For student-athletes making a recruitment plan, the more you know (and the earlier you know it), the better.
Making informed decisions can expose hopefuls to a whole new spectrum of opportunities, so knowing your options and having a plan can be the difference between making your dreams come true and finding new dreams to pursue.
Types of Offers for Collegiate Athletes
The first step is understanding that there are several options for collegiate athletes to get their foot (or skate) through the door:
- Full-Ride Scholarships: covers the entire cost of attendance, including tuition, room and board, books, and sometimes additional living expenses.
- Partial Scholarships: contribute to a portion of tuition and fees but don’t cover the full cost of attendance. Student-athletes often pair these with academic scholarships, grants, or personal funding.
- Preferred Walk-Ons: guarantee a spot on the team roster without providing athletic scholarship funds upfront.
- Blueshirt Offers: Blueshirts are unique opportunities for athletes who join the team without initial scholarship funding.
- Regular Walk-Ons: Regular walk-ons earn their place on the team through open try-outs, typically without a guaranteed scholarship.
Full-Ride Scholarships
A full-ride scholarship is the goal for most student-athletes. Full-ride offers are most common in NCAA Division I sports, particularly in revenue-generating sports like football and basketball, with a few added benefits:
- Complete academic financial support.
- Allows athletes to focus on training and performance without financial stress.
- Often comes with additional support like tutoring and academic advising.
Full scholarship coverage:
- Tuition: Full payment of academic fees for classes.
- Housing: Room and board, whether on-campus or in school-sponsored housing.
- Meals: Dining plans or allowances for food expenses.
- Books and Supplies: Textbooks, lab materials, and other required academic resources.
How to maximize your chances of a full scholarship:
- Eligibility: Make sure you meet and maintain NCAA academic standards and team requirements from day one.
- Relationships: Establishing strong connections with coaches and academics so you stand out and get noticed.
- Exposure: Attend showcases and competitions and send out a professional grade highlight reel to get noticed and get in front of coaches.
Partial Scholarships
Partial scholarships cover only a portion of academic expenses but are much less competitive and popular in non-revenue sports and at the NCAA Division II level and offer:
- Variable amounts and coverage, depending on the athlete’s value to the team.
- It can be combined with academic or need-based aid to reduce costs further.
- Often require athletes to excel both on and off the field, which helps prepare students for post-secondary life.
Partial scholarship coverage:
- Shared Coverage: Partial scholarships cover only a portion of tuition and expenses, requiring students to seek additional financial support through academic aid or needs-based funding.
- Divided Awards: Coaches distribute partial scholarships among several athletes, strategically managing their scholarship budget to build a well-rounded and competitive team.
How to maximize your chances of a partial scholarship:
- Excel Academically: Strong grades and test scores can increase additional academic scholarships.
- Seek Financial Aid: Submit the FAFSA and research grants or need-based aid to supplement athletic funding.
- Communicate with Coaches: establish communication, reach out, and show your intentions to commit to the team for potential future funding allocations early.
Walk-On Positions
Walk-ons are athletes who join a college team without initially receiving financial aid for their athletics. While walk-ons don’t receive immediate financial assistance, they can earn scholarships later by proving their high level skills, academics, and team commitment.
For athletes who don’t receive scholarships, landing a walk-on position can still be a pathway to collegiate sports in two ways:
- Preferred Walk-On: You are invited to join the team and have a spot guaranteed but without scholarship money.
- Regular Walk-On: These athletes try out for the team without a guaranteed spot and need to prove themselves worthy of the spot during open tryouts.
Benefits of a Walk-On Position
- Access to team facilities and training resources.
- Opportunities to compete and practice with other athletes.
- Inclusion in the team culture and travel arrangements.
- Walk-ons are typically eligible for academic scholarships, financial aid, or personal funding.
How to maximize walk-on opportunities:
- Standing Out: Showing up to practice with a positive attitude, consistent effort, and a willingness to learn.
- Communicating with Coaches: Building open lines of communication with coaches early to express goals and look for feedback on areas to improve.
- Staying Prepared: Create opportunities to showcase skills to coaches, whether during practice, scrimmages, games, competitions, or conditioning camps.
Understanding the Color Shirt System in Recruitment
The collegiate athletic world uses “shirt” designations to categorize athletes based on their eligibility and participation status, and it’s important to know how they work (so there are no surprises if/when it happens to you):
Redshirt: allows athletes to train and practice with the team while delaying their eligibility to compete in games. This move extends eligibility by one year while staying eligible for scholarships and access to team resources.
Greyshirt: delays an athlete’s enrollment in college to a later semester, typically for roster management or eligibility reasons. Athletes may take classes part-time while waiting to officially join the team.
Blueshirt: athletes who join a team without a scholarship in their first year but can receive one in the following years, which allows programs to secure talent while staying within the NCAA guidelines.
Greenshirt: athletes who graduate high school early and enroll in college to start training and competing. This is common in sports like football, where early development can have a big impact on the course of the athlete’s career.
Ready to take your recruitment strategy to the next level?
StellaPop Sports Marketing and Recruitment experts are ready to go!
