One of the things that I hope to break down in the next few weeks is to give readers a better feel for the difference between all levels of post high school options. This includes Division I, II, III, NAIA, Junior College, and Prep Schools. While there are other options that you can choose, these six are more than likely where you will be continuing your sporting career. Here is a quick look at the scholarships offered at each level. Look for more breakdowns in the future as well:
Division I Scholarships
In football and basketball, these colleges are
required by NCAA rules to offer you full rides. It really is an all or
nothing proposition. They can bring you in as a scholarship athlete or a
walk on. In other sports, most of the time these schools offer partial
scholarships to athletes. Instead of a set number of full scholarships,
these programs have a set budget that they can use for their athletes in each
academic year. It depends on the program and the sport.
Division I-AA Scholarships
This only applies to FCS football.
Formerly known as Division I-AA, FCS football coaches can offer athletes partial
scholarships and many do. Most coaches usually offer a smaller percentage
earlier that grows over time as the athlete contributes later in his career.
Coming out of high school, few athletes end up getting a full scholarship from
an FCS school so keep that in mind.
How can I help support Recruiting-101?
- Use highlight-videos.com for a Hudl tuneup/new video
- E-Book: Guide to the Athletic Recruiting Process for Parents
- E-Book: How Juniors Can Get a Head Start on the Football Recruiting Process
- Complete Package: Junior Football All State Recruiting Package
- E-Book: Football Recruiting Position by Position Advice
- Complete Package: Senior Football All State Recruiting Package
- E-Book: Producing a Scholarship Worthy Highlight Video
- E-Book: How Seniors Can Finish the Football Recruiting Process Strong
Division II Scholarships
College coaches at the Division II level are
able to offer scholarships in any sport that they host (There may be some
exceptions to that statement). Schools are given a certain budget that is
dependent on the school and the sport. Then the coaches are free to use
the money however they want. Some coaches do try to use the money on
Division I transfer and could end up offering them a full ride because they are
expecting an impact player.
Division III Scholarships
Schools at this level are not legally able
to give any scholarships for athletic performance. While you will hear the
rumors that some do, it is not true. What the coaches can do is find
creative ways to give their most sought after prospects money in different
areas. For example, a coach may be able to give their top recruit a
Leadership Scholarship that could help reduce their tuition. With Division
III though, if you quit your sport, the price that you are paying for schooling
in no way should increase. So basically you are playing for the love of
the game.
NAIA Scholarships
One of the most hotly debated topics for some NAIA
conferences is that there is no cap on the amount of scholarship money that they
can give athletes. So if one school is spending $60,000 while another is
spending only $15,000 and they are in the same conference, that is going to be
tough to compete against one another. Most coaches at the NAIA level will
give athletes at least a small amount of scholarship money. However, there
are still NAIA schools that do not give any money based on athletics.
Junior College Scholarships
Because the cost of Junior College is so
inexpensive, many athletes are given full rides. These coaches have to
bring in so many athletes each year and figure out who can play. Many of
the coaches just end up bring in ten running backs and letting them sort
themselves out. That is an easy way to weed out the kids that can and
cannot play.
Prep School Scholarships
One of the more interesting options after
high school is to attend a prep school. While I need to write an article
about it, prep schools can no longer be used to finish your high school
education after your first four years of high school. Regardless, these
prep schools are used to improve your athletic standing and test scores.
These schools can offer scholarships to help host recruits and get into school.
It is very unique and something that you should speak with a prep school coach
about.