The Variations of College Athletic Scholarships

As you’ve learned in The Rigors and Rewards of Sports in College Admissions, athletics can be a fantastic option to help finance a college education. But as a former Division I athlete, I’ve learned that athletic funding is far more complex than it seems. In reality, fewer than 2% of high school athletes are offered any athletic scholarship, and full rides are rare. Scholarships vary widely by division, sport, and school. Men’s and women’s teams face different funding landscapes due to team sizes and Title IX equity rules. And new NCAA policies now let college players earn money through sponsorships and NIL deals, adding opportunities and complications. In this informal guide, I’ll share the caveats, realities, and latest updates regarding college athletic scholarships, with examples and advice from my sports experience.

Division I, II, or III? – Different Worlds of Scholarships

• One of the first things to understand is how athletic scholarships differ by NCAA division (non-NCAA schools can be another article). Division I (D1) is the highest level, with the biggest sports programs and the largest scholarship opportunities. D1 schools can offer athletic scholarships (and invest over $2.7 billion in scholarships each year across all sports). However, even in D1, a full ride is usually reserved for only a few sports. The NCAA designates certain “headcount” sports where every scholarship must be a full scholarship: for men, this is typically D1 FBS football (up to 85 full scholarships) and men’s basketball (13 full scholarships), and for women it includes basketball (15 scholarships), tennis (8), volleyball (12), and gymnastics (12). If you get a scholarship in one of those headcount sports, it’s all or nothing – you either have a full ride or you’re a walk-on (non-scholarship player, more to come on that in a moment). All other sports are treated as “equivalency” sports, meaning the coach has a pool of scholarship money that can be divided among the team. For example, in Division I baseball, the team is allowed the equivalent of 11.7 scholarships total, which a coach might split into partial scholarships (50%, 25%, etc.) for many players. ‍
• Division II (D2) programs also offer athletic scholarships, but generally fewer and smaller than D1. All D2 sports are equivalency sports, meaning scholarships can be split up. A standout athlete might land a substantial partial scholarship at a D2 school, but full rides are uncommon. Sometimes, a borderline D1 recruit can get more scholarship money by choosing a strong D2 program that really wants them, depending on the sport. D2 schools have limits on scholarships per team (for example, D2 basketball teams can offer up to 10 full scholarship equivalencies), and not every program is “fully funded” (more on that in the next section). Coaches often mix athletic money with academic scholarships or other aid to put together a competitive offer at this level. ‍
• Division III (D3) schools are a different ballgame – by NCAA rule, D3 colleges do not offer athletic scholarships. Student-athletes at the D3 level play purely for the love of the game and the appeal of the school, and any financial aid comes from academic scholarships, merit awards, or need-based aid available to all students. D3 coaches can help recruits navigate the financial aid process, but they have no athletic funds to give. The upside is that D3 athletes get a more typical student experience and often a strong academic focus. The downside, of course, is that you’ll likely pay tuition (with whatever aid you qualify for) as any other student would.
• Beyond the NCAA, other associations like NAIA and junior colleges (NJCAA) offer athletic scholarships, sometimes comparable to NCAA D2 levels. I’ll focus on the NCAA here for brevity, but just know alternatives exist. The key takeaway: what division you compete in largely determines how much athletic scholarship money might be available. D1 generally has the most, D2 some but often partial, and D3 none (officially). This means a full-ride athletic scholarship is predominantly a D1 phenomenon. ‍
• Practical tip: Cast a wide net. You might find that a smaller program can piece together a better overall financial aid package than a big-name school where you’d be a walk-on. Consider the division level where you’ll get playing time and the scholarship budget fits your needs. And always have a frank conversation with coaches about the duration and terms of any scholarship offer – many athletic scholarships are one-year agreements renewable each year, not guaranteed for all four years, so you need to keep your grades and athletic performance up to maintain them.

Men’s vs. Women’s Sports: Title IX and Scholarship Numbers

Another reality I learned in college is that funding can differ between men’s and women’s teams, often due to Title IX, the federal law requiring gender equity in educational programs (including athletics). Title IX doesn’t mandate identical sports for men and women, but it does require schools to provide athletic scholarship dollars proportional to the participation of male and female athletes (for now, the next few presidential term years may change this). In simpler terms, if half of a school’s athletes are women, then about half of all scholarship money should go to women’s athletics. This has significant implications for how scholarships are allocated, especially at the Division I level.

