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Top 43 Athletic Scholarships for Students in December 2022
Sports are an important part of the high school experience. Practice, games, matches, and lots of hard work are put into your sport(s). Whether you are a football player, a tennis player, or a cross country runner, you will also have to think about how you will pay for college when the time comes. For athletes, athletic scholarships are one of the best ways to use your talent on the field to win money for college!
While many Division 1 and Division 3 colleges offer athletic scholarships to the top athletes on their varsity teams, many students are not able to going to be star varsity athletes in college. But don’t worry–there are tons of great athletics scholarship opportunities available for other students who do not intend to play sports in college. Keep on reading to learn more!
Jump ahead to:
- Top athletic scholarships
- How to win athletic scholarships
- Frequently asked questions about winning athletic scholarships
- Explore additional scholarship categories
The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies: If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!
* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system.
Scholarships360 Exclusive Easy scholarship open to all US-based high school, college, community college and graduate students.
Sponsored Easy scholarship open to all high school, college, community and graduate students. Sponsored Open to high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year. Sponsored Open to high school athletes who have given their all on the field, specifically those who exemplify hard work and determination. Offered by Burger King Foundation Incoming college freshmen who show leadership in their extracurricular activities and work at Burger King or are related to an employee. Scholarships360 Exclusive Open to all postsecondary students, regardless of the type of training/education they are pursuing. Scholarships360 Exclusive Open to current undergraduates at four-year universities in the U.S. Offered by Naval Service Training Command High school seniors applying to NROTC universities and college students at NROTC universities with less than 30 semester hours completed. Offered by Wisconsin Association of Cheer/Pom Coaches Open to high school seniors from Wisconsin who are part of a cheer team and whose coaches are WACPC members. Offered by Henry and Sarah Sheehan Foundation Open to female high school seniors who have involvement with the sport of golf. Sponsored Annual $10k scholarship from CollegeXpress open to all high school students. Offered by Big Sun Athletics Open to high school seniors and college students who are involved in a sport. Offered by Lupus Inspiration Foundation for Excellence Open to college and graduate students who have a lupus diagnosis and partake in at least one extracurricular activity. Offered by Michael Moody Open to high school seniors, college students, and graduate students interested in pursuing a career in health, wellness, or fitness. Offered by Francisco Gella Dance Works Open to Black, college-bound, intermediate and advanced dancers between 7 and 22 years of age. Offered by United States Bowling Congress Open to high school and college students who are members of the United States Bowling Congress. Offered by Wendy’s & The Heisman Trophy Trust Open to high school senior athletes who excel in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. Offered by National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Open to college-bound high school seniors who plan to pursue a major in a strength and conditioning related field and are NSCA members. Sponsored Easy scholarship open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students. Sponsored Easy scholarship from Niche open to all high school, college, and graduate students.43 Athletic Scholarships for Students in December 2022
** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements.
***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.
$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship
$2,000 Nitro College Scholarship – No Essay
Niche $50,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
Au’s Golden Ticket Scholarship
Burger King Scholars Program
“Follow Your Own Path” Essay Scholarship
“Outstanding Undergraduate” Essay Scholarship
Navy ROTC Scholarship
Wisconsin Association of Cheer/Pom Coaches Scholarships
Sara Scholarship
$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship
Big Sun Scholarship
L.I.F.E. Scholarships
Michael Moody Fitness Scholarship
Joan Myers Brown Equity Scholarship
USBC Youth Scholarships
Heisman High School Scholarship
NSCA High School Scholarship
$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship
Niche $2,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
How to win a college athletic scholarship
College scholarships for student athletes are available for students playing college sports at the Division 1 and Division 2 level. These scholarships can range from a partial scholarship to a full ride. Being a scholarship varsity athlete is a bit like having a full time job, which is why these scholarships can be so generous.
The catch is that in order to receive an athletic scholarship at a Division 1 or Division 2 college, you must be recruited to play. The recruitment process tends to be very competitive and can be quite complex.
If you are interested in this or wondering if you may be good enough to be recruited, we suggest that you talk to your high school coach for more information. Chances are that they have coached a student or two who has gone through the process and will be able to provide some insight to you.
Also, the National College Athletic Association has rules about eligibility for potential varsity student athletes. Students will need to meet the eligibility requirements, which include specific academic standards.
