Top Athletic Scholarships in the US to Apply for in 2025

What Are Athletic Scholarships?

Athletic scholarships are open to student-athletes pursuing higher education who are exceptional at their sport. Offered as financial aid from the university's athletic department, sports scholarships are based on the skills of student-athletes. College coaches make decisions on which student-athletes receive athletic scholarships and for how much. There are opportunities to earn partial scholarships or full scholarships depending on the experience the student-athlete has and their abilities.

In 2020, over half of children aged 6–17 years engaged in sports activities in the preceding 12 months. Despite the high number of student-athletes, only about 2% of high school athletes are awarded athletic scholarships to play in college sports.

An annual $3.6 billion is given in scholarship money by Division I schools and Division II schools as part of the recruiting process for student-athletes. Prospective student-athletes planning to join college athletics and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), NJCAA, or NAIA can seek financial aid through their college's scholarships for student-athletes or here on Bold.org.

How to Get an Athletic Scholarship

When looking to join college sports, it is important for student-athletes to begin by assessing their athletic ability. While playing high school sports, talk to your coach and even seek a third-party opinion on where your athleticism stands. Division I schools aren't for everyone, so in order to increase your chances of earning an athletic scholarship, look for the schools and teams that would be the best fit for you.

You're more likely to be awarded a sports scholarship if you plan ahead and be honest with yourself about which NCAA division will be the best fit for you. Use your high school years to refine your skills and discover where your athletic skills can take you.

From early on, it is important to make connections with college coaches and intercollegiate athletics recruiters. The NCAA has recruitment rules for recruiters and athletes, so make sure you understand how you can best represent yourself to colleges. In reaching out to recruiters and coaches, it is smart to make an athletic resume or a highlights reel in order to show your strengths.

Additionally, professionalism in your emails, phone calls, or personal conversations with coaches can go a long way in showing your seriousness about being involved in their college sports programs.

When coaches begin recruiting student-athletes, they look at more than just your sports record. If you have a poor academic history or an inappropriate social media presence, coaches will be less inclined to give you an athletic scholarship.

You don't necessarily need to be a straight-A student, but stable grades show your aptitude for success in your college education on top of your athletic success. For example, Division I schools require their student-athletes to have at least a 2.3 GPA.

In order to get your name out there and increase your credibility in the athletic community, you should look for other ways to help set yourself apart. This could be joining a travel team, attending camps, or engaging in other year-round programs to give you more experience and give you more chances of being spotted by recruiters.

Keep an eye out for which teams have the best track record in placing their athletes into college teams, and get involved with them. Surround yourself with the best resources to give you athletic scholarship opportunities!

The most important part of seeking out an athletic scholarship is finding the best division, school, and team for you. This choice takes many things into account, not just money. Take time to find an athletic scholarship that best meets your goals, so you can be happy with not only the financial aid but also with your college education.

Athletic Scholarships to Apply For

Bold.org has plenty of athletic scholarships for different sports and student-athletes of different education levels.

Additionally, Bold.org has sports scholarships for students from specific states. While these scholarships are specific to students of certain locations, others are specific to student-athletes of a specified sport. Football athletes can apply for football scholarships. Other Bold.org sports scholarships include scholarships for baseball players, golf players, volleyball players, and more. Apply for rowing scholarships if water sports are your thing!

Don't forget to talk to your coaches and academic advisors to find scholarships that you are best suited for. Scholarships for athletes are out there, so use your resources to find the best opportunities for you.

Do Ivy League Schools Give Athletic Scholarships?

No, Ivy League colleges do not award athletic scholarships. However, student-athletes are still eligible for other financial aid scholarships, such as those based on need or academic scholarships. Students accepted to Ivy League schools have already displayed a level of academic excellence, which can often pave the way for scholarships that aren't specifically for athletics.

It can be difficult to balance academics and athletics. If you're looking for a major that pairs well with your interest in sports, consider kinesiology programs!

How Hard Is It to Get an Athletic Scholarship?

The NCAA presents a stark reality: only slightly more than 1% of high school athletes secure any athletic scholarships, whether full or partial. Equally crucial is the fact that these scholarships are not guaranteed to last all four years.

However, scholarship platforms like Bold.org offer alternative scholarship opportunities for student-athletes. Create a free Bold.org profile to apply for scholarships today!

Can NAIA Schools Give Athletic Scholarships?

Yes, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) provides scholarships for both Division I and Division II student-athletes. The NAIA isn’t as large of an association as the NCAA, so they do not offer the same quantity of scholarships.

However, they are able to provide scholarships to a wider variety of student-athletes since the NAIA doesn’t have specific restrictions for being on a college team. The NAIA provides both partial scholarships and full scholarships depending on the athletic ability of the student. Partial scholarships are more common.

Do Division 2 Schools Give Athletic Scholarships?

Division II sports teams give scholarships to student-athletes, but not as many as in Division. With that being said, there are varying opportunities to receive scholarships, especially partial ones. They spread their scholarships more widely than Division I, giving fewer full-rides and more partial scholarships to a larger number of student-athletes.

Students are able to apply for academic scholarships at the same time as athletic scholarships for Division II schools, giving them chances to fund the other aspects of college outside of sports.

Can You Combine Athletic Scholarships and Financial Aid?

Financial aid and athletic scholarships can be combined, however earning one type may affect the likelihood of receiving the other. The NCAA has various regulations that determine how financial aid and athletic scholarships can be used together. When deciding which program you are going to pursue, check their rules - whether that be NCAA, NAIA, or other.

Make sure you understand how financial aid and athletic scholarships work together near the beginning of the process so you can plan accordingly. Take to the financial aid office and athletic department at the school you are planning to attend for more specific information.

Looking for college athletic scholarships for student-athletes? Look no further! The above list of scholarships showcases scholarships available to apply for now.