How to get a juco basketball scholarship

Men’s Basketball Scholarships | How to Get a Basketball Scholarship

Less than one percent of high school athletes will go on to play NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball—but we already knew the competition was tough. Even though the odds of landing a scholarship are slim, it isn’t impossible. There are several competitive opportunities, from NCAA Division 1 to JUCO programs, where athletic scholarships are available. Division 1 college coaches offer headcount scholarships, meaning each player gets a full ride. NCAA Division 2, NAIA and JUCO programs, on the other hand, award equivalency scholarships. Coaches at these levels have a pool of athletic aid and they can distribute it to as many athletes as they want, so student-athletes could get partial scholarships. And while Division 3 college coaches can’t offer athletic scholarships, they still provide appealing financial packages that can cover a bulk of college costs.        

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NCAA basketball scholarships by division level

How to get a basketball scholarship

What are the odds of getting a basketball scholarship?

Can you play college basketball without a scholarship?

How many scholarships are available for men’s D1 basketball?

How to get a Division 1 basketball scholarship

Division 2 men’s basketball scholarships

Division 3 men’s basketball scholarships

NAIA men’s basketball scholarships

JUCO men’s basketball scholarships

Basketball scholarship requirements

Best colleges for basketball scholarships

How many full ride scholarships for basketball?

NCAA basketball scholarships by division level

When it comes to basketball scholarships, it’s important to understand the difference between a headcount scholarship and an equivalency scholarship. In NCAA Division 1, student-athletes receive headcount scholarships, which are full rides. In other words, coaches award exactly 13 full ride scholarships to 13 athletes, and they can’t distribute that money any other way. At the Division 2, NAIA and JUCO levels, college coaches offer equivalency scholarships. Coaches are given a pool of scholarship funds and they can distribute it to as many athletes as they want. Therefore, depending on the program, some athletes will receive partial scholarships at these levels. 

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How to get a basketball scholarship 

Every coach has a specific set of criteria they look for when recruiting student-athletes. Here are the most important aspects you should keep in mind as you search for scholarships:

1. Compete at the highest level possible: To accurately assess a recruit’s ability to compete in college, coaches want to see them play against high-ranked recruits from across the country. That’s why AAU is so popular among top-tier programs—it provides recruits with a chance to play at the national level. However, this level of AAU is the most expensive as recruits are often required to travel to several tournaments. While club basketball can help, it isn’t a necessary requirement to securing a scholarship. Varsity high school teams can also offer great competitive opportunities.
2. Compete in the summer during live periods: Scheduling conflicts make it difficult for college coaches to watch recruits play in-person during the regular season. So, they turn to live periods. These stretches in the offseason allow coaches to hit the road and scout several players at once. Bottom line: playing in front of college coaches in the summer is essential.
3. Attend elite camps: In addition to tournaments, college coaches also evaluate recruits at elite camps. These events, which can be invitation only, attract top talent and college coaches from across the country. There’s one caveat—camps at a Division 1 school tend to invite Division 2 or 3 coaches to attend, as well, but more likely than not, no other Division 1 programs will be in attendance. Make sure to attend camps at schools that are at the top of the target list.
4. Excel academically. Grades and test scores matter to college coaches. First, for divisions that offer equivalency scholarships, academic aid can ease the burden on the coach to provide athletic aid. More importantly, it speaks to a recruit’s character. Coaches know that students who work hard in the classroom are responsible, independent and will have a smoother college transition than those who don’t. 
5. Create a highlight film. The best way to secure an in-depth and in-person evaluation is by sending coaches highlight and game film. Highlight film acts as a first impression—it’s a quick way to show coaches a snapshot of the recruit’s skill set.
6. Be proactive. Despite what families may think, coaches don’t simply discover recruits. Unless they’re one of the very best players in the country, recruits need to do some work to get noticed by college coaches. This is especially important in basketball where student-athletes are still allowed to talk to coaches via phone when they’re the ones initiating the contact. Don’t sit around: research, email and call coaches.
7. Know your best college fit. Lastly, don’t forget to visit the college roster for every team on your target list. The last thing families want to do is waste their time emailing coaches at schools that aren’t a good fit. Here are a few things student-athletes should look at: the players who are in their position (are they seniors who are graduating?), athletic stats (how do they measure up?) and backgrounds (does the coach recruit from a particular region or tournament?)

What are the odds of getting a basketball scholarship?

In short: It isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either. From NCAA Division 1 to JUCO, there are 32,890 men’s basketball athletes across 2,009 programs. The odds of a high school basketball player making a Division 1 basketball roster is 105:1, and the odds of a high school basketball player making any college roster is 18:1.

