How to get a College Volleyball Scholarship

For those students that are talented in Volleyball or excel at the sport, there is an opportunity to attend college by obtaining a college volleyball scholarship.

volleyball-scholarships
Volleyball Scholarships

For those students that are exceptionally talented in Volleyball, or excel at the sport, there is an opportunity to attend college by obtaining a college volleyball scholarship. The NCAA typically hands out these athletic scholarships, and private community volleyball scholarships are handed out by different organizations and businesses. Obtaining an official full ride volleyball scholarship is very hard, but it can be achieved with hard work and determination. Women have a much easier time obtaining a volleyball scholarship, simply because more schools have women’s teams versus schools that have men’s teams. Two hundred and forty seven schools have volleyball teams for females whereas only twenty-three schools have male volleyball teams.

HOW TO GET A VOLLEYBALL SCHOLARSHIP
Make no mistake, getting a volleyball scholarship is very competitive and a tough road. For starters, obtaining a scholarship in volleyball will be easier if you’re a woman because there will be more schools offering these sport scholarships, but keep in mind there will be more applicants too. The first and most obvious thing you need to keep in mind is that you need to have exceptional performance in the game of volleyball. No school is going to offer you a scholarship for volleyball if you have a average performance in volleyball, no matter what your GPA is or your financial need. Second, you need to have strong academics in addition to showing promise in the sport itself. If you’re the world’s best volleyball player, but have lousy grades, don’t expect to get too many calls in regards to potential athletic scholarships for volleyball, or any other sport.

VARIOUS TYPES OF SCHOLARSHIPS FOR VOLLEYBALL
There are two main types of volleyball scholarships available. The first, and the most desired type, is an official NCAA full ride scholarship. These scholarships are sought out because they offer four full years of college for free. The NCAA governs these college volleyball scholarships and there are a limited number available. To qualify for them, you need to have excellent skills in the game of volleyball in addition to being an outstanding student. Each division I school is only given about ten athletic scholarships to hand out each year, so competition can be fierce. The other type of volleyball scholarship is a community scholarship. This is one that isn’t governed by the NCAA and is oftentimes part ride, and less competitive. They never give out the full tuition amount, but rather a portion. You need to have great grades and perform excellent in volleyball to be eligible for a community scholarship. Companies and organizations often sponsor them.

EXAMPLES OF COMMUNITY VOLLEYEBALL SCHOLARSHIPS
Davis Law group Scholar Athlete Program – This scholarship fund was started by the Davis Law Group and it works to recognize outstanding student scholars in the community who excel at both sports and academics. Anybody who plays a sport while in High School is eligible for this scholarship, and volleyball is no exception. Deadline to apply for this potential volleyball award is March 1st and the stipend can range from a few hundred dollars up to $5,000.
Southampton College – LIU Academic Awards –Southampton College has been handing out LIU awards for countless years. These awards go to high school students who are great at sports but who show they can balance their athletic life with social and academic lives. Qualifications are based on your financial need, your SAT and ACT scores, GPA in high school, and your course load. Deadline for applying varies, but generally spring is the best time. This fund gives out anywhere from $5,000 all the way to full tuition. This would make a perfect college volleyball scholarship.
World Sport Chicago Scholarship – World Sport Chicago embodies the hopes and dreams of the athletes who are going to be competing in the Paralympics in 2016. This fund is setup to support the academic and athletic dreams of Chicago’s inner city youth. In addition to providing money, this other potential volleyball scholarship also provides guidance and education to help further young people’s lives. The deadline for application is usually in the springtime and the amount awarded can range anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000.

Soccer Scholarships for College

How to Get a Tennis Scholarship for College

If you’re an exceptional tennis player, then you may be in line for receiving a tennis scholarship for college just for playing tennis while in high school.

