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Top 13 Cheerleading Scholarships in October 2023

By Lisa Freedland
Lisa Freedland is a Scholarships360 writer with personal experience in psychological research and content writing. She has written content for an online fact-checking organization and has conducted research at the University of Southern California as well as the University of California, Irvine. Lisa graduated from the University of Southern California in Fall 2021 with a degree in Psychology. Full Bio
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Updated: September 27th, 2023

Cheerleaders are an impressive bunch, making their stunts, backflips, and tumbles look easy, all while smiling! If you’re a cheerleader and are looking to continue cheering through college, you’re in luck – there are many cheerleading scholarships available for you.

Get pepped and keep on reading to find out about the top cheerleading scholarships! Just remember: you’ll probably have the best luck finding cheerleading scholarships at the college you plan on attending.

Jump ahead to:

Top cheerleading scholarships: Private and University-specific scholarships

University of Kansas

  • Eligibility: All cheerleaders on the University of Kansas cheer team
  • Amount: $600/year (+$100 if students have a minimum 3.0 GPA)
  • Deadline: November 1 (Freshmen Priority Deadline), February 1 (Freshmen Fall Enrollment deadline), May 1 (Transfer Fall Enrollment deadline)

Competitive Cheer Coaches Association of Michigan Scholarship

  • Eligibility: High school senior members of a current MHSSA Competitive Cheer team with a minimum 3.5 GPA by the end of their junior year. Each applicant’s coach must also be a CCAM member and their team must compete in the annual Scholarship Invitational
  • Amount: Varies
  • Deadline: February 12, 2024

Iowa Cheerleading Coaches’ Association Scholarship

  • Eligibility: High school senior cheerleaders whose coaches are ICCA members. Applicants must have a minimum 3.5 GPA by the end of their junior year
  • Amount: $500
  • Deadline: February 15, annually

Athlete Honors Scholarship Program

  • Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who perform a dance or cheer routine at an AmeriCheer/AmeriDance event or camp
  • Amount: $500/year
  • Deadline: May 1, 2024

Angelo State University

  • Eligibility: Cheerleaders at Angelo State University
  • Amount: Up to $1,000/year
  • Deadline: None! (scholarships automatically awarded if eligible)

Competitive Cheer Coaches Association of Michigan Scholarship

  • Eligibility: High school senior members of a current MHSSA Competitive Cheer team with a minimum 3.5 GPA by the end of their junior year. Each applicant’s coach must also be a CCAM member and their team must compete in the annual Scholarship Invitational
  • Amount: Varies

University of Florida

  • Eligibility: Members of the Orange or Blue Teams on the University of Florida cheer team
  • Amount: Varies (based on years of participation, academic achievement, financial need)
  • Deadline: None! (scholarships automatically awarded if eligible)

Fort Hays State University

  • Eligibility: Fort Hays State University cheerleaders (specific requirements vary by scholarship)
  • Amount: $1,600/year (on-campus students); $500 stipend/semester (off-campus students)
  • Deadline: None! (scholarships automatically awarded if eligible)

Georgia Tech

  • Eligibility: Georgia Tech cheerleaders 
  • Amount: Up to $2,000/year (depends on years of participation)
  • Deadline: None! (scholarships automatically awarded if eligible)

University of Hawaii

  • Eligibility: University of Hawaii cheerleaders
  • Amount: Full-tuition (in-state and out-of-state); half of tuition (WUE Scholarship)
  • Deadline: Varies by scholarship; WUE can be applied for when you apply to UH

Louisiana State University

  • Eligibility: Louisiana State University cheerleaders with a minimum 2.3 GPA
  • Amount: $1,000/yr. (second-years); $1,500/yr. (third-years); $2,000/yr. (fourth-years)
  • Deadline: None! (scholarships automatically awarded if eligible)

University of Kentucky

  • Eligibility: University of Kentucky cheerleaders on the Blue or White squad (scholarship opportunities vary by squad)
  • Amount: Scholarship equivalent to in-state tuition (Blue Squad only); $100 – $300 for members with a minimum 3.0 GPA (any squad)
  • Deadline: None! (scholarships automatically awarded if eligible)

University of South Carolina

  • Eligibility: University of South Carolina cheerleaders (specific requirements vary by award)
  • Amount: Varies
    • First-years: $250/semester 
    • Veteran cheerleaders: $500/semester 
    • Out-of-state cheerleaders with a minimum 3.0 GPA or transfers with a 3.5 GPA from previous institution: Reduced tuition + $250/semester 
  • Deadline: None! (scholarships automatically awarded if eligible)

How to win cheerleading scholarships

Like any scholarship, cheer scholarships are competitive. To earn money for your education, you’ll have to stand out. Make sure that in your applications, you go beyond cheer. Discuss how your experience as a cheerleader has affected your work ethic, your values, and your morals. Be sure to emphasize how you have balanced cheer with schoolwork, other extracurriculars, and your personal life. This helps to indicate that you will be successful balancing many responsibilities in college.

Writing a great essay

Writing scholarship essays is no easy feat, but we are here to help! Try out our resources on starting and ending a scholarship essay, responding to a “Why do you deserve this scholarship?” prompt, writing about yourself, and writing a 250 or 500 word essay. Once you’ve got those down, try our complete guide to writing a winning scholarship essay. Good luck!

Resources for cheerleaders

National Cheerleaders Association

The NCA has been connecting cheerleaders around the country since 1951, and it’s a great resource to plug into if you are in the field. They run competitions, offer staff jobs, and run choreography camps. They also have free resources available for coaches, so if you are considering coaching at some point, this can give you some insight into what the profession involves.

Frequently asked questions about cheerleading scholarships

Can you get recruited for cheerleading?

Cheerleading in college works somewhat differently from sports like football or basketball; most universities have no recruiting process for cheerleaders. Instead, cheerleaders typically choose a school they would like to attend (after going through the typical college application process), then contact the cheerleading coach once they’ve arrived at the college. From there, they can try out for the team, and hopefully will make it in.

What colleges have the best cheer teams?

Great question! If you’re looking to cheer in college, there’s a bunch of great universities to choose from – spread out all over the country. Some of these include the University of Kentucky, the University of Hawaii, University of Minnesota, and the University of Southern California.

Does UCLA give cheer scholarships?

Yes! UCLA offers the Spirit Squad scholarship to its cheer team, as well as the dance team and mascots. These scholarships help cheerleaders balance cheer with academics and lighten the load of earning money at a job to pay for their education.

Upcoming Cheerleading Scholarships

Texas Tech University

  • Eligibility: Texas Tech University Cheer Squad members
  • Amount: $1,000 leadership scholarship + out of state tuition waiver + more!

Wisconsin Association of Cheer/Pom Coaches Scholarship

  • Eligibility: High school seniors who are involved in cheer or dance and have a minimum 3.25 GPA. Applicants’ coaches must be WACPC members 
  • Amount: $1,000

Explore these additional scholarship categories