Division 1 basketball is a headcount sport—so coaches have exactly 13 full-ride scholarships that they can award to 13 players. Division 2 is an equivalency sport, so coaches can award full scholarships or divide their funds and offer partial scholarships across athletes. If we break it down to these two NCAA divisions, it comes out to 10,773 athletes competing for 7,719 scholarships. From an NAIA perspective, we’re talking 4,616 athletes competing for 1,845 basketball scholarships. JUCO offers the most opportunity as these programs can award a maximum of 15 scholarships per team and the average team size is 15 players.

Can you play college basketball without a scholarship? 

Yes, but it is very unlikely. Basketball players on NCAA Division 1 teams who aren’t on a scholarship are called walk-ons. Some Division 1 schools hold tryouts where they bring on one to two walk-ons. But these players typically never see any actual playing time. Plus, recruits could be competing against an athlete who already has an established relationship with the college coach—some coaches will recruit walk-ons for their team, known as a “preferred walk-on.”

NCAA Division 2, NAIA programs and JUCO colleges are more willing to allow walk-ons to compete for roster spots—and even earn a scholarship. For example, a student-athlete could walk on to a Division 2 program their freshman year and then earn a scholarship the next year and year after as these coaches award partial scholarships and renew them on a yearly basis.

How many scholarships are available for men’s D1 basketball?

• Division 1 men’s basketball scholarships per team: 13
• Total # of men’s basketball teams: 353
• Avg. team size: 16 

NCAA Division 1 scholarships are hard to come by. Less than one percent of high school athletes will compete at this level. Each Division 1 men’s basketball program can award 13 full athletic scholarships. These scholarships, called headcount scholarships, cover all college costs, including tuition, housing, books, etc. After the 13 scholarships have been handed out, additional athletes can walk on to the team, but aren’t eligible for athletic aid.

How to get a D1 basketball scholarship

The first thing you need to know about NCAA Division 1 scholarships is that coaches recruit early. And we mean early—in some cases middle school. So, if a student-athlete is looking to land a Division 1 scholarship, they need to be on a coach’s radar before their junior year. Then, obviously, they need to be good. These are the best collegiate basketball players across the country and coaches are extremely selective when offering athletic scholarships. Elite Division 1 athletes rank nationally, such as making the ESPN Top 150 list. Less than one percent of high school athletes go on to play Division 1 basketball. 

Division 1 coaches typically find top recruits through AAU club teams as they roster top talent and compete nationally. But AAU ball is by no means the required path to competing in college outside of Division 1. Playing in tournaments over the summer is an important way to getting coach exposure. Another option is to attend an elite camp hosted by the college. In this case, families want to make sure they’re picking camps where the student-athlete is a good fit athletically and academically to maximize their chances of being evaluated. Remember that academics do matter to college coaches. The higher a recruit’s GPA and test scores, the more doors that will open for them. 

Most importantly, student-athletes need to be proactive. They should create a highlight film, obtain game film and create an online profile showcasing their stats and academic information. Then—and we can’t reiterate this enough—they need to contact college coaches. Send them an introductory email, follow up when it’s relevant and let coaches know when they’ll be calling. Basketball is unique in that student-athletes and coaches can talk via phone when the recruit initiates the contact. So, coaches aren’t allowed to call recruits, but if the student-athlete puts the work in and reaches out to them by phone, coaches can talk to them. If student-athletes aren’t hearing back, they might be reaching out to programs that aren’t an athletic fit. This is when families can lean on their high school or club coach to help them build a list of realistic target schools.

How many Division 2 men’s basketball scholarships are there?

• Maximum scholarships available per team: 10
• Total # of D2 men’s basketball teams: 313
• Avg. team size: 17

NCAA Division 2 coaches are allowed to award a maximum of 10 men’s basketball scholarships per team. Unlike NCAA Division 1, these are equivalency scholarships: college coaches receive a pool of athletic aid and they decide how many athletes receive athletic scholarships. Therefore, some players will be offered partial scholarships instead of full rides.

Division 3 men’s basketball scholarships

• Maximum scholarships available per team: 0
• Total # of D3 men’s basketball teams: 446
• Avg. team size: 18

It’s true that NCAA Division 3 schools can’t offer athletic scholarships. However, they do leverage other types of aid the recruit might qualify for, such as academic scholarships, merit-based aid and grants, to create a competitive scholarship package. Division 3 is mostly made up of small private schools, so they tend to have these kinds of funds readily available. In fact, 82 percent of all Division 3 athletes receive some form of aid. Student-athletes with high test scores and a strong GPA will benefit the most from Division 3 scholarships.    