For example, consider football. An FBS football program can have 85 scholarship players (all men), a huge chunk of a school’s athletic scholarship budget. There is no women’s sport with an equivalently large scholarship count, so schools use a combination of women’s teams to balance out football to stay proportional. So, while men’s teams like football and basketball get a lot of marketing attention (and scholarship slots), colleges can also invest heavily in women’s teams to ensure fair opportunity.

Generally, women’s sports with large rosters (soccer, rowing, track & field) have a lot of scholarship equivalencies to distribute, which can create more opportunities for partial scholarships on those teams. On the men’s side, beyond football, other large-roster sports (like track & field or baseball) have to make do with limited scholarships for many athletes, meaning many men’s athletes are on partial aid or none. 

Funding Differences by School and Conference

Oddly enough, not all colleges within the same division finance their sports to the same extent. The NCAA might cap how many scholarships a team can offer, but it doesn’t force every school to use the maximum. School budget and conference resources play a huge role in the reality of athletic scholarships.

At wealthy, high-profile D1 universities (think Power Five conference schools like those in the SEC, Big Ten, etc.), athletic departments tend to fund every team to the NCAA limit fully. These programs have large budgets (often thanks to TV contracts, football revenue, and donor support), so coaches can use all the scholarships allowed for their sport. For instance, a D1 powerhouse program typically gives all 12.6 in women’s track, whereas a smaller, mid-major D1 program might not.

This is also true in Division II – some D2 schools fully fund their teams up to the limit (making them very competitive), while others might only offer a handful of scholarships.

It’s also noteworthy that some entire conferences or schools opt out of athletic scholarships by choice. The most famous example is the Ivy League. The Ivies compete in Division I, but they do not offer athletic scholarships by league policy (more on this in the next section). There are also smaller examples: a few D1 schools outside the Ivies historically have de-emphasized athletic scholarships in certain sports (sometimes service academies or schools like the ones in the Patriot League, which used to offer only need-based aid similar to Ivies for a while). In any case, “fully funded” vs “partially funded” programs are concepts that families should consider. Just because a team is allowed X scholarships doesn’t mean the coach actually has X scholarships to give. Often, you won’t find this info on a website – it might come out in conversation or from current players. If you’re being recruited, it’s okay to politely ask, “Is your program fully funded for scholarships?” Coaches can be cagey, but hearing things like “we have limited scholarship dollars” or seeing that the team’s roster has a ton of walk-ons might signal that not everyone is on athletic aid.

• ‍Conference affiliation matters too. Power Conference schools (SEC, ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12) tend to have full scholarships, better facilities, nutrition, and even stipends (like cost-of-attendance) for athletes. Mid-major conferences might have some schools that fully fund and others that don’t. Things like NCAA tournament performance or team rankings often correlate with which programs have the money to fund scholarships and resources. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a great experience (or win) at a smaller school – you absolutely can. But it’s one reason the same teams dominate certain sports; they invest the max in their athletes.

The Reality of Walk-Ons (Non-Scholarship Athletes)

You might wonder, what if you don’t get an athletic scholarship offer – can you still be on the team? Yes, you can, and thousands of college athletes do it every year as walk-ons (though this may not be your path if financing is your priority). A walk-on athlete is on the college team without an athletic scholarship. 

First, there are often more roster spots than scholarships, so being a walk-on is quite common. Let’s say a D1 soccer team has nine scholarships to distribute. The team roster might have 25-30 players. Obviously, not everyone is on scholarship. Some might have a tiny partial, like textbooks only, and many will have zero athletic aid. Those zero-aid players are walk-ons – they earned a place on the team but are paying their own way through school (or using other aid). 

• Advice for walk-ons: Communicate with the coaching staff about what to expect. Sometimes walk-ons only practice and rarely dress for games (especially in sports like basketball with limited travel rosters). Know what you’re signing up for. Also, ask if the coach has a history of awarding scholarships to walk-ons in later years. Some coaches do this regularly when budgets allow, as a reward. Others, unfortunately, do not. There’s no guarantee, but knowing if it’s even possible is good.

