Scholarships can help to take the stress out of paying for college. College athletic scholarships can enable students to attend school while playing one of their favorite sports, drastically reduce the cost of the education and provide the student with other ‘perks’ while attending the college.
Free Education
The #1 perk of an Athletic Scholarship is of course a “free education.” For the length of time that the student is participating in the sport, the student will receive their education for free, or at a drastically reduced rate. This can save thousands of dollars every single year, compared with students that are paying the regular tuition costs for their education.
In some cases, students that are attending college using sports scholarships are even eligible for extra benefits to cover expenses like books, school fees and other expenditures throughout the year.
Clothing, Gear and Sports Equipment
Students that are attending college on scholarship funds are often eligible for sponsoring from the school and other companies that may be associated with the sports. Clothing, sports equipment and team related gear is often given to the student free of charge, because of their association with the sport and college team.
Students attending the regular program without the assistance of a sports scholarship are required to find money in their budget for team sportswear, gear and clothing required to take part in the extracurricular activities that are offered by the college.
Tutoring and Other Resources
Athletes that are attending school on a sports scholarship are given their education with certain conditions. One of these conditions is that the student must maintain a certain average in their classes and education. Unfortunately, student athletes are much busier than those without the extra obligations so keeping up their grades is harder as well. In the case of an athlete that is having difficulty maintaining the minimum grade, tutoring services are available.
Though non-athlete students may be required to pay for tutoring, athletes that are attending college on a sports scholarship are often eligible to get these services for free. Assisting with the education of the athlete is in the best interest of the team, and therefore athletes are provided with tutoring and other services to enhance their education.
Food and Lodging
Lodging and food is one of the most expensive parts of attending post secondary schools. It can easily cost five thousand dollars or more every semester just to live in the College dorms and purchase meal plans for students that aren’t attending school on an athletics scholarship.
Athletes that are considering attending post secondary school should consider sports scholarships, as the food and lodging are often included in the deal for the student — referred to as a ‘full ride’. Reducing the stress of payment and part time jobs that non-scholarship students are often forced to rely on can allow the sports player to focus on the sport and team that is being played on.
Athletes that are attending college on scholarships are often eligible for the best food and meal plans that are available for students in the college. Unlimited meal plans, and extras like drinks and other perks can help to save even more money for students with premier athletic ability.
Students that are good in sports and are looking for ways to save money on the cost of the expensive college education should consider a sports scholarship. Though there are few scholarships available, it’s important to consider your options, work with coaches to arrange meetings and viewings with scouts and ensure that you are in prime athletic ability to take advantage of the sports scholarship. Two of the best places to begin searching for scholarships is Fastweb and the government site Student Aid.
See Also:
- The Financial Benefits of Student Athletics
- 20 Tips for Saving Money When Raising Kids
- 8 Steps to Cut Education Costs
- Understanding New Student Loans
- Avoiding Student Loan Debt
- Save Money – Attend a Community College
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