be awarded athletic scholarships.

Lesson 2: Research Best Colleges for Athletes. For the vast majority of athletes, choosing the right colleges is less about a pathway into professional sports and more about receiving a college degree, which may be partially or fully paid for as a result of their high school success as an athlete. Adjusting your Internet searches by using your sport and such phrases as “best colleges for” will assist in expanding your college list and college options.

Lesson 3:Research the NAIA. The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) has strict recruiting guidelines and eligibility requirements for students to be awarded athletic scholarships.

  • Read: Review the NAIA: http://www.naia.org
  • Read: Review the eligibility criteria: http://www.playnaia.org
  • Narrative: Write a narrative in response to the following prompts:
  • Do you currently meet the NAIA eligibility criteria?
  • What NAIA schools are you interested in contacting?

Lesson 4:Research the NJCAA. The NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) works with over 250 community and junior colleges.

  • Read: Review the NJCAA: http://www.njcaa.org
  • Read: Review the eligibility criteria: http://eligibilitycorner.njcaa.org
  • Narrative: Write a narrative in response to the following prompts:
  • Do you currently meet the NJCAA eligibility criteria?
  • What NJCAA schools are you interested in contacting?

Lesson 5:Market Yourself. College athletics is a multi-billion dollar business and college sports generate huge amounts of income for colleges. While elite athletes are actively scouted and recruited by college coaches, most athletes must market themselves for athletic scholarships by highlighting their athletic achievements to receive preferred college admissions status. Review some of the following websites and videos to expand your knowledge of the college recruiting process, how much work you are willing to invest in marketing yourself, as well as the pros and cons of paying a professional athletic recruiter to assist in marketing yourself to colleges and universities.