Athletic Scholarships

THERE ARE OVER 380,000 STUDENT-ATHLETES IN THE UNITED STATES. OVER ONE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES AND

THOUSAND U.S. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIFTED

STUDENTS TO PLAY FOR THE COLLEGE TEAM AS A MEANS OF PAYING FOR THEIR

EDUCATION. ARE YOU READY TO COMPETE?

QUESTION: WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

Start early. The preparation and application process requires careful planning.
TIP: Use the do-it-yourself promotion websites at the end of this guide to help you assess
your level of athletic skill. EducationUSA advisers can help student-athletes ’find the right fit’.

2 Graduate from secondary school — “high school”. Find your country in the Academic Guide for International Student-Athletes and review the graduation requirements and minimum grade point average (GPA) for you.

3 Find a school:
a See NCAA sports for a list of U.S. institutions. Division I schools are most highly competitive and have the most scholarships available.

Explore these options:

        • Athletic scholarships are offered in most sponsored sports at the majority of NCAA Division II institutions (see link above);
        • Over 350 small-college athletics programs in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) also offer financial support for student-athletes;
        • Some of the 510 junior colleges in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) offer support for student-athletes.

b Find a school: Consider your academic and athletic goals.

c Ask your coach or other student-athletes for recommendations.

4 Register with the eligibility center. Fill out the “Student Release Form” for international students. For most international students, your certification status will be evaluated after your final academic records are completed and forwarded to the eligibility center. The cost to register is $85.

a Deadline: There are no deadlines to register. However, students must be certified before receiving a sports scholarship or practicing/competing at a NCAA Division I or II school.

5 Prepare to take the SAT or ACT (required for NCAA student-athletes). Achieve a minimum score. The minimum required SAT or ACT score must be achieved prior to registering and attending classes at a collegiate institution.

a NCAA Division I: Please see the Guide for the College-Bound-Student-Athlete and the minimum test-score requirements.

b NCAA Division II: A minimum 820 combined score on the SAT verbal and math sections, or a minimum sum score of 68 on the ACT is required.

c When taking the ACT or SAT, send your test scores to the eligibility center (the code is “9999”).

6 Draft a sports CV that includes your accomplishments within your sport.

a How to create a sports resume for specific coaches: The CV should be 1-2 pages and to the point, preferably in bullet point format, providing information about your achievements and goals. Include contact information, graduation date, intended major, and a few details such as SAT/ACT scores (or pro-jected testing dates), current GPA, and class ranking/size.

b See the resource links below for do-it-yourself promotion.

7 Write a cover letter to the head coach at each institution that explains both your academic and athletic abilities (this is where the sport CV comes in as an easy reference tool for athletic accomplishments).

8 Apply to as many U.S. colleges or universities as possible. Any questions about your application? See “Getting Started” or contact EducationUSA.

9 Good luck! College athletics can be one of the most rewarding and unique experiences in U.S. campus life.

10 Contact your EducationUSA adviser with questions.

Click here for the pdf source.

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