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Financial Aid
Home » Financial Aid » Scholarships » Athletic Scholarships
Many people look to scholarships to help them pay their way through college. While students who excel academically, especially in certain areas of study, will typically pursue scholarship options related to academic achievement, the athletic scholarship is still one of the most commonly sought-after monetary aids in the country. This also makes it extremely competitive to receive such funding, making finding success in winning the scholarships quite difficult.
You must start by excelling at a sport that has open scholarships, possess the drive to follow up and pursue any opportunities, and agree to perform well both academically and athletically once you are accepted on campus. The NCAA is the governing body over most college sports and the best way to receive an athletic scholarship, though it is also the most competitive.
Colleges are separated into 3 divisions regarding sports, and the NCAA doesn't give out scholarships for Division III schools, which are smaller and, while still competitive, have fewer sports teams and a smaller student body. The NCAA separates its incredible variety of scholarships into categories like Undergraduate, Post-Graduate, and Division. You may also receive scholarships directly offered through recruiters from individual colleges, if they have taken note of your ability in the sport in question.
One interesting scholarship also provided by the NCAA not directly related to sports ability but in the field of sports is the Freedom Forum NCAA Sports Journalism Scholarship program, which recognizes effort and supports talent in college students pursuing a career in sports journalism.
Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.