Graduating from high school is a rather difficult period in a student's life. This is the time when people have to make tough choices. Now it is especially important for students to pull themselves together and make several decisions. One of the dilemmas among students is the question of choosing between professional sports and higher education. In this regard, an indisputable advantage of US universities is the ability to combine education and sports. The system of scholarships at American universities allows students to combine these areas without any loss of efficiency, in sports or education.
College organizations
There are several student sports organizations in the United States, the largest of which is the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). The NCAA organization includes 1,281 universities and colleges, about 19,000 teams and almost half a million student athletes. There is a divisional system within the NCAA. There are 3 of them: Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3.
Division 1 is known for the Duke and North Carolina universities. Some athletes in this division make it to the top sports leagues (NBA, NFL, NHL, etc.) As for Division II and Division 3 colleges, they tend to put more emphasis on academics than sports for their student athletes. However, being a student athlete is challenging to work. They not only have to spend time on sports and training, but also attend classes and get high grades.
Scholarships
In order for a student to enter a college that is part of the NCAA, he should answer himself a couple of questions: how is he going to go to university, what sport he should choose, how strong is his desire to develop as an athlete, etc.
In Division 1 and 2, the NCAA spends approximately $2.9 billion annually on student scholarships. In the first division, the average scholarship is $14,500, in the second division approximately $6,000. Sports that give you the best chance of securing a place at college: Among men, fencing is considered the most popular sport. About 30 % of the students are engaged in fencing in the 1st and 2nd division. The second most popular sport for male students is gymnastics (about 19 %). Among women, fencing is also the most popular sport. About 38 % of students are engaged in it. The second place is taken by hockey (about 23%).
How to get a Sports Scholarship?
There are 33 sports in which you can get a sports scholarship in the United States:
- Acrobatics
- Archery
- Badminton
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Beach volleyball
- Bowling alley
- Cross-country running
- Cycling
- Equestrian sports
- Fencing
- Field hockey
- American Football
- Golf
- Sports gymnastics
- Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Rifle Shooting
- Rodeo
- Kayaking and canoeing
- Rugby
- Sailing
- Ski
- European Football (Soccer
- Softball
- Squash
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Athletics
- Triathlon
- Volleyball
- Water Polo
- Freestyle wrestling
Benefits of receiving a sports scholarship
There are 2 types of sports scholarships in the USA:
- The full ride scholarship covers the student-athlete's expenses not only for university tuition, but also for food and accommodation. In some cases, the full ride scholarship includes the cost of insurance.
- A partial sports scholarship covers the cost of training (either 100% or 50-90%). The student pays for accommodation and meals independently.
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 advantage in the form of financial support, a sports scholarship provides a number of other advantages: In contrast to the usual entrant, the athlete does not need to spend time and money on preparatory courses – to make up for the missing year of study at school. A certificate of 11 grades 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 the 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 – 3.5-4.0 points, for an athlete-2.8-3.5 points.
For both full and partial scholarships, the university's athletic department pays for the costs of sports activities at the university (equipment from the best sports manufacturers, such as Nike and Adidas; personal nutritionist; trips to guest games, etc.).
Participation in the guest games is a great opportunity to travel around the United States, get to know the culture of the country better. In the intervals between competitions and training, athletes will enjoy a rich cultural program: excursions to historical sights, visits to museums, restaurants. All this is again at the expense of the university.
How to get a sports scholarship to study at a US university?
US universities have the following requirements for applicants for sports scholarships:
- Age
American collegiate sports associations-NCAA( National Collegiate Athletic Association), NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association), which control university competitions, do not formally set age restrictions for athletes. However, in practice, it is quite difficult for a student over the age of 23 to get a scholarship. The optimal age of the applicant is from 15 to 20 years. It is highly recommended that you start looking for a scholarship 2 years before graduation or in the 1-2 year of study at a university – this significantly increases the chances of finding the best option and calmly preparing for passing all the necessary tests.
- English proficiency
For a foreigner, a prerequisite for admission to an American university is a good knowledge of English. As a documentary proof of language proficiency, universities accept the results of the TOEFL test. As mentioned above, passing points for athletes are usually 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. A graduate of a school will need the result of an academic SAT test, a certificate, as well as a list of grades for the 8th – 11th grade. If a student of a higher education 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 the results of exams, tests are not accepted.
After receiving a sports scholarship
A sports scholarship is one of the most stable types of funding available to an American university student. Unlike an academic scholarship, which can be lost for absenteeism or poor performance, 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 blatant violations of the terms of the contract.
Athletes are allowed to skip classes during away games, and if their academic performance falls due to competitions, they are offered free help from a tutor. Foreign athletes are also helped to learn the language and make a simplified schedule. By the way, if an athlete gets an injury that does not allow him to continue playing for the team, the university will pay for treatment. The scholarship will continue to be paid for the rest of the training period – these are the terms of the athletic contract.
In addition, sports activities at the university open up excellent prospects for professional implementation for the graduate. After graduation, an athlete who has proven himself well in intercollegiate competitions can continue his sports career or choose to work as a coach.
Many famous athletes began their ascent to the sports Olympus as part of the university team: basketball player Michael Jordan played for the University of North Carolina, golfer Tiger Woods played for Stanford University, and football player Dwayne Johnson once represented the University of Miami.
By the way, participation in inter university competitions will be useful for those who are not going to connect their lives with sports. Dedicated, team-oriented athletes are highly valued by recruiters around the world, regardless of the company's field of activity.
Of course, the main selection criteria for student athletes are their athletic achievements, reflected in a special athletic resume.
Final thoughts
It is not easy to get a scholarship to the top universities in America. It often happens that university scouts start looking at students at the age of 13. The best thing for a student is to establish contacts with coaches, scouts, students, and so on. It is not easy, but if the student knows what he wants, he will get it, despite the difficulties that lie ahead.