NAIA basketball scholarships

Division 1

• Maximum scholarships available per team: 11
• Total # of NAIA D1 men’s basketball teams: 93
• Avg. team size: 20 

Division 2

• Maximum scholarships available per team: 6
• Total # of NAIA D2 men’s basketball teams: 137
• Avg. team size: 21

There are currently two basketball divisions within NAIA and they each award their own maximum number of scholarships. NAIA Division 1 offers 11 scholarships per team, while NAIA Division 2 offers six per team. However, the NAIA is set to combine these two divisions beginning with the 2020-21 school year, and at this time, each team can award up to eight scholarships. Furthermore, the NAIA will continue using the equivalency model where coaches receive athletic funds and decide how to distribute scholarships among athletes. Typically, to make the most of their recruiting efforts, coaches award multiple athletes on their team with partial scholarships. That does mean, however, that some student-athletes need to supplement with other types of aid, such as academic scholarships and need-based aid.

JUCO men’s basketball scholarships

• Maximum scholarships available per team: 15
• Total # of NJCAA men’s basketball teams: 430
• Avg. team size: 15

Junior college is not as cut and dry when it comes to men’s basketball scholarships. First, it depends on the division. There are three divisions within the NJCAA, and only Division 1 and 2 can offer athletic scholarships to basketball players. Even more, Division 1 is the only division that can offer a full ride. Division 2 is allowed to cover tuition, fees and books, but they can’t pay for housing. In addition to an athletic scholarship, both divisions will pay for an athlete’s transportation costs to and from the college by direct route once per year.  

Basketball scholarship requirements

Every potential NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 college-athlete is required to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center and submit their transcripts and SAT/ACT test scores and answer questions pertaining to their amateur status. In order to secure a roster spot and athletic scholarship, student-athletes must meet the academic requirements and be cleared by the Eligibility Center.

While the requirements differ slightly between Division 1 and Division 2, the overall method for determining eligibility is the same: student-athletes must pass 16 core courses throughout high school, maintain a minimum GPA in these core courses and pass the NCAA Sliding Scale. Learn more about the specific Eligibility Center requirements to better understand the GPA and test scores you need to qualify. 

What are the best colleges for basketball scholarships?

The key to securing a basketball scholarship is finding college programs that are the best athletic fit. Think about it this way—coaches are going to prioritize scholarships to their strongest players, so student-athletes need to find programs where they can make an impact right away. If a recruit’s athletic ability doesn’t quite match up, the coach is less inclined to offer a scholarship opportunity.  

To help you in your search, we’ve compiled a list of the best colleges for basketball scholarships across all the division levels. Recruits interested in these programs should visit the team’s roster to determine if they’re an athletic fit and learn more about the coach’s recruiting method, such as which areas they recruit in. Here’s a look into the best colleges within each level:

• Top men’s basketball colleges: University of North Carolina, UCLA, Stanford University, University of Michigan, University of Florida, University of Virginia, Princeton University, Duke University, University of California, Harvard University.
• Top D1 men’s basketball colleges: University of North Carolina, UCLA, Stanford University, University of Michigan, University of Florida, University of Virginia, Princeton University, Duke University, University of California, Harvard University.
• Top D2 men’s basketball colleges: University of California—San Diego, Bentley University, Point Loma Nazarene University, California State Polytechnic University—Pomona, Rollins College, Bellarmine University, California State University—Chico, Western Washington University, Truman State University, Grand Valley State University.
• Top D3 men’s basketball colleges: John Hopkins University, Emory University, Amherst College, University of California—Santa Cruz, California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Hamilton College, Pomona-Pitzer College, University of Chicago, Trinity University—Texas.
• NAIA: Asbury University, University of Michigan—Dearborn, Concordia University—Nebraska, St. Ambrose University, Bethel University—Indiana, Aquinas College—Michigan, College of the Ozarks, Loyola University New Orleans, Taylor University, Indiana Wesleyan University.
• JUCO (according to the NJCAA): Florida SouthWestern State (FL), Vincennes (IN), Coffeyville (KS), Ranger (TX), John A. Logan (IL), Casper (WY), Odessa (TX), Northwest Florida State (FL), Chipola (FL), South Plains (TX) 

How many full ride scholarships for basketball are there? 

In NCAA Division 1 basketball, coaches can offer a maximum of 13 scholarships per team. These are called headcount scholarships, also known as full-ride scholarships. The average NCAA Division 1 team rosters 16 athletes, so there might be three players on the team who walked on and don’t qualify for athletic aid.

