Welcome to another installment of our weekly column, “Too Embarrassed to Ask,” where we’ll examine a hot topic from the world of recruiting that parents and student-athletes may want to know more about, but may shy away from asking because it is considered assumed knowledge.
Think of this column like a cheat sheet for those instances it is no longer acceptable to ask a question, say, having met someone three times but still not knowing their name.
This week’s issue: Athletic Scholarships.
The question: How Do I Get An Athletic Scholarship?
The short answer: Umm, be very, very, very good at your sport and simultaneously have some good fortune.
The actual answer: Let’s lay on the blunt facts to answer this question, courtesy of the NCAA:
• Only about 2 percent of the estimated 7.5 million high school student-athletes are awarded some form of athletics scholarship to compete in college.
• Division I: 53% of some 175,000 student-athletes receive some form of athletic aid.
• Division II: 56% of some 110,000 student-athletes receive some form of athletic aid
• Division III: There are no athletic scholarships at this level (only need-based aid).
You may be thinking over 50% isn’t a terrible number. On the surface, it’s not. But also remember that the concept of a “full-ride” is very rare. We examined this in our previous post on Equivalency v. Headcount sports; but be wary that a vast majority of scholarship money is not in the “full-ride” category.
Ultimately, it’s very difficult to get athletic scholarship money, and if you are lucky enough to do so, it’s more than likely you will still be footing some of the bill.
The movie quote that explains current understanding: “Clark, it’s people like you who come here and blow the family nest egg that built this town.”
-Cousin Eddy to Clark W. Griswold, 1997’s Vegas Vacation
What the quote says in our context: In this exchange from Vegas Vacation (a wildly underrated if not absurd movie, by the way), Cousin Eddie explains to Clark, who has gambled away most of the Griswold family’s money, that Vegas was built on suckers that don’t know when to quit.
How does this quote aid our discussion about athletic scholarships? Well, indirectly. But hey, it’s funny. So let’s keep going.
The larger point is this: Counting on an athletic scholarship to pay for all of college is a risk not unlike going to Vegas to get rich quickly. Even in games where a good player has the mathematical edge over the house (as Clark painfully tries to remind a fellow player), your odds are still not ideal.
This is not meant to scare anyone away from the goal of getting an athletic scholarship. What it is meant to do is serve as a reminder to be intelligent about the quest.
Though it’s not the same as going to Vegas and letting it ride, it’s imperative to be smart about your odds, and plan accordingly.
Our Advice: Pursing an athletic scholarship is an awesome goal. But be sure you are also researching grants, school-sponsored aid and other avenues that can help offset college tuition.
Remember, per the NCAA, very few high school student-athletes (2%) are going to be getting money to play their sport in college.
Furthermore, if you are lucky enough to be playing a headcount sport (where scholarships are not broken up between athletes), you still have to be among the best of the best to be put on a “full-ride.”
The point is this: It’s extraordinarily difficult to get an athletic scholarship, and even more challenging to play a sport professionally.
So, use athletics as a vehicle to get you into the best school possible. Your sport is likely a four-year decision, while college is a lifetime one.