Tennis-Scholarship
Tennis Scholarship

If you’re an exceptional tennis player, then you may be in line for receiving a tennis scholarship for college  just for playing tennis while in high school. Each year there are thousands of official NCAA scholarships handed out for tennis to many colleges across the country. If you’re a great tennis player, have a high grade point average, and help out around your community, you have a chance of obtaining one of these prized scholarships for tennis. Unlike most athletic scholarships, an official NCAA tennis scholarship is full ride, meaning it pays for all four years of your college education, meaning you can graduate debt free. Let’s take a closer look at how to get a tennis scholarship for college.

NCAA SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TENNIS
The most sought after type of tennis scholarship is undoubtedly the NCAA scholarship for sports. NCAA  athletic scholarships are the official tennis scholarships that are offered through colleges to prospective players. Obtaining a full ride scholarship through the NCAA can be a long and tough road, but with some determination and wittiness, it is possible.

To start things out, you need to have drive and motivation to achieve your goal. Obtaining an NCAA scholarship isn’t easy, and you’ll need to work hard. You need to show great performance on the tennis court. If you can make it to state and nationals, you are well on your way to obtaining a NCAA scholarship. Second, you need to be sure your coaches and advisors know your plans. Tell them that you’re pursuing a NCAA scholarship for tennis and ask them to help you with your goal. More than likely they will be more than happy to help. Finally, you need to have great academic records. A high grade point average will make it so much easier to obtain a scholarship than a low grade point average.

COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TENNIS
There is another type of athletic scholarship available besides the NCAA scholarship, and this is a community scholarship. A community scholarship is simply one that has been offered through the community, usually a local business, corporation or organization. Finding community scholarships can be difficult, but with the help of an advisor or guidance counselor, they can become a goldmine for college financing. Community sport scholarships usually have less stringent requirements than official NCAA scholarships, and therefore are much easier to obtain. On the other hand, community scholarships hardly ever offer full ride money, meaning you will need to obtain many scholarships to finance your college education.

OTHER UNKNOWN SCHOLARSHIPS
The final category of tennis scholarships is “other scholarships.” These are unknown scholarships that have been in place for many years and have become sort of a tradition. Oftentimes, these random scholarships are financed by organizations and corporations to improve their standing in the public and increase their awareness to the general population. Below are some examples of other little known about scholarships for tennis sponsored by organizations or corporations:
USTA Tennis & Education Foundation – USTA Tennis is a nationally known organization that advocates for tennis and promotes tennis throughout the country. Each year, they give out money towards students who are interested in playing tennis in college. The main qualifiers for this tennis scholarship include your grade point average, your tennis aptitude, and your community outreach activities. Applications are due February 4th or each year.

SAMMY Awards – The SAMMY awards are presented to student athletes in grade 12 who show promise in both their academics and their athletic abilities. Each year, the foundation chooses 25 student athletes who will receive the grand prize of $7,500 that can be put towards your college education. Applications are due March 4th.

Kyle R. Magoto Scholarship Fund – This is a very localized fund and is available only to those students who are graduating from Shelby Co. High School in Ohio. To be eligible, you must have at least 2 years of tennis experience, plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree in educational studies, and have a 3.0 grade point average or higher.

Soccer Scholarships for College

Soccer is a sport that is gaining popularity in the United States, and now there are many soccer scholarships for college awarded on the basis of playing soccer.

soccer-scholarships
Soccer Scholarships

Soccer is a sport that is gaining popularity in the United States, and now there are many soccer scholarships for college awarded on the basis of playing soccer. These sport scholarships for soccer are awarded to high school students who show exceptional ability when playing soccer and who show prowess in the classroom and in the community as well. In order to obtain a soccer scholarship, you need to show exceptional skills in soccer and come from the right school as well. In addition, you need to be committed to other activities, such as volunteering, community service, and employment.

The full ride scholarships that are awarded by the NCAA are very competitive, and each Division I school awards about ten scholarships per year, meaning they are scarce and hard to come by. In addition to the official NCAA scholarships, individual organizations offer other college soccer scholarships, although these usually aren’t full ride and only cover a part of tuition, but they also have less competition.

