Internespo > Guide > Scholarships > Athletic Scholarships
Athletic Scholarships
There are many different forms of scholarships and financial aid. Student-athletes often receive both academic as well as athletic scholarships to pay for college.
Key Takeaways
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- Athletic scholarships can cover up to 100% of your tuition, room & board and more
- Each team has a specific number of scholarships, limited by the NCAA
- NCAA Division 3 and the Ivy League do not offer athletic scholarships
Athletic scholarships for talented students
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- Successful college teams are a great tool to attract students
- Coaches can offer athletic scholarships to attract talent
- There are full and partial athletic scholarships
College sport teams are a great marketing tool for schools. The more successful the sports teams are, the more positive news coverage the school gets, and therefore appears attractive for other potential college students.
As a result, coaches have the opportunity to support student-athletes with athletic scholarships, based on their talent, skill level and expected value they add for their team’s performance.
Types of athletic scholarships
1) Full scholarships and partial scholarships
Full scholarships usually cover the complete tuition and living expenses (room, board and associated book fees), whereas a partial scholarship would only finance a certain percentage of college fees and living costs. Most of the time, student athletes receive a combination of athletic and academic scholarships or other aid.
In most cases, the distribution of athletic scholarship money is up to the coach. Based on the division, school and sport the athletic scholarship opportunities can vary. The two main categories are:
2) Head Count Scholarships *
| Definition | Head count scholarships are always full scholarships which can only be assigned to one single athlete. No partial distribution of one scholarship across several athletes is allowed. |
| Amount | Always full scholarships (room, board and associated book fees) |
| Division | NCAA Division I |
| Sports | Football (Only Football Bowl Subdivision), Basketball (men’s and women’s), Tennis (women only), Gymnastics (women only), Volleyball (women only) |
3) Equivalency Scholarships
| Definition | Equivalency Scholarships are not restricted to a single athlete and can be split across several team members |
| Amount | Limited number (varying by sport), which can be either distributed as full or partial scholarships |
| Division | All NCAA Division I sports (except head count sports) and all NCAA Division II sports |
| Sports | All NAIA sports and all junior colleges sports. |
Scholarship Availability
- The number of scholarships is limited by the NCAA
- The Ivy League conference does not offer scholarships
- NCAA Division 3 does not offer athletic scholarships
The maximum number of scholarships per division and sport is limited by the NCAA. In addtion, there are exceptions. For instance, the Ivy League – a NCAA Division 1 conference – does not offer athletic scholarships. Morover, NCAA Division III schools are not able to offer athletic scholarships. Read all about the different divisions in our College Sports sections, under Divisions & Teams.
However, there are other ways for student athletes to receive funding, by either receiving Academic Scholarship or other forms of Financial Aid.
Scholarship breakdown by sport and division
1) Men’s Varsity Sports 2021 – Athletic scholarships per team
| Athletic scholarships per team | NCAA I | NCAA II | NCAA III | NAIA | NJCAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | 11.7 | 9 | – | 12 | 24 |
| Basketball * | 13 | 10 | – | – | 15 |
| Basketball – NAIA DI | – | – | – | 11 | – |
| Basketball – NAIA DII | – | – | – | 7 | – |
| Bowling | – | – | – | 5 | 12 |
| XCountry | 12.6 | 12.6 | – | 5 | 10 |
| Fencing | 4.5 | 4.5 | – | – | – |
| Football – NCAA I FBS * | 85 | – | – | – | – |
| Football – NCAA I FCS | 63 | – | – | – | – |
| Football – Other Divisions | – | 36 | – | 24 | 85 |
| Golf | 4.5 | 3.6 | – | 5 | 8 |
| Gymnastics | 6.3 | 5.4 | – | – | – |
| Ice Hockey | 18 | 13.5 | – | – | 16 |
| Lacrosse | 12.6 | 10.8 | – | 12 | 20 |
| Rifle – Includes co-ed teams | 3.6 | 3.6 | – | – | – |
| Skiing | 6.3 | 6.3 | – | – | – |
| Soccer | 9.9 | 9 | – | 12 | 24 |
| Swimming & Diving | 9.9 | 8.1 | – | 8 | 15 |
| Tennis | 4.5 | 4.5 | – | 5 | 9 |
| Track & Field – NCAA limits include X-C | 12.6 | 12.6 | – | 12 | 20 |
| Volleyball | 4.5 | 4.5 | – | – | – |
| Water Polo | 4.5 | 4.5 | – | – | – |
| Wrestling | 9.9 | 9 | – | 10 | 20 |
| Average Athletic Scholarship | $18,013 | $6,588 | – | $8,093 | $2,376 |
2) Women’s Varsity Sports – Athletic scholarships per team
| Athletic Scholarships per team | NCAA I | NCAA II | NCAA III | NAIA | NJCAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basketball* | 15 | 10 | – | – | 15 |
| Basketball – NAIA Div I | – | – | – | 11 | – |
| Basketball – NAIA Div II | – | – | – | 7 | – |
| Beach Volleyball | 6 | 5 | – | – | 10 |
| Bowling | 5 | 5 | – | 5 | 12 |
| Cross Country – NCAA limits include T&F | 18 | 12.6 | – | 5 | 10 |
| Equestrian | 15 | 15 | – | – | – |
| Fencing | 5 | 4.5 | – | – | – |
| Field Hockey | 12 | 6.3 | – | – | – |
| Golf | 6 | 5.4 | – | 5 | 8 |
| Gymnastics* | 12 | 6 | – | – | – |
| Ice Hockey | 18 | 18 | – | – | – |
| Lacrosse | 12 | 9.9 | – | 12 | 20 |
| Rifle- includes co-ed teams | 3.6 | 3.6 | – | – | – |
| Rowing | 20 | 20 | – | – | – |
| Rugby | 12 | 12 | – | – | – |
| Skiing | 7 | 6.3 | – | – | – |
| Soccer | 14 | 9.9 | – | 12 | 24 |
| Softball | 12 | 7.2 | – | 10 | 24 |
| Swimming & Diving | 14 | 8.1 | – | 8 | 15 |
| Tennis* | 8 | 6 | – | 5 | 9 |
| Track & Field – NCAA limits include X-C | 18 | 12.6 | – | 12 | 20 |
| Triathlon | 6.5 | 5 | – | – | – |
| Volleyball * | 12 | 8 | – | 8 | 14 |
| Water Polo | 8 | 8 | – | – | – |
| Average Athletic Scholarship | $18,722 | $8,054 | $7,870 | $3,259 |
Financial Aid for Internationals
International students may be eligible for different types of financial aid, such as scholarships, assistantships, private loans or work-study programs.
Financial Aid
Under financial aid, all college funding comes together. This includes scholarships, grants, loans and work-study programs to optimize a student’s funding for college.
Academic Scholarships
Learning about different scholarships is the first step to paying less for college. Academic scholarships are awarded by colleges to attract academically talented students.