Related: Top sports related careers
Frequently asked questions about athletic scholarships
What sports give out full scholarships?
Theoretically, students could earn a full scholarship for any sport. There are no specific rules as to which sports qualify students for a full scholarship. That being said, there are certain sports that schools tend to allocate more resources to. These sports, such as football, soccer, hockey, and baseball, might be the ones that offer the highest number of full scholarships.
But you should also note that these more popular sports also have the toughest competition. You’ll be one of many talented student athletes vying for a limited number of spots. So, don’t make your sporting decisions purely based on the sports that give the highest scholarships!
Head-count vs Equivalency scholarships
Some D1 sports have rules as to how their teams can spend scholarship money. Some mandate that all teams offer full rides to each player, but only offer a certain number of full rides. These are called head-count sports. Others mandate that schools only offer a certain amount of scholarship money, but they can divide it however they want. This means that they may have a larger spread of players who don’t all get full rides.
To read more about how this works and which category your sport falls under, you can check out Athletic Scholarships’ article on the topic.
Related: What does being a D1, D2, or D3 athlete mean?
Which sports are good for getting scholarships?
According to RecruitRef, lacrosse, ice hockey, and baseball are the easiest sports to get a scholarship in. This is a complicated question, however, as the sports that often have the most money for scholarships are also the most competitive. So, you might have a better shot at a partial scholarship at a more obscure sport, but if you try to earn a scholarship in a more popular sport, you could end up with a more substantial aid package — even a full ride!
Ultimately, you’ll always have the best shot at a scholarship in the sport that you are best at and most passionate about. Sports scholarships are far from a sure thing, and if you devote yourself to a sport, you should do it because of your interest in the sport rather than a scholarship payoff. You’ll be a better player, enjoy yourself more, and have a better shot of earning a scholarship if you make your choice based on your interest and abilities.
Do student-athletes qualify for need-based financial aid?
Yes, student-athletes do qualify for need-based financial aid! You’ll have the same need-based aid opportunities as any other student. Any student athletes should ensure to fill out the FAFSA, and the CSS Profile (if your school requires it). If you show financial need, you should qualify for the Pell Grant, subsidized student loans, and other opportunities.
Furthermore, student-athletes can apply for external need-based scholarships through other organizations. In addition to the scholarships on our list, you should check out our scholarship search tool. It’ll custom-match you to vetted scholarship opportunities and auto-update as deadlines close and re-open.
Do Division 3 athletes get scholarships?
Division athletes might get scholarships connected to their athletic potential, but it won’t function the same as D1 or D2 athletes. They will typically be a lower award, but they will also come with more flexibility. The student won’t be obligated to continue playing the sport through their college education. That means that you can earn a scholarship for your athletic achievements in high school, and should you decide not to continue the sport in college, you won’t be under financial stress to do so.
Also see: How to get soccer scholarships
What GPA do you need for an athletic scholarship?
The answer to this question can depend on a lot of different factors. If you are looking at D1 and D2 athletic scholarships, the schools will probably be less concerned with your grades; you’ll want to have maintained a passing average, but if your main selling point is your athletics, your GPA won’t be the deciding factor. That being said, a high GPA is always a plus when applying for schools.
If you are hoping to play as a D3 athlete, your GPA will be very important in determining whether you receive a scholarship. When you’re applying to a D3 school, your athletic achievements are just a demonstration of your well-rounded potential and versatility as a student. They are not the main selling point, and even if you are a good athlete, you probably won’t have a good shot at a D3 athletic scholarship if you don’t keep a high GPA.
Also see: Do colleges use weighted or unweighted GPA?
Do Ivy League colleges give scholarships?
Ivy League colleges give strong need-based scholarships but do not award merit or athletic scholarships. This applies as a rule to each school that is a member of the Ivy League. However, they have committed to meet 100% of accepted students’ financial need.
Although the term “Ivy League” as acquired a colloquial meaning for any prestigious college, these rules only apply to the actual Ivy League in the technical sense of the term. These schools are as follows:
- Brown University (Providence, RI)
- Columbia University (New York, NY)
- Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
- Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH)
- Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
- University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
- Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
- Yale University (New Haven, CT)
Related: Ivy League Scholarships: What you need to know