HOW TO GET A SOCCER SCHOLARSHIP
A full ride NCAA soccer scholarship is very hard to obtain, but with the right mix of soccer skills, people skills, and determination, you can be well on the way to going to college for free because of your soccer ability.
1. Be an excellent soccer player – This is the most obvious step to follow. Being a great soccer player is a good way to get on the road to obtaining a scholarship. Be early to every practice, encourage your teammates during the games, and be a team leader. Make sure you study the game and be in great shape for every game.
2. Go to the right High School. If you’re thinking about trying to obtain a athletic scholarship, then going to the right high school is key. You need to go to a high school that has a long and storied soccer program with a great coach and great players. These are the schools that usually attract the scouts, and they are feeder schools for college programs. If you attend a school that doesn’t have a well known soccer program, your chances of receiving a sport scholarship decrease dramatically.
3. Be active off the field. Being a great player and going to the right school isn’t enough to secure a soccer scholarship. You also need to be active in your community, doing volunteer work, and community service. Also, having a high GPA helps tremendously when applying for soccer scholarships.

COMMUNITY SOCCER SCHOLARSHIPS
These are scholarships that aren’t regulated by the NCAA and are awarded by various organizations for outstanding performance on the field and off the field. These are often part scholarships, meaning they offer less money than a full ride and therefore are less competitive.
• Alfred State College Athletic Talent Grant –This soccer scholarship is awarded to players who show promise in the sport of soccer while in high school. This athletic scholarship is given preference to those that have a high GPA and show financial need. The deadline varies, but is generally in the springtime.
• LIU Academic Awards – These scholarships for soccer are awarded to scholars who excel both in the classroom and on the field. The award ranges in price from $5,000 up to full tuition, making it more competitive than other sport scholarships. To be considered, you must have a high GPA, high SAT/ACT scores, top 10% of class rank, and a heavy course load. In addition, being great at soccer helps immensely.
• SAMMY Awards – The value of working hard is evident in the SAMMY awards. For those students in grade 12 who show great prowess on the field, in addition to great academic work, have a great chance of receiving a SAMMY award. The application is due March 1st and the value of each award is $7,500.

Obtaining college soccer scholarships requires commitment, dedication and determination, but the reward of attending college for free is wonderful. You need to be a great soccer player, be involved in your community, and most of all, excel in your academic studies.

Athletic Scholarship Hopefuls – You Need a Solid Back-Up Plan

Have you been banking on a full ride athletic scholarship since that day you carried your league team to victory? Have a sport scholarship back up plan.

Athletic Scholarship
Athletic Scholarship Backup Plan

Have you been banking on a full ride athletic scholarship since that day you carried your little league team to victory? Are your parents depending on your sports participation to pay for your college education? Many athletes and their families are counting on sports scholarships, and that may not be the safest plan for funding your education. Any athlete would be wise to have a secure back-up plan if they are thinking on landing athletic college scholarships because injuries can cancel any hope for a sport scholarship of any kind.

Even if you do receive a sport scholarship, keep in mind that a hard earned athletic scholarship can be easily lost. A number of unforeseen incidents could keep you from playing, including illness, injury, character issues, failing grades or any number of other circumstances. Or perhaps you merely lose your desire to play. The school could be facing budget cuts or other financial setbacks. Sometimes not gaining a sport scholarship (or having it renewed) can be a blessing in disguise. Remember, playing on the team is not the reason you go to college. Athletic participation helps you get to college so that you can develop a successful career and a productive lifestyle. Few college players end up in the pros. After college many jocks find that they have to develop a Plan B anyway. It is good to have one going in rather than face graduation with no contingencies.

Below are some things to consider as you plan for sports participation in college. You should be able to find a couple of good suggestions for beginning to develop your “Plan B” if you happen to miss out on that athletic scholarship.

Consider how your sports participation prepares you for the future!