New NCAA Perks: Stipends, Sponsorships, and NIL Money

In recent years, the NCAA has made significant changes that affect how college athletes can receive benefits beyond the traditional scholarship. During my college career, the rules were pretty strict – you got your scholarship but couldn’t legally earn money from your status as an athlete. That’s no longer the case. Let’s break down a few key updates:

1. Cost of Attendance Stipends

Around 2015, NCAA Division I schools (especially those in the “autonomy” conferences) began covering the full cost of attendance for scholarship athletes, not just tuition/room/board. Cost of attendance (COA) includes things like personal expenses and transportation. In practical terms, this meant schools could give scholarship athletes a stipend of a few thousand dollars to cover extra costs. These stipends vary by school (since each school’s estimated cost of attendance differs). When this change happened, it was a big deal: suddenly, even athletes on full-ride scholarships got a little extra cash in their pocket to help with things like laundry, snacks, or a trip home. All Division I programs may offer this stipend, but wealthier schools were quicker to implement it; most of the Power Five did it immediately, and many mid-majors have since followed. If you’re on a partial scholarship, sometimes the stipend is prorated (e.g., if you have a 50% scholarship, you get 50% of the stipend amount). This change acknowledges that being an athlete is like having a full-time job on top of school, so giving a bit of spending money helps. Division II allowed similar COA coverage starting a bit later, though it’s less common due to budgets. Division III, by rule, still can’t give any athletic-related money, so COA stipends don’t apply in D3.

2. Academic Incentive Payments (Alston Awards)

A more recent development (post-2021) is that schools can provide up to $5,980 per year to athletes as a reward for academic achievement, thanks to the Supreme Court’s NCAA v. Alston decision. This is sometimes called the “Alston award” or academic incentive stipend. Many Division I schools have started offering these payments if athletes meet certain academic benchmarks (like a certain GPA or progress-toward-degree requirements). Even walk-ons can sometimes get these academic awards if the school chooses (since the award is not technically an athletic scholarship but an educational benefit).

3. Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Earnings

This is the game-changer everyone’s heard about. In 2021, the NCAA changed its rules to allow college athletes to make money from their name, image, and likeness – commonly referred to as NIL. And this was big! They used to make us sit in a classroom at AAU tournaments watching old VHS videos about retaining our amateur status. Now this means you can do things like sign endorsement deals, get paid for advertising products, monetize a YouTube or Instagram account, sell autographs, run a training camp and charge for it, or even just get paid for personal appearances. Before 2021, all of that was against NCAA amateurism rules. Now, it’s permitted (with some guardrails). The NIL era is still pretty new, and I graduated just before this kicked in, but what a change!

Under the current NIL rules, you remain an amateur and keep your NCAA eligibility as long as you’re not paid by the school for playing your sport, but rather by third parties for your personal brand. The NCAA still forbids the schools themselves from paying you a salary (you’re not an employee… yet), but boosters and companies can pay you for NIL activities. 

It’s important to note that each state and school can have slightly different NIL regulations. Some states forbid certain types of deals (like with casinos or alcohol companies, for instance). Schools often require athletes to disclose their deals to ensure they don’t conflict with existing school sponsorships (e.g., if your university is a Nike school, you might not be allowed to do an Adidas shoe ad). There are now booster-led NIL collectives – groups of supporters who pool money to pay athletes for various NIL services (like making appearances or doing social media for booster businesses). This has blurred the lines because some recruits choose schools with the richest NIL opportunities (via these collectives). As a prospect or current athlete, you should educate yourself on your school’s NIL resources. Many athletic departments have staff or partner companies to help athletes with brand-building and to navigate contracts. It’s wise to take advantage of any NIL education programs offered – you’ll learn about taxes, contracts, and how to avoid mistakes that could jeopardize your eligibility.

Ivy League: No Athletic Scholarships, but Other Aid

Ivy League football teams like Harvard and Yale have fierce rivalries – and notably, their athletes receive no athletic scholarships under Ivy League policy. The Ivy League presents a unique case study in athletic funding. As a high school recruit, I found it intriguing (and a bit confusing) that Ivy League schools were recruiting athletes without offering any athletic scholarships. The Ivies (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth, Columbia, Cornell, Penn) are the only Division I conference that bans athletic scholarships across the board. This policy has been in place since 1954 as part of their philosophy to de-emphasize athletics in favor of academics. So, how do athletes attend Ivies? Through the same way other students do: need-based financial aid and academic merit.

