The Best Football Scholarships in 2024

About football scholarships

In the United States, the word football refers to American football, not the European use of the word football, also known as soccer in the United States. College football thrives in suburban areas, towns, and cities overlooked by professional sports and has a long history of popularity. A faceoff between Rutgers and New Jersey in 1869, now known as Princeton, was the first American college football game ever played. The first use of instant replay during a college football game was in 1963 during an Army vs. Navy game. The field of football is constantly changing, but people's love for the game has been consistent for decades.

College football is a sport with many scholarship opportunities as college coaches seek athletes from the recruiting class to compliment their team on and off the field. Football scholarships are a type of athletic scholarship that student-athletes looking to play on a college football team seek. More full-ride scholarships are given to football players than any other sport at the college level.

A football scholarship carries great prestige that will follow the student into their professional career, whether they stay in the sporting arena or not. American football scholarships offer student-athletes financial support to attend college and football programs simultaneously. In the United States, athletic scholarships are primarily regulated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

At Bold.org, student-athletes will find hundreds of scholarships to apply for to help alleviate the costs of post-secondary education. New scholarships are created on Bold.org daily, generating various scholarship opportunities for college students.

What scholarships are there for playing college football?

American football scholarships are a type of financial aid that talented student-athletes may receive. Moreover, football is the number one scholarship sport, offering more scholarships, including full-ride scholarship awards, to student-athletes. There is a wide range of college football scholarship opportunities that are lucrative and competitive.

Bold.org is dedicated to fighting student debt by assisting students in finding funding opportunities to lessen their tuition costs. Bold.org is an excellent place to start your scholarship search. To start, simply create a Bold.org account and browse available scholarships for student-athletes looking to play college football.

Below you will find information about scholarship opportunities college football athletes should be aware of and consider.

NCAA: college football opportunities

The NCAA is the governing body of numerous intercollegiate sports. Every year, the National Collegiate Athletic Association awards nearly $3.5 billion in athletic scholarships, bolstering student-athletes graduation rates higher than those of their peers.

The NCAA was founded in 1906 and later adopted the three division levels in 1973. In general, Division I schools have the largest student bodies, manage the most significant athletic budgets and award the most athletic scholarships. Division II provides competition at the highest level, growth opportunities for academic achievement, and focuses on serving the community. Division III offers college athletes a competitive athletic environment that challenges them on and off the field.

Student-athletes must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. It is recommended that student-athletes register at the beginning of their junior year in high school. Getting athletic scholarships or competing at Division I or II institutions requires that students have their eligibility checked by the NCAA Eligibility Center.

NCAA Division I

There are more than 350 NCAA Division I schools, and this division is unique in that it’s subdivided based on football sponsorship. Nearly 57% of students in this division receive athletics financial aid, including students who receive full-ride scholarships and additional cost-of-attendance stipends.

NCAA Division II

Approximately 300 of the more than 1,100 NCAA schools classify their athletics programs in Division II. The NCAA Division II provides athletic scholarships, but these are partial scholarships that students combine with academic or need-based grants to construct their financial aid packages. More first-generation students attend Division II schools than any other division.

NCAA Division III

Division III has over 440 institutions — the most in any division. While Division III doesn’t offer athletic scholarships, roughly 80% of Division III student-athletes receive a form of financial aid like merit or need-based scholarships or grants.

NAIA: football scholarship opportunities

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics recruiting efforts begin with coaches contacting students in secondary school. Early communication between a student-athlete and a coach helps develop a solid relationship. There are roughly 300 NAIA schools, and it is the first collegiate sports program to have Historically Black Colleges and Universities as members of the association.

NAIA athletic scholarships are equivalency scholarships; this means college coaches can divide their scholarship budget between multiple athletes. An athletic scholarship from the NAIA is not guaranteed every year and must be renewed at the coach's or school's discretion. NAIA and NCAA Division III have a more relaxed recruiting process than Division I and II NCAA programs. The NAIA division level is similar to the NCAA; however, it consists of only two-division levels. Check the NAIA Eligibility Center for more information about these scholarships.

Other football scholarship sources

The National Junior College Athletic Association promotes and fosters two-year college athletics with a divisional structure consisting of three divisions. Each division has guidelines for how many scholarships may be granted to student-athletes. Full and partial ride scholarships are offered to help alleviate transportation costs, books, fees, and more.

The Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program offers a $20,000 scholarship to twenty student-athletes. Their application process is easy to navigate and requires two interview processes. This program honors student-athletes who demonstrate exceptional academic ability and leadership skills in sports, academics, and within their communities.

Although there are few football-specific scholarships currently offered on Bold.org, student-athletes should apply for the following scholarships to maximize their financial aid. Bold.org continues to grow its scholarship opportunities for students throughout the nation; continue to check the website as new scholarships are posted each week.

Check out Bold.org's athletic scholarship opportunities here!

How to get a football scholarship

You may wonder what you need to do to receive a football or athletic scholarship. One of the first things a student needs to do when searching for scholarships is to check the eligibility requirements. Not every student-athlete is immediately academically eligible, and that's okay! The eligibility requirements for scholarships will vary, but they will always be displayed in the description.

A scholarship donor or sponsor may set specific criteria or conditions for their scholarship. This may reflect an organization's fundamental values and objectives or be in memory of an individual to support those from a similar background. Scholarships on Bold.org are available to students of all levels and degrees. Still, some might have stricter requirements, such as stating that applicants must be enrolled in a foreign language, have demonstrated leadership skills, community service experience, or demonstrate financial need. 

College coaches play an important role in scholarship opportunities for student-athletes. The head coach looks for athletic ability to impact their football team positively. Many athletes need a healthy balance of academics and athletics to qualify for football scholarships. Attending football recruiting events to set yourself apart from other student-athletes is something to consider.