One thing to ask yourself is how much you actually want to play. College sport programs are much more intense than high school. In high school, playing sports enhances your lifestyle; in college, sports becomes your life. You will have very little time left for dating, travel, even studying. If you receive an athletic scholarship, you will be required to ‘work for your money.’ You should also be able to be objective about the level of your talent. Sports scholarships are actually far less common than you might think. There are many more players in all sports than there are scholarships available. Other types of scholarships may get you to college better than an athletic scholarship.

Consider your REAL chances for an athletic college scholarships!

So how many sports scholarships actually exist? It might come as some surprise that there are few “full ride” scholarships awarded. Most only cover part of the costs of college. And the sports scholarships are usually renewed year to year. We’ve done a little research and found that more than one million students play football in high school. However, there are roughly only about 19,500 football scholarships awarded by the NCAA. And that is just football. The numbers have the same wide margin of availability with most other sports.

Consider a smaller college!

When high school athletes think of sports scholarships, usually NCAA schools come to mind. The NCAA (National College Athletic Association) is highly influential on all areas of college athletics, including the distribution of scholarships for athletics. However, it is less widely known that several other athletic organizations exist, and oversee monies for sports scholarships. There are about three hundred smaller colleges whose sports programs are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. (NAIA) Other college sport organizations include; the National Junior College Athletic Association, the national Christian College Athletic Association and the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. Each of these organizations has a website that lists the names of affiliated higher education colleges and smaller universities.

Try applying to a smaller school that competes in your sport for financial assistance other than an athletic scholarship. Then let them know you can play and that you are good. Many of these colleges have grant money, or work study money available, or merit awards or other scholarships to award students. They may want you on their team, and can help you with college financial assistance.

Consider a community college!

Another alternative would be to attend a two year community college for one or two years and then transfer to university. These colleges typically do not offer athletic scholarships; however they do offer scholarships, grants and merit awards. Even if you do not qualify for a scholarship, most community colleges are much more cost effective than larger universities. If the college has a sports program, you can gain valuable experience in your sport, as well as gain social and physical growth and begin working on a good GPA. This extra year out of high school might result in just enough experience that an athletic scholarship to a university could be within reach.

Consider academic and merit scholarships as alternative for sports scholarships!

Because it is important that student athletes concentrate on academics first, there is a good chance that you can still get to college with a financial aid other than an athletic scholarship. You will still have the opportunity to play – anyone can try out for the team – but it would not be all consuming, and you will be more prepared for life after college.

Consider (gasp!) not being on the team at all!

If you love your sport, there are many other ways to play. Business, church, and community leagues offer ample opportunity to participate in sports, and these organizations often have scholarship programs that are not affiliated with ability, but with participation. Involvement in community leagues also looks good on your resume. If you go to college with other types of financial assistance, you can play intramural sports without the pressure of practices, schedules and performance. I know that many of you don’t want this, but you may not make the team anyways.

Consider all possible scenarios!

Ability to play will not gain you an athletic scholarship if your grades or character will not allow you to attend college at all. Begin a portfolio or resume with all contact information, name, address, e-mail and phone. Include the name of the high school and all athletic team participation. Include academic information, extra-curricular, (other than sports) and community involvement. Keep tangible evidence of all activity, both athletic and non-athletic, including newspaper clippings, awards and certificates. High school transcripts, your ACT and/or SAT scores are absolutely necessary. Include potential plans for the future and your probable major. Let your coach or guidance counselor help and include their names as references. This portfolio will give you all information you need to apply to for a variety of financial assistance as well as for athletic scholarships. When applying, be persistent, be motivated, and be flexible!

Be realistic about your chances for athletic scholarships. Plan for contingencies – have a back-up plan. Merit awards, academic scholarships, grants, money from various interest groups (other than sports) are all alternatives to sports scholarships. Even if you do not receive that athletic scholarship, you can go to college, and you can play sports. Your plan B might even be the best plan, after-all.