At the Division 2, NAIA and JUCO levels, college coaches award equivalency scholarships. This means they can distribute their allocated athletic aid to as many players as they wish. Therefore, you’ll often find student-athletes on partial scholarships, especially at the D2 and NAIA levels. Even though JUCO programs offer equivalency scholarships, they receive a maximum 15 per team, which usually means athletes receive close to full-ride scholarships here.

However, not all college basketball programs are fully funded. For example, a Division 2 coach is allowed to offer a maximum of 10 scholarships per team, but their budget may only allow for seven. So the best way to fully understand your financial aid package opportunities is to connect directly with a college coach at a program you’re interested in—and the same goes for Division 3. Even though D3 coaches can’t award athletic scholarships, they can still work with the admissions department to create appealing aid packages for student-athletes.

Junior College Athletic Scholarships

There are many reasons athletes decide to go to a Junior College for their first two years.

• Grades need improvement.
• Financial reasons
• Live at home for the first two years
• Family reasons

If you play sports, are scholarships available? Can you attend school for free if you play? In our previous articles about scholarships, we have looked at Division 1 Athletic Scholarships, Division 2 Athletic Scholarships, Division III Scholarships (But Not Athletic Scholarships) and NAIA Athletic Scholarships. In each division full ride scholarships are rare. That is true with Junior Colleges (NJCAA/JUCO) as well. As in every other division, coaches have limited resources to divide among many players. I use two acronyms in this article:

• NJCAA stands for National Junior College Athletic Association
• JUCO stands for Junior College

This is the fifth in a five part series on the amount of scholarships actually available. Today we focus on Junior College athletic scholarships. There is no better place to get answers than from the coaches handing out those coveted scholarships.

Most sports in the NCAA and NAIA are Equivalency sports. For a full description of Equivalency sports are go to Little Known Secrets About Athletic Scholarships  At Junior Colleges all sports are head count sports.

Headcount sports are those in which any scholarship to a player, whether it is one dollar or a full scholarship, counts toward the program’s number of available scholarships.

The chart below details the Junior College athletic scholarships allowed by the NJCAA, the organization body for junior colleges. I have copied it from the NJCAA website. Junior colleges fall into one of three divisions. Don’t let this confuse you, these are not the NCAA divisions. These are NJCAA divisions.

Division	Scholarship Guidelines
Division I	Colleges may grant full athletic scholarships (tuition, books, fees, room & board), up to $250 in course required supplies and transportation costs one time per academic year to and from the college by direct route. Each sport has limits on the number of scholarships that can be granted.
Division II	Colleges may grant athletic scholarships, but scholarships are limited to tuition, books, fees and up to $250 in course required supplies. Each sport has limits on the number of scholarships that can be granted.
Division III	Colleges are not permitted to offer any athletic scholarships

This is a list of the maximum number athletic scholarships allowed by the NJCAA per sport.

The number of Junior College athletic scholarships allowed on rosters per sport is higher than the NCAA and NAIA, including NCAA Division I. That is amazing! In fact, several sports allow scholarships that are almost double the amount NCAA Division I allows. For you, that means there are more total scholarships available.

“A fully funded junior college has 3 full scholarships and 6 scholarships [these numbers reflect the 9 allotted scholarships available for tennis, other sports have different numbers: see chart above] that can cover only tuition, fees, and books. This is true for both the men’s and women’s teams. At TJC specifically, if a tennis player receives the second scholarship option then they only need to pay about $2,500 a semester. The cost of school is another reason why junior college can be a great option for many.”

Coach Dash Connell, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, of Tyler Junior College

If you are looking at junior colleges, ask what division they are in. The division dictates what athletic scholarships the school is able to give. A Division I school can cover room and board, but Division II schools cannot (again, please remember these are the NJCAA divisions not the NCAA).

“As a NJCAA Division II school, we are not allowed to pay for housing. We do have the capability to pay for athlete’s tuition, books and fees.”

Coach Matt Vavro, Women’s Basketball of Danville Area Community College

There are schools that provide the maximum scholarships allowed, but even at these schools there are athletes who receive no scholarship on the team as well.

“We like to carry 20-24 athletes that are the right fit for our team culture. Since NJCAA allows us as a DI program, 18 athletes on scholarship that does mean we have 2-6 athletes that are not receiving any scholarship. ”

Coach Steven Linamen, Women’s Soccer of Polk State College

“Simply the NJCAA only allows 18 players to receive any sort of athletic aid. With our roster this fall of 26 guys, this will mean at least eight will not be on athletic money. Also we do not offer full athletic scholarships. I always look to help the player get the best institutional package possible and then show them outside resources for scholarships and grants. College is an investment and there are lots of resources out there that many people don’t know about.”

