Question about scholarships

[ev_flores0331]

Can athletes accept scholarships from alumni foundations? I mean, if the money goes directly towards tuition I can't see why it shouldn't be allowed. I was thinking maybe that was how larger schools were able to attract blue-chip recruits without offering full scholarships. Not a dig against you guys or Iowa or anything, I think anything that pays for a kid's education is a good thing.

 

[El-Jefe]

Any alumni scholarship would be treated as coming from the University. So the answer is yes, as an academic scholarship for which the athlete qualifies, and only if the school can prove to the NCAA's satisfaction that the athlete did not receive it for being an athlete (received no special consideration over the general student population).

IIRC if the scholarship guidelines dictate it goes to an athlete, then it counts as an athletic scholarship.

 

[tikk10]

Any alumni scholarship would be treated as coming from the University. So the answer is yes, as an academic scholarship for which the athlete qualifies, and only if the school can prove to the NCAA's satisfaction that the athlete did not receive it for being an athlete (received no special consideration over the general student population).

IIRC if the scholarship guidelines dictate it goes to an athlete, then it counts as an athletic scholarship.

Yeah, if the purpose of the scholarship were to "top off" non-full athletic scholarships as OP is kind of suggesting I'm pretty sure it'd be seen as a blatant circumvention of NCAA rules. I know some scholarships don't "stack", i.e., are mutually exclusive (I think Mason Manville is going this route), but I think most academic scholarships are viewed as supplemental to athletic scholarships.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Yeah, if the purpose of the scholarship were to "top off" non-full athletic scholarships as OP is kind of suggesting I'm pretty sure it'd be seen as a blatant circumvention of NCAA rules. I know some scholarships don't "stack", i.e., are mutually exclusive (I think Mason Manville is going this route), but I think most academic scholarships are viewed as supplemental to athletic scholarships.

You'd think so.

Alas, I have several friends that are in coaching in various Div. 1 sports. In the sports where scholarships can be partial (pretty much everything but football and basketball) It's scary how much academic aid is thrown at athletes. The NCAA rules are that athletes can get no special consideration for academic aid. Schools violate this all the time.

All of the coaches I know work at small programs, in sports that most people don't care about too much.

It would not surprise me if most of the bigger programs, regardless of sport, are much more careful about at least showing some type of adherence to the NCAA rules.

 

[ev_flores0331]

Here's something I found, but the link is from 2010:

http://informedathlete.com/outside-scholarships/

"Athletics Participation not Major Criterion. Scholarships fit in this category if athletics participation or achievements are one of the criteria considered in awarding the scholarship, but are not the major criteria for awarding the scholarship. Organizations awarding scholarships in this category are strongly encouraged to provide written notification of the award to the financial aid office of the college that the athlete will be attending."

"Strongly encouraged" doesn't mean "required"

I'm all for a kid getting their tuition paid. I don't think the NCAA is even relevant in this day and age.

 

[RoarLions1]

In the sports where scholarships can be partial (pretty much everything but football and basketball)

Interesting that Women's Gymnastics, Women's Volleyball, and Women's Tennis are also Headcount sports.