The US is home to the largest collection of sports programs in the world. They are a big deal. For example, college football has over $4 billion in revenue and $1.8 billion in revenue.

While increasing student athletes' share of this revenue remains a matter of debate, students benefit in at least two ways.


First, these revenues fund scholarships and athletic scholarships that cover (or significantly reduce) the cost of tuition, housing, meals, and study materials for students.

Second, revenues from popular college-level programs such as football and basketball aid and support a variety of programs including soccer, swimming, tennis, volleyball, water polo, gymnastics, ice hockey, golf, volleyball, and track and field. .

Additionally, the collegiate sports industry is highly regulated. This is partly due to the high risk of fraud during college recruiting.

The overall effect is a strong review of sports and athletic scholarship programs to maintain a competitive field and level of play for all participants.

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There are 2 ways to increase your chances of success in getting a sports/sports scholarship:

1. Understand where you fit into the various divisions of college sports

3 organizations dominate US collegiate sports. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

Of course, every school and every program is different, but collegiate sports can be divided into 4 main areas:

NCAA Division I and II

Below are the high points in US collegiate sports. It is also the most competitive and highly regulated of all disciplines and the most difficult for international athletes to participate.

The main difference between Division I and II is the size of the school. However, admissions to Division II schools can also be competitive given the small size of programs and teams.

NAIA

In terms of size and competitiveness, the NAIA is similar to the NCAA Division II. But because of the less restrictive rules, NAIA is seen as an excellent platform for local and international students to join US collegiate sports or be recruited into the NCAA. That being said, many student-athletes "go pro" straight out of the NAIA.

NJCAA Division I and II

The NJCAA regulates students who play sports while attending a 2-year community college or junior high school. It is similar to NCAA Division II in terms of size and competitiveness.

There is no doubt that community colleges offer great savings opportunities for students. But they're also a great platform where students can improve their grades and prove their ability to compete at the college level — before they're recruited to the NCAA and NAIA.

NCAA and NJCAA DIVISION III

Majors - whether at 4-year or 2-year institutions - do not offer athletic or athletic scholarships.

Division III athletic programs attract students who want to complete the overall college experience. Students in this field like to participate in university sports on a voluntary basis to live with their peers: future professionals, business leaders and entrepreneurs.

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2. Determine which of the basic requirements you meet

Many sports scholarships are awarded in the USA every year. To qualify for most athletic scholarships, you must meet NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA rules and requirements.

To help you figure out how to get an athletic scholarship, we've broken down the basic requirements for four major areas of college sports.

NCAA Division I and II

NCAA Division I and II schools award more than $3.6 billion in athletic scholarships to more than 180,000 students each year.

In order to compete in NCAA athletics in Division I or II schools, students must meet and maintain the academic and athletic standards of the NCAA Selection Center.

For NCAA Divisions I and II, these standards can be summarized as follows:

NCAA Division I

  • graduated from school
  • Completed 16 core courses in high school
  • I completed 10 of these core courses before the 7th semester of school
  • You have earned at least a 2.3 GPA in your major course
  • You have SAT/ACT scores that match your major course GPA on the Part I sliding scale
  • Must be an avid athlete

Students must meet all Division I or II requirements to compete in their freshman year of college. However, students may receive an athletic scholarship for their freshman year for academic redshirt or partial selection. Learn more about these requirements and what it means to be a competitive athlete here.

The NCAA has developed a comprehensive guide to converting and, if necessary, translating high school transcripts to prove they meet the requirements for international students.

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NAIA

NAIA schools award more than $800 million in athletic scholarships to more than 77,000 students each year.

To qualify for the NAIA, students must meet and maintain the NAIA Eligibility Center's academic and motivational standards.

In principle, local or international students must have completed high school and meet the following two requirements:

Get an ACT score of at least 970 or an ACT score of at least 18

Maintain a 2.00 GPA

He finished in the top half of his class

NAIA has developed a comprehensive guide for international students to change and, if necessary, translate their high school transcripts to prove they meet the requirements.

Students with an alternative high school experience who have earned a GED or a score of 1040 on the SAT or 20 on the ACT are also considered to meet the GPA requirement.

NJCAA Division I and II

Each year, NJCAA schools award a large number of full athletic scholarships in every department and sport.

To qualify for the NJCAA, students must meet and maintain the NJCAA's academic and motivational standards. NJCAA major academic requirements are based on the number of full-time courses a student has attempted.

In fact, local or international students must have completed high school or obtained their GED, as well as enroll full-time and earn a degree at an NJCAA member college.

NJCAA expects students and international students with alternative high school experiences to report and, if necessary, translate their high school and college transcripts to prove they meet the relevant requirements.

NCAA and NJCAA DIVISION III

Neither the NCAA nor the NJCAA has established minimum standards for establishing or maintaining Division III eligibility. However, students must follow their institution's rules to maintain good academic standing and receive a degree.