Every Ivy League school commits to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need for admitted students. If you’re good enough to get accepted (and recruited) as an athlete, the coach will often work with you through admissions and then with the financial aid office to put together a package (even high schools are often amenable to bending their academic rules to bolster their athletes resumes into a prestigious Ivy, which is it’s own sticky situation). It’s not an athletic scholarship, but if your family has financial need, it can essentially act like one. So a recruit from a middle-class family might end up with their entire cost covered by need-based grants. On the other hand, if your family is relatively affluent, you might be paying full tuition to play in the Ivy League (since they won’t give you an athletic or merit scholarship if you don’t qualify for need aid).

One more quirk: Ivy League doesn’t redshirt athletes for athletic reasons (you can’t extend your scholarship since there is none – all students are on the same academic timeline), and Ivy schools don’t participate in some of the modern NCAA allowances like the 5th or 6th year scholarships for injured players. They treat athletes the same as other students in terms of time at school. There is also a league rule that Ivy athletes must be within 4 years of entry to compete, which is why you see fewer grad transfers from Ivies (they can’t play as grad students in their original Ivy; many do a 5th year at another school if they have eligibility).

But will it always be this way? There are rumblings that change could come eventually. One reason is that an antitrust exemption that allowed Ivy-type schools to collaborate on financial aid formulas expired in 2022. After that, the National College Players Association urged Ivies to reconsider their stance, calling the no-scholarship rule an “undeserved special treatment” that limits athletes’ rights.

• Latest rumor control: There’s no official move as of 2025 for Ivies to start offering athletic scholarships. They even opted out of the recent NCAA settlement that will allow direct payments to athletes at other D1 schools – meaning if other D1 conferences start giving athletes additional benefits or revenue shares, Ivies likely won’t participate. The league seems intent on sticking to its model. However, keep an eye on future legal challenges or NCAA changes. If power conferences begin treating athletes more like paid participants, the Ivy League may face renewed pressure to justify why not offering athletic aid is appropriate. 

Final Thoughts and Advice

Navigating athletic funding in college can feel overwhelming, but knowledge is power. Here are some key takeaways and advice to wrap up:

• Understand the Offer (or Lack Thereof): If you get a scholarship offer, clarify exactly what it covers and for how long. Is it a one-year renewable scholarship or a multi-year guarantee? Full ride or a percentage of costs? Also, ask if it covers summer classes or grad school, if you might need a fifth year (some athletic aid will; some won’t).
• Compare All the Pieces: Look at the total financial picture. One school’s 50% athletic scholarship plus a need-based grant might cost you less out-of-pocket than another school’s 80% athletic scholarship if that second school is more expensive or does not cover certain fees. Use each college’s net price calculator with and without the athletic aid to see the bottom line. Don’t be afraid to tell coaches frankly, “School X is offering me this, and it makes a big difference financially.” Sometimes, if they really want you, they might find a little extra academic scholarship or push Admissions for a better package (especially outside of D1, where mixing funds is more flexible).
• Academic Performance Matters: Maintain good grades and test scores in high school. Not only will this help you get admitted (and eligible) at more places, but many colleges have academic scholarship tiers that you can stack with athletic money. I got an academic award from my university for my ACT score that I could keep alongside my athletic scholarship – it only happened because I kept academics a priority.
• Injuries and Scholarship Security: Ask about what happens if you get injured. By NCAA rule, a school cannot cancel your scholarship in the middle of the term for injury. But it's up to them when it comes up for renewal next year. Some coaches will honor scholarships for injured athletes (at least for a certain period) out of loyalty; others might not. It’s a tough reality.
• Title IX: For female athletes, know that you are entering a system that is supposed to support you equally. If you ever feel you’re not getting equal treatment or the promised scholarship resources, speak up – Title IX is on your side.
• Embrace NIL, but Wisely: If you matriculate as a college athlete now, you have entrepreneurial opportunities. Even a few extra hundred dollars from a local sponsorship or a free meal deal with a restaurant can make life as a student-athlete more comfortable. But read any contract carefully and use your school’s NIL advisor if they have one. Don’t do anything that would embarrass you or the program for a quick buck – reputation still matters.

In summary, athletic funding in college is a mixed bag of amazing opportunities and fine print caveats. Division, gender, school funding, and now NIL rules all intersect to determine each athlete’s financial reality. Do your homework (both on paper and literally in class!), ask questions, and make the choice that balances your athletic dreams and financial well-being. Good luck, play hard, and budget smart!