Coach Rudy Roediger, Men’s Soccer of Andrew College

Many Junior Colleges provide the maximum number of athletic scholarships. However, schools do not have to use the fully allotted amount of scholarships per sport. The NJCAA does not require schools to offer fully funded scholarships to players. This means the amount and number of junior college athletic scholarships varies greatly. Junior colleges have a lot of discretion to meet the needs of students and stay within their limited budgets. Each junior college you look at will be a little different.

When is it good to be poor? Colleges meet the needs in different ways or in combinations of way. The three big ways for athletes to receive grants/aid; academic aid, athletic aid, and need based aid. There is also federal aid in the form of the Pell Grant, which is like a scholarship from the federal government based on need. If you receive need based aid and a Pell Grant, you have one small reason to be thankful you are poor. The Pell Grant can be enough to make a significant difference in the cost of college.

“As a division II NJCAA institution, we are only allowed to give tuition and fees, which totals out to about $1375 a semester. The Pell Grant goes on top of that, which is a need based grant. That dollar amount is based on their parent’s income.”

Coach Erin Smith, Softball of Coahoma Community College

Individual colleges have budget limitations.

Here are examples of budgetary limitations from colleges.

The NJCAA allows 24 fully funded softball scholarships. (See chart above.) Glen Oaks Community College is a small school that has to bring in enough revenue to operate. They cannot fully fund all of their players. The softball coach divides $9,500 among all of his players. Though amounts vary, this is typical for junior colleges.

“Being a small college we only get $9500 for the whole team. The breakdown is 0 to $1500 per player. The amount of financial aid a player receives depends on their ability and other financial aid they get in from the college and federal assistance.”

Coach Tom Muckel, Softball of Glen Oaks Community College

Dakota County Technical College addresses the needs of their players in a different way. Each athlete receives $1,000 in athletic aid toward their bill. The college helps them find other grants or aid to apply for and many are able to leave the community college debt free.

“Technically, the term is “grant in athletic aid”. We grant $1000 for our recruits on a $5500 annual cost. Once a student has applied we steer them to the many other ways they can reduce and eliminate bills or have the need to take on debt.  At the end of the day, the vast majority of our students leave debt free.  Most programs, including us do not have full rides.”

Coach Cam Stoltz, Men’s Soccer of Dakota County Technical College

“We are able to scholarship 24 athletes and since we are the Division I level, we can fully fund those 24. In our situation specifically, we are not fully funded. Most programs are not, therefore we need to take our allocations and disperse them as best we can to find the best student athletes we can find. Some years we aren’t able to spread the ‘wealth’ among 24 players and may only have 22 on scholarship. It is a difficult task for sure and in our program we hover in the 20+ for walk-ons. In a Utopian world I wish we could scholarship everyone, but we cannot of course. ”

Coach Jeff Brabant, Baseball of Miles Community College

Not all community colleges choose to give athletic aid. They may offer decent financial packages, but they are not in athletic money. The junior college may reward students with academic aid instead. Once again, academics are important in high school.  I have said this many times on this blog, and it is still true. There is more money in academics than there is in athletics. This is true for both junior colleges and four year schools.

If you are thinking you don’t need to worry about your grades because you are planning to attend a two year school, think again. You could save yourself thousands of dollars by taking academics seriously. Not to mention your future career options are much greater if you work hard in school. Athletics can only take you so far. Do you know even if you want to go into coaching, you would need at least a college degree? Most college coaches have a Master’s degree and a few have Doctorates. Work hard in high school and be eligible for academic aid.

“Our Students only get academic aid.”

Coach Enda Crehan, Men’s Soccer of Patrick Henry Community College

“We are allowed to give athletic scholarships based on a combination of academics, ability, and need. Student athletes are usually awarded a higher award package for higher academic performance. I want players to excel in the classroom. In addition, as an independent, residential, two year college; Andrew College does not have out-of-state costs for students making us competitive with a larger pool of student athletes.”

Coach Cory Harbinson, Women’s Soccer of Andrew College

“Between academic scholarships and athletic scholarships everything is typically covered for our players including: tuition, housing, meals, and books.”

Coach Garett Sherman, Women’s Basketball of Western Wyoming Community College

As of August, 2018 ten states provide free tuition for junior colleges to in-state residents. Some of these states have additional requirements. Arkansas requires the graduate to remain in the state for two years; if the graduate moves they must pay the state back. Many states require you to be a graduate of an in-state high school or homeschool.

There are now at least 17 states that offer free tuition for in-state community colleges and this list continues to grow. Here is a list that Forbes.com has put together.

If you live in a state with free tuition to junior colleges, you have an amazing opportunity to get an education. Take advantage of it!

