Student Athletes
Intercollegiate Sports – An Overview
As a student athlete, your most obvious focal point will be sports scholarships. But
there are numerous student athletes and only limited scholarship money. Look
beyond the obvious and think about what other special characteristics
you may have. Some organizations award scholarships based on a
student’s ethnic background or study interests.
There's a good chance that some of the colleges you wish to attend are
affiliated with an intercollegiate athletic association. There are two
main associations at four-year colleges and universities: the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
The NCAA is the largest association, and is in charge of all areas of
athletics for four-year colleges including recruiting, eligibility, and
financial aid. Colleges affiliated with the NCAA are ranked as either
Division I, II, or III schools, with Division I being the most competitive,
made up of larger colleges and universities, and offering athletic scholarships. Division
II is less competitive and generally made up of smaller schools, but
still offers athletic scholarships. Division III does not offer athletic
scholarships.
The NCAA also imposes strict high school academic rules for student-athletes
who wish to continue playing their sport in college. There are core course
requirements that must be fulfilled before you are allowed to play at
Division I or II schools in your freshman year. There is also a minimum
combination of GPA and standardized test scores that you must achieve. Student
athlete eligibility is determined solely by the NCAA
Eligibility Center and not by the colleges and universities you want
to attend.
The NAIA is similar to the NCAA, but serves smaller-sized of four-year
colleges and hosts two divisions instead of three. NAIA
athlete eligibility and guidelines are quite different than those
set forth by the NCAA.
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