How to Get Athletic Scholarships for College

For students who have an eye out for athletic scholarships for college in hopes of landing a sport scholarship for their unique talents start looking here.


athletic-scholarships
Athletic Scholarships

For students who have an eye out for athletic scholarships for college in hopes of landing a sport scholarship for their unique talents, the competition might seem tough. However, although the competiveness is at a high rate for an athletic college scholarship, there are numerous scholarships available for those who are passionate about sports. Moreover, chances of getting a sport scholarship actually increase if you’re competing for them in universities or colleges that aren’t so popular, renowned or large. It goes without saying that a student who wants to get an athletic scholarship needs not only to have a serious athletic drive, but also good academic results.

Talent Scale of Athletic Grants and Scholarships

Seeing as many students wonder how talented an athlete must be in order to get a college sport scholarship, the air needs to be cleared out by saying that talent isn’t as important as having a true passion for your favorite sport. Coaches generally look for students who are driven and who believe in themselves as athletes, regardless of their talent or level of play for many universities and colleges. On the other hand, the amount for athletic scholarships for college varies depending on the type of sport scholarship one is awarded.

Amount of Athletic Scholarship

Depending on the sports scholarship, full or partial, the type of educational institution a student wishes to attend and the sport of their choice, the amount of each scholarship for athlete students varies widely. According to NCAA’s data for year 2008, the average amount per year of a full athletic scholarship at an in-state public school was less than $14,000. On the other hand, sports scholarships for out-of-state public schools amounted, on a yearly average, $24,000, while athletes who got full athletic scholarships at private schools received over $32,000 per year, on the average.

Categories of Student Athletic Scholarships by NCAA

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) splits financial aid given by each institution, according to sports, into two categories, the head-count sports and the equivalency sports. Sports scholarships that fall into the first category offer full cost of attendance, which is determined by each institution, and that includes the overall cost of fees and tuition, board and room, supplies and books for the student, transportation and any other expenses the student will require in order to attend. On the other hand, scholarships for equivalency sports are allocated by coaches, in combinations, and can be given for tuition, fees, room and other housing costs, meals and books.

Keeping an Eye on Athletic Organizations for a Sport Scholarship

The three major, national organizations that offer scholarships for athletes are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Out of the three organizations mentioned above, NCAA scholarships are the most popular, even though some schools associated with the other two organizations have fewer restrictions with regard to the contact a coach and student athlete are allowed to make.

Undergraduate Athlete Scholarships Offered by NCAA

Each year, the NCAA awards partial and full athletic college scholarships to more than 125,000 students, amounting approximately $1 billion. However, the organization does not administer or award the sport scholarships directly, as each institution handles this. Undergraduate student athletes looking for scholarships can receive them only at Division I and II schools, whereas Division III schools only offer academic scholarships. Each school’s division is determined by the institution’s size and the athletic programs it offers.

Special Interest Scholarships for Athletics

Since not all students who are passionate about sports are athletes, the NCAA also offers special scholarships for non-athletic students. The Freedom Forum NCAA Sports Journalism Scholarship program is awarded to students who want to pursue sports journalism, without actually being athletes. Another unique athletic postgraduate scholarship is the NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship Program which is offered to students from ethnic minorities who are interested in coaching and sports administration and who want to pursue postgraduate studies.

Getting an Athlete Scholarship for the Sport of Your Choice

A Sport scholarship offered by athletic organizations are numerous and for a wide variety of sports. The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) offers scholarships for male students who are passionate about basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, whereas the sports open to women are volleyball, soccer, tennis, cross country, basketball, outdoor track and field, and fast-pitch softball. On the other hand, there are scholarships for sports that are less popular such as hokey, rodeo, archery, bowling and rifling.

Athletic scholarships for college can make many dreams come true for students and facilitate studies that might have been out of their reach without such a sport scholarship. In order to determine what athlete scholarship suits you best and which school would be the perfect choice for you go to athletic scholarships for college.