After you complete two years of competition at a junior college, you will have two years of eligibility remaining at a four year institution. Transfer students are eligible for athletic scholarships. How much you get depends on how good you are.

Have you looked at junior colleges? Do you need a couple more years of academic preparedness? Can you afford the cost of a four year college? A junior college can prepare you to enter the workforce while providing two more years of competition in the sport you love. Or a junior college may be the perfect stepping stone to a four year degree. A junior college is a great option to consider.

If you want to be a college athlete at a two year or four year college,

Then the How to Get Recruited Guide will give you a step-by-step plan to turn your talent into offers. There’s a lot to learn about the recruiting process. How to Get Recruited condenses mountains of advice, and converts it to simple action steps that will get college coaches calling.

How to Get Recruited: Got Talent. Get a Plan. Get Recruited.

Please take a moment to help out your friends and teammates, by clicking on the “sharing is caring” buttons below.

Thanks,

Bryan

P.S. Come join our Facebook group, The Recruiting Code. This is the place to be for parents and coaches to talk about college recruiting. Come learn from each other, share stories and get information that will help your child become a college athlete.

Sports Scholarships at US Universities

Sports Scholarships from the US University is an opportunity to get a free or almost free higher education in the States while doing your favorite sport at the highest level.

Sports are an important part of the American education system. Each institution of higher education in the United States provides its wards with the opportunity not only for intellectual, but also for physical development. Students are offered fully equipped sports and gyms, stadiums, tennis courts, golf courses, swimming pools and other elements of sports infrastructure.

I must say that the attitude to physical education in US universities is more than serious. Students do not just periodically visit the pool or make a circle or two on the treadmill, they purposefully go in for this or that kind of sport, participate in interuniversity competitions, win prizes.

By the way, university team competitions are a big source of income for educational institutions. Let's say tickets for intercollegiate football games cost between $50 and $100. Both students and local residents come to watch the competitions.

However, for university games to be successful with spectators, participating teams must demonstrate a high level of professionalism. In other words, universities need strong athletes. That is why part of the money earned from competitions goes to provide sports scholarships at universities.

Since higher education in the United States costs a lot of money, scholarships that fully or partially cover the cost of education are a great way to attract to the university those guys who excelled in the sports field at school, which means that in the future they will be able to glorify their alma mater .

33 sports at 1500 universities in the US

There are 33 sports for which you can get an athletic scholarship in the US:

Approximately 1,500 higher education institutions participate in the Athletic Scholarship Program in the United States.

Athletic Scholarship Benefits

There are 2 types of Athletic Scholarships in the USA:

• The full ride scholarship covers the student athlete's expenses not only for university studies, but also for meals and accommodation. In some cases, the full ride scholarship includes the cost of insurance.
• Partial Athletic Scholarship (partial scholarship) covers tuition costs (either 100% or 50-90%). The student pays for accommodation and meals on his own.

The amount of the scholarship is determined individually based on the level of sports and academic training of the applicant.

In addition to the obvious benefit of financial support, a sports scholarship provides a number of other benefits:

• Unlike an ordinary applicant from Russia, an athlete does not need to spend time and money on preparatory courses to make up for the missing year of schooling. A certificate of 11 classes of education is enough to get a sports scholarship and enter an American university.
• The requirements for SAT and TOEFL results for athletes are lower than for other students, which greatly simplifies the admission procedure. For example, at the University of Miami, an ordinary student must pass SAT for 1200-1300 points, TOEFL for 80 points, an athlete - SAT for 700-900 points, TOEFL for 60-70 points. GPA for an ordinary student is 3.5-4.0 points, for an athlete - 2.8-3.5 points.
• For both full and partial scholarships, the cost of sports at the university (equipment from the best sports manufacturers such as Nike and Adidas; personal nutritionist; trips to away games, etc.) is paid by the athletic department of the university.
• Participation in guest games is a great opportunity to travel around the US and get to know the culture of the country better. During the breaks between competitions and trainings, athletes will have a rich cultural program: excursions to historical sights, visits to museums, restaurants. All this is again at the expense of the university.

How do I get an athletic scholarship to study at a US university?

Requirements for candidates applying for an athletic scholarship at an American university differ depending on the age of the athlete.

