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Last updated on November 11, 2024

Top Athletic Scholarships in the US to Apply for in 2024

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160 SCHOLARSHIPS
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  1. Student Referee Scholarship

    Funded by
    Officials Depot LLC
    This scholarship seeks to reward exceptional student referees who exemplify integrity, dedication, and a passion for sportsmanship.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school senior or undergraduate student
    • Background: Referee or umpire
    Amount:$1,300
    Deadline:Apr 23, 2025
    One Click Apply
    1
  2. David G. Sutton Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    Stacy Mensch
    This scholarship aims to honor the life of David G. Sutton by supporting athletes who are pursuing higher education.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school student
    • Background: Athlete
    • State: Pennsylvania
    Amount:$500
    Deadline is Approaching! 18 days left
    One Click Apply
    2
  3. College Football Fan No-Essay Scholarship

    Funded by
    Bold.org
    This scholarship seeks to celebrate the arrival of football season by supporting dedicated fans.
    All students are eligible
    Amount:$500
    Deadline is Approaching! 18 days left
    One Click Apply
    3
  4. Sunday Night Football Fan No-Essay Scholarship

    Funded by
    Bold.org
    This scholarship seeks to support students who are passionate about football!
    All students are eligible
    Amount:$500
    Deadline is Approaching! 18 days left
    One Click Apply
    4
  5. Nasser Seconi Scholarship Fund

    Funded by
    Darrick Seconi
    This scholarship aims to honor the legacy of Nasser Seconi by supporting students who share his love of soccer and his passion for helping others.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • GPA: 3.0 or higher
    • Background: Soccer experience
    • Education Level: High school senior
    • State: New York or South Carolina
    Amount:$2,000
    Deadline:Jan 10, 2025
    One Click Apply
    5
  6. Stephan L. Wolley Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    Wolley Family
    This scholarship aims to support student-athletes who are dedicated to achieving their athletic and academic goals.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: Two or four-year undergraduate student
    • Background: Student-athlete
    Amount:$2,700
    Deadline:Feb 06, 2025
    One Click Apply
    6
  7. Nanci Henderson Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    Henderson Family
    This scholarship aims to honor the memory of Nanci Henderson by supporting young women who share her passion for track and field.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school senior
    • School Name: Petaluma High School
    • State: California
    • Gender: Female-identifying
    • Sport: Track and field
    Amount:$1,000
    Deadline:Feb 12, 2025
    One Click Apply
    7
  8. Travis Ely Collegiate Angler Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    CarecoTV LLC
    This scholarship aims to honor the memory of Travis Ely by supporting students who share his passion for angling as they pursue higher education.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: Undergraduate or graduate student
    • Background: Angler (fishing, bass fishing, etc.)
    Amount:$500
    Deadline:Feb 17, 2025
    One Click Apply
    8
  9. Coaches Corner: Jayden's Legacy

    Funded by
    Coach's Corner: Jayden's Legacy
    This scholarship seeks to recognize and support outstanding student-athletes from diverse backgrounds who excel in their respective sports.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school student
    • State: Utah
    • GPA: 3.0 or higher
    • Background: Student-athlete
    • School: Tooele High School, Grantsville High School, Stansbury High School, or Deseret Peak High School
    Amount:$4,500
    Deadline:Mar 01, 2025
    One Click Apply
    9
  10. Tardus Beach Volleyball Scholarship

    Funded by
    Tardus Wealth Strategies
    This scholarship aims to bridge the gap between high school and college so that beach volleyball players can continue to thrive in their athletic pursuits.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school or undergraduate student
    • Sport: Beach volleyball
    Amount:$20,000
    Deadline:Mar 03, 2025
    One Click Apply
    10
  11. Nickels Student Athlete Scholarship

    Funded by
    AJ & CKR, LLC dba Nickels Store
    This scholarship seeks to support student-athletes so they can overcome any challenges they face and attain success in the future.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school student
    • Background: Student-athlete
    Amount:$500
    Deadline:Mar 03, 2025
    One Click Apply
    11
  12. Ken Landry Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    Landry Family
    This scholarship will support student athletes aiming to compete at the next level.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Identity: BIPOC
    • Involvement: Team sports (Track and Field or Cross Country preferred)
    • Education Level: High School Senior, Undergraduate or Graduate
    Amount:$1,000
    Deadline:Mar 10, 2025
    One Click Apply
    12
  13. Coach "Frank" Anthony Ciccone Wrestling Scholarship

    Funded by
    Joe Falconi
    This scholarship seeks to honor the life of Coach “Frank” Anthony Ciccone by supporting students who share his love for wrestling.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school or undergraduate student
    • Background: Financial need
    • Sports Experience: Wrestling (ideally planning to wrestle in college)
    Amount:$2,500
    Deadline:Mar 10, 2025
    One Click Apply
    13
  14. Hawk Houghton Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    Krystal Ziv
    This scholarship aims to honor the life of Hawk Houghton by supporting students who spread positivity to their schools and communities.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school senior
    • School Name: Cheltenham High School
    Amount:$1,000
    Deadline:Mar 15, 2025
    One Click Apply
    14
  15. Matthew S. Greene Student Athlete Scholarship

