The closer the graduation date, the more intensively the universities lure athletes. Everyone has different methods; someone shows off a vast and beautiful campus; someone uses new gyms and equipment, or the latest generation dormitories. Sometimes there is a chance to get a full athletic scholarship from the university for training. However, after a little research, it's easy to understand that there are many nuances about sports scholarships no one really talks about. Here are just a few of them.
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The Chances of Getting a Scholarship Are Quite Small
There are approximately 138,000 sports scholarships in the United States from the National University Sports Association (NCAA). You may think that this is a lot; however, alas, it is not. About 1,000,000 boys play football professionally, but there are only 19,500 football scholarships. Nearly 603,000 girls are professionally involved in athletics in high school and only 4,500 scholarships for this sport.
The Size of the Sports Scholarship May Be Different
The average sports scholarship in the United States is $ 10,400. Only four types of sports scholarships can offer you full funding: football, men's and women's basketball, and women's volleyball. If you exclude football and men's basketball from the general list, the average scholarship will drop to $ 8,700.
Most Scholarships Are Partial
The National Association of University Sports is trying to distribute the money profitably. For example, a football coach was given ten awards, and he distributed them not among ten students, but between 15 to attract more exciting athletes. This practice leads to minimal scholarship.
A scholarship implies a certain amount of money; the amount can vary from 500 to 50,000 dollars, which goes directly to pay for student tuition (as well as additional costs, such as accommodation, meals, textbooks, etc.). That is, the student never sees this money.
The Scholarships Can Be Different
Considering that there are many levels of college sports in the USA: there is a university league NCAA, which is divided into three divisions and about 300 universities in each division, there is also a student league NAIA where there are about 250 universities. Besides, there are two-year-old Junior Colleges and Community Colleges, which are also divided into divisions.
You're Not Allowed to Work
A student visa (F1) is not allowed to work anywhere off-campus officially. And on campus no more than 20 hours a week. Performing not the most challenging work in the dining room, library, or computer classes can earn up to $ 500-600 per month. However, nothing prevents you from finding a part-time job where you will work without official employment, for example, sitting as a nanny for children, as an essay writer, etc. The main thing is to enable resourcefulness.
It Works Only for Popular Kids
If you are far from being a superstar, then college coaches will probably not be aware of your existence. Back in school, teens should write letters to coaches, attaching a motivation letter to the results of their sports achievements. Another effective way to attract the attention of trainers is to shoot a video about your progress and upload it to YouTube. There is a high probability that the CD will be lost or gather dust in the trainer's desk, and trainers always watch videos on YouTube.
The Duration of Sports Scholarship Is Always Limited
Do not think that if you received a sports scholarship in the USA, then it will be valid for all years of education. Scholarships are updated every year at the discretion of the coach. That is why a teenager should be motivated and try to demonstrate success in sports.
The Easiest Way to Get Athletes Scholarship Is From the Third Division
Oddly enough, the most effective and easiest way to get a scholarship to an athlete is to apply for an unsportsmanlike scholarship. Sports schools of the third division are usually located in small private universities that regularly award scholarships for various outstanding student achievements, which cover over half the cost of training.
Get a Sports Scholarship in the USA – Does It Worth the Pain?
It's hard to say that athletes have no concessions at all; teachers still go to meet athletes because their workload makes it much more difficult for them to study. Nevertheless, athletes consider on a par with ordinary students and need to learn; no one will give a mark for the fact that the student stands for the university or college sports team. You need to go to classes, take tests, do homework on a par with all other students. There are so many underlined nuances to learn before trying to get the scholarship. But if it's your goal, be sure to go all-in for achieving it.
