Sports scholarships are offered to the athletes who play exceptionally well and have performed excellently in their previous games. There are many universities in the US that offer such an opportunity for the athletes so that they can play for one of the top universities and enhance their skills. Availing sports scholarships are a slightly complicated process and there are very few international students who are familiar with it. If you are interested in knowing more about the sports scholarships, just go through this article.
A general idea
Unlike the other academic scholarships, the sports scholarships are a bit complex and time taking. The selection of the candidates is done by the University Athletic Department who in turn take the help of the coaches to reach the final decision. One of the important parameters to get selected for the scholarship is a good performance in any sport that you specialize. The sports scholarships are awarded for different games like football, hockey, softball, fencing, baseball, volleyball, wrestling, water polo, basketball and lots more.
Though most of the sports scholarships are awarded once in a year but it can be renewed later for a maximum of four years. This is the time when a sport person can complete their graduate degree. The amount of money varies in different scholarships from partial funding to full financial assistance.
Students who are interested in sports can pursue a variety of programs in the field of physical therapy, exercise science and other areas which are connected to sports. In this way, one can obtain an additional qualification from any of the reputed US colleges or universities.
Eligibility criteria
The students must fulfill the minimum eligibility criteria in order to apply for the sports scholarships. The criteria will definitely depend upon the scholarship for which you want to apply. So let us explore a few sports scholarships and their eligibility criteria.
National Junior College Athletic Association
With the help of this association, you are able to seek admission in any of the junior colleges in the US. Every college will have their own rules and regulations regarding the recruitment process so make sure that you have enough information to apply for the right sports scholarships. Some of the colleges may also ask for the SAT score as qualifying criteria for the sports scholarships.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
In order to apply for these scholarships you will require a minimum SAT score which is an important parameter to consider. Students who are interested in seeking admission to the grade one college will have to fulfill the basic eligibility criteria so as to enroll for the sports scholarships.
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The eligibility criteria of this association are more or less similar to the above one with a difference that will accept the ACT as well as SAT scores. The minimum ACT score should be 18 while the minimum SAT score should be 860. If you meet these criteria, you will be able to qualify for the sports scholarships without any problem.
With limited options before the international students, they should contact the sports scholarship agencies who can guide you in the right way.