Additionally, there are hundreds of scholarships with zero requirements to meet, like no-essay scholarships, where all you have to do is click 'apply' and submit your contact information. Here at Bold.org, it's encouraged to create a complete, polished profile to increase your chances of becoming nominated for scholarships and become eligible for bold points scholarships.  

Football scholarships for high school students

Most high school athletes that plan to play college football fall into a world of competition, intense athletic training, cooperation, and, most importantly, teamwork.

When you begin searching for scholarships, you must reach out to your college's financial aid office to see what financial aid and scholarship opportunities your college offers. Financial assistance comes in various forms, and one of the most significant is scholarships.  

High school students often apply for scholarships in their junior or senior year. Nevertheless, students in high school, regardless of year, are encouraged to apply for these scholarships. The earlier students apply, the better their chances of maximizing their awarded scholarships. 

1. Dr. Edward V. Chavez Athletic Memorial Scholarship
2. Jose Montanez Memorial Scholarship
3. Peter T. Buecher Memorial Scholarship
4. Bold Community Activist Scholarship
5. Sullivan Promise Project Scholarship

Football scholarships for high school seniors

Senior year is a hectic year for students. Time is often limited when you apply for colleges, do standardized tests, take challenging classes, and participate in extracurricular activities. Nonetheless, graduating high school seniors can access numerous scholarship opportunities exclusively available to graduating seniors who plan to attend a four-year accredited university, technical school, or junior college, including those known to all high school students. 

Bold.org is here to help meet the financial need of high school athletes in their senior year pursuing football programs by offering scholarships for students who plan to play college football. The goal is to minimize the money you borrow to attend college. These scholarships help tackle the educational expenses of college for football seniors and help students score financial awards.

1. "Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship
2. 500 Bold Points No-Essay Scholarship
3. Vegan Teens Are The Future Scholarship
4. Bold Deep Thinking Scholarship
5. Bold Learning and Changing Scholarship

Football scholarships for college students

A common misconception is that scholarships are only for high school students seeking an undergraduate degree. While many students believe they will have the best chance of applying for scholarships in high school, there are plenty of options available to current college students attending an accredited four-year college. 

College students, including students in junior or community colleges who are seeking scholarships for college football, are encouraged to apply for Bold.org scholarships. These scholarships are easy to apply for, and the website is simple to navigate, making the scholarship application process straightforward. Starting the scholarship application process can happen as early as freshman year; however, it is never too late to apply for scholarships. College sophomores, including students in their junior or senior year, are encouraged to apply for scholarship funds. 

On Bold.org, student-athletes can apply for scholarships to tackle their college expenses and enjoy their football program. New scholarships are created daily, generating various scholarships to support students in any academic year. If you're a current college student, submit a scholarship application now by clicking on one of the scholarships listed below!  

1. Donald De La Haye "No Regrets" Scholarship
2. Silverback Scholarship
3. Small Seed Big Flower Scholarship
4. Bold Optimist Scholarship
5. Larry D Parker Sr.’s Legacy Scholarship

Frequently asked questions about football scholarships

You may have questions about athletic and football scholarships or how Bold.org works during your football scholarship application process. Below you will find answers to some of the most frequently asked scholarship questions college football prospective athletes may have. 

How many football scholarships are awarded each year?

It is impossible to know the number of football scholarships awarded every year due to the many different forms they take. There are football-specific scholarships, equivalency, athletics, and academic scholarships to consider when wondering how many scholarships for football have been awarded. The number is limitless, however, in 2017 the NCAA Division I and Division II schools provided more than $3 billion in athletic scholarships to just over 175,000 athletes.

What is the average football scholarship amount?

Not all scholarships will cover tuition fees and related expenses. Not every scholarship award will be of the same amount. Some schools have limits on the number of scholarships they can award. Most athletes in the NCAA DIII receive some form of an academic grant or need-based scholarship. Institutional gift aid totals $17,000 on average for Division III student-athletes. Approximately 2% of high school athletes are awarded some form of an athletic scholarship to compete in college.

Can you play college football without a scholarship?

You can play college football without being in a fully-funded program or receiving a full-ride scholarship. You do not have to get a scholarship to play college football. Student-athletes can try out without receiving a scholarship by walking onto a team. As a result, walk-on athletes tend to have a lot of ambition and drive. Walk-ons that are recruited are the athletes that were indeed good enough to warrant the school's interest but were not offered a scholarship at the time. Unrecruited walk-ons are athletes the school never looked at or reached out to. In either scenario, you can play college football without a scholarship.

To receive a scholarship, do I have to fill out the FAFSA?    

Scholarship policies vary from one college to another. Generally, if you apply for any form of financial assistance, your school may ask you to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Scholarship applications typically do not require a completed FAFSA form. To be sure, reach out to your college's financial aid office. On Bold.org, you do not need to fill out the FAFSA to apply for scholarships.  

How will I receive my scholarship award from Bold.org?   

To determine each scholarship winner, representatives from Bold.org or the scholarship donor will review the accepted scholarship applications. Once a scholarship fund is awarded and verified, Bold.org will provide payment of the awarded scholarship to the scholarship winner's accredited post-secondary institution to be applied toward tuition and other related educational expenses upon receiving proof of enrollment.  

Are scholarships taxable income?  

Scholarships can enable students to pursue a higher education that otherwise might not have been possible, so the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is generous in minimizing students' tax obligations. You generally do not have to pay taxes on your awarded scholarship money. 

Degree-seeking students who receive grants, scholarships, or fellowships are required to pay taxes on the money only if the total exceeds the value of their qualified tuition and related expenses. The federal government also provides savings plans, tax credits, and deductions to help taxpayers with their higher education expenses. Additional information regarding these benefits can be found on the IRS website.