Sports scholarship requirements
Athlete age	Required documents	Tests	Sports achievements
15-18 years old (10-11 grade students, college students)	Certificate for grade 11 Grades for grades 8-11 Certificate for grade 9*	SAT TOEFL	Athletic summary by sport Video* National and international athlete ratings
18-20 years old Students of Russian universities (1-3 courses) We strongly recommend that you start looking for a scholarship 2 years before graduation or at the 1-2 year of study at a Russian university - this greatly increases the chances of finding the best option and calmly preparing for passing all the necessary tests. Knowledge of English For a foreigner, a prerequisite for admission to an American university is a good knowledge of English. Universities accept TOEFL test results as documentary evidence of language proficiency. As mentioned above, the passing scores for athletes, as a rule, are lower than for all other applicants - this greatly facilitates the admission process. Academic performance US universities are interested in the academic performance of an athlete - however, the requirements for an athlete's grades are much softer than for the GPA of an ordinary applicant. From a graduate of a Russian school, you will need the result of the SAT academic test, a certificate, as well as a list of grades for grades 8-11. If a student of a Russian higher educational institution enters an American university, instead of the SAT results, he must submit a certificate from his university, indicating the number of hours and grades for the disciplines passed. At the same time, American universities are only interested in exam results, credits are not accepted. Sports achievements Of course, the main criterion for the selection of athletic students is their sports achievements, reflected in a special athletic resume. Specialists of the Global Dialog company will help you to compile this document competently. How does Global Dialogue help in obtaining sports scholarships? The procedure for obtaining a sports scholarship with the help of Global Dialog is as follows: At the preliminary stage, the company's specialists get acquainted with the athlete and his parents, analyze his chances of obtaining funding: which universities should be chosen, what type of scholarship awaits the student. After the acquaintance has taken place, the athlete receives instructions that detail what documents he needs to collect and how to properly complete them so that the Global Dialog manager can continue to work. Instructions from Global Dialog include: an example of a resume detailing sports results; instructions for shooting video (if necessary) - requirements for length, plot, etc.; SAT and TOEFL registration information; instructions for school documents; instructions for registration in athletic associations. If the applicant is in Moscow, then the Global Dialog specialist will fill in and send the documents. If the applicant lives in another region, then the manager of the company advises the client on sending papers. Having received from the athlete all the necessary papers, as well as copies of Russian and foreign passports, Global Dialog compiles the client's athletic profile and sends it to the database of university coaches. After receiving several answers, the student receives the contacts of the trainers and enters into correspondence with them. After talking with the athlete, the coach decides whether he is ready to take this person to his team, and if so, on what conditions (amount and type of scholarship). While the applicant is in correspondence with the coaches, Global Dialogue finds out the specific requirements for applicants-athletes at the selected universities. At the same stage, the athlete begins preparing for the test. When the tests are passed, the student finally decides on the university in which he will go, submits an application for admission and signs a contract for a scholarship. Finally, having received an i-20 (a document confirming admission to the university), with the help of the Global Dialog manager, the athlete issues a student visa and goes to study. After receiving an Athletic Scholarship An Athletic Scholarship is one of the most stable forms of funding available to an American university student. Unlike an academic scholarship, which can be lost for absenteeism or poor progress, a sports scholarship is allocated for the entire period of study at the university - 4 years, and it is quite difficult to lose it. As a rule, athletes are deprived of funding only for flagrant violations of the terms of the contract. Athletes are allowed to miss classes during away games, and if performance drops due to competition, they offer free tutoring. Foreign athletes are also helped to learn the language and make a simplified schedule. By the way, if an athlete gets injured that does not allow him to continue playing for the team, the university will pay for the treatment. The scholarship will continue to be paid for the entire remaining period of study - these are the conditions of the athletic contract. In addition, sports at the university open up excellent prospects for professional development for the graduate. After graduation, an athlete who has proven himself in intercollegiate competitions can continue his sports career or choose to work as a coach. Many famous athletes started their ascent to the sports Olympus as part of the university team: basketball player Michael Jordan played for the University of North Carolina, golf player Tiger Woods played for Stanford University, and football player Dwayne Johnson once represented the University of Miami. By the way, participation in interuniversity competitions will also be useful for those who are not going to connect their lives with sports. Purposeful, team-oriented athletes are highly valued by recruiters around the world, regardless of the company's field of activity. Find out your chance of a scholarship US University Athletic Scholarship US University Athletic Scholarship is the dream of every American sports student. However, talented applicants from any country can study for free at a university in the States. You can think about getting a sports scholarship if you achieve great success in sports. It does not matter in what specific form it is - you can always find a scholarship for yourself. The main difference between a sports scholarship and an academic scholarship is that it is enough to simply submit an application for the latter, indicating the applicant's interest in obtaining funding for education and / or accommodation for the period of study at the university. And in order to qualify for an athletic scholarship, you must actively and successfully participate in the sports life of your educational institution. Choosing a university It is better to start looking for a university that provides scholarships to athletes in advance - one and a half, or even two years before admission. To begin with, it is necessary to narrow the circle - to select a maximum of 50 universities. This can be done, for example, using this site, where, according to the parameters indicated by the student, the system makes a selection from suitable educational institutions. There are also sports-specific websites. For example, tennis or swimming. Then there is the question of choosing a sports association and division. Sports associations There are several sports associations in the USA. