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Athletic ScholarshipsVisit Scholarship Experts today to start your scholarship search! Athletic scholarships for sports minded students are an excellent way of obtaining free money for college. There is a wide selection of collegiate sports for which scholarships are offered from archery to wrestling. Football, baseball and basketball are not the only sports for which colleges offer education funding for student athletes. In funding college education for athletically minded students, there are three major entities that offer scholarships: National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Independent Junior colleges and colleges - Not associated with either th NCAA or NAIA. NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association, created in 1905 by President Teddy Roosevelt, is the premier organization in the U.S. that provides college funding through athletic scholarships. It regulates all aspects of competitive college athletics. In addition, it coordinates with hundreds of top colleges and universities in the United States in offering scholarships and handles the recruiting. (Google NCAA for more information and free publications on scholarship opportunities.) NAIA The National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics is the alternative organization governing college athletics for several hundred colleges in the U. S. and Canada. Like the NCAA, member colleges of NAIA provide college funding by offering athletic scholarships and financial assistance. The recruitment process of NAIA is less stringent than the NCAA allowing coaches more leeway in making direct contact with prospective students. (Google NAIA for details about their programs.) Independent Junior Colleges and Colleges Many junior colleges and colleges that are not members of either NCAA or NAIA also offer education funding through scholarships to student athletes. Contact individual institutions for information on their offering. How to Begin Once you have determined you have a good chance of receiving an athletic scholarship, start searching NCAA and NAIA websites on various scholarships being offered by member schools. You should begin early in the search process. Most recruiters start scouting prospective players who are in their freshman year of high school. In high school your goal is to be noticed and considered as a promising talent by recruiters. Pointers • Be knowledgeable about the bests schools for your sport. • Try to stay in the limelight and get noticed. Network with coaches and journalists. College recruiters and coaches are always looking for promising athletes. • Prepare a concise resume that includes not only basic information about yourself and your achievements but also what contributions you can make. • You can get more tips through Internet sites of online recruiters. Some of the more popular Internet sites are The Sport, Source, College Bound Student Alliance, and Scout USA. It is important to remember that you are going to college to get an education. You should be realistic about your abilities. Of the legions of college athletes, only a small handful actually make it to the professional ranks.
In addition to athletic scholarships
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