March 2nd, 2026 by Mike Getman
If you are eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics and are accepted as a full-time student at a Division 1 or 2 school, you may receive athletics-based financial aid from the school. That aid could include tuition and fees, room and board, books and cost of living expenses. Division 3 schools do not award financial aid based on athletic ability. A Division 3 college may award aid based on need or academics. Do not think that just because a college costs $40,000 or more per year that you cannot afford to attend. The cost of college all comes down to your ultimate out of pocket cost, which is not necessarily the tuition price listed on the website. Although Division 3 institutions do not offer athletic scholarships, most offer a great deal of financial aid. Here are some important things to know about athletic scholarships from Division 1 and 2 schools:
– Athletics scholarships are awarded in a variety of amounts.
-Athletic scholarships can be awarded for 1 year or multiple years.
WHAT IS THE FAFSA?
The first step for obtaining financial aid is to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at www.fafsa.org. The biggest mistake a lot of families make is not filling the FAFSA out because they think their family won’t qualify. This could not be further from the truth. Every family, regardless of income, has an EFC (estimated family contribution) number and the LOWER your EFC, the more aid you will receive.
Even if you may not receive a significant amount of financial aid, you should still complete the FAFSA because it can act as an insurance policy for your son and daughter’s education. If there is a change or loss of income or an emergency in your family; you will not be eligible for college funds if you do not complete the FAFSA on an annual basis.The first date you may submit the FAFSA is October 1 of your senior year. Submit the FAFSA on this date or as soon after as possible! University financial aid budgets are limited and are awarded on a first come first serve basis, so the earlier you submit your FAFSA, the better your chances of receiving aid.Each college or university has a specific deadline and at a certain point, the money does run out.
SIGNING A SCHOLARSHIP
When signing a Division 1 scholarship, you will sign a “Scholarship Agreement” directly with the school.This agreement commits you to play for that college and only that college in your first year. The form will also list exactly what the college will pay for. The National Letter of Intent is a program administered by
the NCAA Eligibility Center for Division 2 athletes. When you sign a NLI, you agree to attend the institution for one academic year. In exchange, that institution must provide athletics financial aid for one academic year.