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the largest association with more than 900 higher education institutions. Here you can: find all the necessary information about recruiting, rules and application procedure find universities and colleges of the first, second or third division learn all about possible financial assistance. National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) - this includes a smaller number of universities - about 350 - but there are good sports programs and athletic scholarships. National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) - Only two-year colleges are represented here. Divisions There are three divisions in total. The first and second are large universities with a large number of students and considerable scholarship budgets. They themselves allocate funds to support successful students in sports. The third is small, not very popular educational institutions, whose sports funding is small. Division III colleges and Ivy League universities do not provide athletic scholarships as such from athletic associations. However, they receive funding from other sources. This, in turn, enables them to provide financial support to their students. Obviously, the easiest way to get into the universities of the third division. Due to their low popularity, there are few up-and-coming athletes. It will also be easier to get into a non-popular university in the first division than to get into a university that is among the top thirty in the rankings of the second. After choosing a division and an association, you must register with the certification center of one or more associations: NCAA or NAIA. US University Athletic Scholarship: How to get it The Athletic Scholarship is provided by the university's sports department, in which the athletic director and coaches have the lead and final say. For those living in the US, getting an athletic scholarship is not as difficult as it is for others. So, a recruiter should get to a game or performance - a person who attends games or performances to search for talented students in sports. If a student lives in another country, and, accordingly, he does not have the opportunity to invite a recruiter to a match or competition, after choosing a university and registering in one of the sports associations, you must write a motivation letter to the coaches of the selected colleges, accompanying it with evidence of your sports achievements. Perhaps the most convenient way would be to shoot a short video about them and put it on the network, and then insert a link to it in your letter. It's very visual. In addition, a video on the Internet is not a material medium, so it will not be lost anywhere. It is important that the video be memorable and short while demonstrating the candidate's outstanding training results. If a university is interested in a candidate for a future scholarship holder, a trainer or sports director usually contacts the applicant within a month. If the answer never came, you can remind yourself: call or write to the college, ask if they received the previous letter. Usually colleges and universities have departments for working with foreign students. It is with them that you should contact in case of delay in the consideration of documents. Contacts can always be found on the official website of the educational institution. It is interesting that receiving an offer to play for a university and giving an athlete a scholarship does not mean admission to the university itself and does not even guarantee that the applicant will be accepted. Therefore, no one canceled a good level of academic preparation and the usual procedure for entering a college. To enroll in the university, the scholarship holder will need to pass exams and collect the necessary documents. Summary. In addition to the basic information, you need to indicate your physical data and qualities, the history of sports achievements, participation in competitions for the team of the school, city, and so on, information about the coach and other additional information. Documents on education (certificate and/or diploma with attachment) translated into English and notarized. Transcript - a document listing and describing the courses taken, the number of hours listened and grades. In America, it may be called CRF (Cumulative Record File), Permanent Record, Academic Transcript or College Transcript. Only a few Russian educational institutions issue such documents. Therefore, it is possible that you will have to make a transcript yourself. SAT results. The Scholastic Assessment Test is a standardized test that must be passed for admission to higher education institutions in the United States. This exam is administered by the non-governmental organization College Board. You can take it up to seven times a year in the country and up to six times a year outside it. In Russia, three specialized centers for passing the SAT are located in Moscow, in Ukraine - in Kyiv. You can register, view the schedule and learn more about the SAT on their official website. Most likely, you will also need to pass the TOEFL, a language exam that confirms a certain level of English proficiency. However, some educational institutions accept students without this certificate. Athletic scholarship at a US university: features In fact, an athletic scholarship is a contract between an athlete and a university. The athlete competes for the college, and the college pays for this by paying for his education. The list of sports funded by scholarships is quite wide: from basketball and rowing to fencing and lacrosse. Of course, not all universities have scholarships for all sports. Most often, universities specialize in some specific ones, which can be found on the official website of the educational institution. Athletic scholarships are officially awarded for one year. To prolong them, you must: annually prove your sports achievements to the coach help the varsity team compete successfully. Learn more How to dribble a ball in basketball How to widen basketball shoes How to get grip on new basketball shoes How many players are there in basketball game How to make a diy mini basketball hoop How to improve confidence in basketball How many overtimes in ncaa basketball How to become a basketball referee in texas How to make a free throw in basketball How to be a strong basketball player How much does it cost to rent a basketball court