    Funded by
    Friends of Matt
    This scholarship aims to honor the legacy of Matthew S. Greene by supporting students who share his core values.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school student
    • State: West Virginia
    • Religion: Christian
    • Background: Student-athlete
    Amount:$3,000
    Deadline:Mar 15, 2025
    One Click Apply
    15
  16. Coach Ray Memorial Athletic Scholarship

    Funded by
    Derek Jindra
    This scholarship aims to honor the legacy of Coach Ray by supporting deserving athletes who excel in the classroom and in athletics.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school senior
    • Sport: Basketball
    • Gender: Female
    • State: California
    • GPA: 2.8 or higher
    Amount:$500
    Deadline:Mar 17, 2025
    One Click Apply
    16
  17. Mickey Hamilton Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    Hamilton Family
    This scholarship aims to support student-athletes in Michigan who will pursue careers as teachers.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school student
    • State: Michigan
    • Background: Played at least one season of a sport in high school
    • Career Goal: Becoming an elementary or high school teacher
    Amount:$1,000
    Deadline:Mar 25, 2025
    One Click Apply
    17
  18. Nicholas Hamlin Tennis Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    Nicholas Hamlin
    This scholarship seeks to honor the memory of Nick Hamlin by supporting students who play tennis.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school junior or senior
    • Sports Experience: Tennis
    Amount:$500
    Deadline:Apr 01, 2025
    One Click Apply
    18
  19. Gustavo Ortiz Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    Ortiz Family
    This scholarship aims to honor the memory of Gustavo Ortiz by supporting students from the school he coached at.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school student
    • School: William J. Brennan High School
    • State: Texas
    Amount:$1,075
    Deadline:Apr 15, 2025
    One Click Apply
    19
  20. Anthony Bruder Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    Courtney Viera
    The scholarship aims to support students who, like Anthony, display a dedication to various interests while striving for excellence in sports and academics.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • GPA: 3.0
    • Extracurriculars: Sports
    • Education Level: High school senior
    Amount:$600
    Deadline:Apr 18, 2025
    One Click Apply
    20
  21. Kalia D. Davis Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    LaDonna Mitchell
    This scholarship seeks to honor the memory and incredible legacy of Kalia D. Davis by supporting students who share her work ethic, kindness, and drive.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school senior or undergraduate student
    • GPA: 3.0 or higher
    • Background: Sports experience, community service or volunteering experience
    Amount:$2,000
    Deadline:Apr 20, 2025
    One Click Apply
    21
  22. Heather Brown Sports Information Scholarship

    Funded by
    Hodgson and Brown Family
    This scholarship seeks to honor the memory of Heather Brown by supporting students who share her interest in sports information.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school senior, incoming college freshman, or current undergraduate student
    • Field of Study: Sports information, sports administration, or sports journalism
    • Background: Notable athletic achievements
    Amount:$2,000
    Deadline:May 01, 2025
    One Click Apply
    22
  23. Peter T. Buecher Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    Samantha Norton
    This scholarship exists to support high school seniors or undergraduate students from Minnesota who play sports.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school senior or undergraduate
    • Sports: Any
    • State: MN
    Amount:$1,000
    Deadline:May 01, 2025
    One Click Apply
    23
  24. Anderson Women's Rugby Scholarship

    Funded by
    Heather Anderson
    This scholarship aims to help women’s rugby players pay for college so they can afford the costs of higher education.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Gender: Female
    • Education Level: High school senior, undergraduate, trade school student, or graduate student
    • Sport: Rugby
    Amount:$25,000
    Deadline:May 23, 2025
    One Click Apply
    24
  25. Bear Fan Scholarship

    Funded by
    Bold.org
    This scholarship seeks to support fans of "The Bear" who have a vision for the characters' futures!
    All students are eligible
    Amount:$500
    Deadline is Approaching! 18 days left
    One Click Apply
    25
  26. NYT Connections Fan Scholarship

    Funded by
    Bold.org
    This scholarship seeks to support avid players of The New York Times' "Connections" puzzle who have an idea for their own puzzle!
    All students are eligible
    Amount:$500
    Deadline is Approaching! 18 days left
    One Click Apply
    26
  27. Love Island Fan Scholarship

    Funded by
    Bold.org
    This scholarship aims to support students who are fans of "Love Island" and are invested in the stories on screen.
    All students are eligible
    Amount:$500
    Deadline is Approaching! 18 days left
    One Click Apply
    27
  28. Team USA Fan Scholarship

    Funded by
    Bold.org
    This scholarship aims to encourage students to root for Team USA and share their appreciation for their favorite athletes!
    All students are eligible
    Amount:$500
    Deadline is Approaching! 18 days left
    One Click Apply
    28
  29. LeBron James Fan Scholarship

    Funded by
    Bold.org
    This scholarship seeks to support students who are fans of LeBron James and have been inspired by his career.
    All students are eligible
    Amount:$500
    Deadline is Approaching! 18 days left
    One Click Apply
    29
  30. Joe Gilroy "Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan" Scholarship

    Funded by
    Smart Boy Studios
    This scholarship aims to support any student who has dreams and a detailed plan on how to pursue and achieve them.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Background: Anybody pursuing further education
    Amount:$2,075
    Deadline:Feb 28, 2025
    One Click Apply
    30
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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.

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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions