I am confident that my daughter will earn an athletic scholarship. She is an excellent soccer player. Therefore, I do not believe we need to save for her college education. Posted by Bob

May 23

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Comments:

1. Bob says;
   23 May 2007 - 12:17

   My daughter also plays soccer. She plays soccer for Crown College, a DIII school, and was a recruited scholar athlete. She even made All-American last season!

   Even if she was considered one of the best soccer players in the nation and was recruited by the very best women’s soccer programs (she was not), it is improbable that she will be offered a full athletic scholarship. Women Soccer Coaches have only 1.1 athletic scholarships per starter at most to distribute among freshman, sophomore, junior and senior recruits. Only partial athletic scholarships (e.g., one quarter scholarship) are generally available for ‘non-revenue producing sports’ like soccer as coaches attempt to stretch their scholarship budgets as much as possible.

   The NCAA establishes the maximum number of athletic scholarships available per sport (see Is it reasonable to assume that your child will receive a full athletic scholarship?). For sports with more than two scholarships per starter (e.g., basketball, football and hockey), full scholarships are generally available to student athletes for these ‘revenue producing sports’. However, for sports with less than two scholarships per starter (e.g., baseball, field hockey, lacrosse and soccer), only partial scholarships (e.g., one quarter scholarship) are generally available for these ‘non-revenue producing sports’.

   Please note that the maximum amount is not what is actually available at every school. In most cases, very few schools will be able to offer the maximum amount of scholarships for all the sports that they support for cost and Title IX reasons. In addition, Division III and Ivy League Schools have elected not to offer athletic scholarships

   If your child has the ability and commitment to play on the intercollegiate level, one must be realistic about the full athletic scholarship potential even from Division 1 schools. This is a very important consideration in developing an Educational Savings Plan (ESP). Prudent parents will plan and save accordingly.

   For instance, should a family prudently save for their child’s education in a state sponsored 529 plan and their child receives a full athletic scholarship, these funds may be withdrawn from the 529 plan without penalty. Further, these funds could be applied to another child’s education, the parent’s retirement, etc. Therefore, it is all upside with no downside for families who implement an Educational Savings Plan (ESP).

2. Nafis Hasan says;
   24 May 2007 - 2:35

   Contradictory posts by the same person?…that is weird….going on track - Even if athletic scholarships are available, they are not sufficient to cover the rising cost of college. On the other hand, a person can always save money according to his/her needs. So isn’t it better to not rely only on scholarships but also to rely on the savings?

3. Penny Hastings says;
   10 Jun 2007 - 9:07

   It’s not enough to be an excellent high school athlete. Grades and test scores count!

   For the skilled athlete with an equally impressive academic record, not only are sports scholarships available, but he or she stands a good chance of qualifying for a partial sports scholarship coupled with an academic scholarship. A female soccer player, for instance, might be offered a 1/3 sports scholarship, a 1/3 academic scholarship from the college and with a few private scholarships thrown in, the amount the parents have to pay is negligible.
   Penny Hastings
   co-author, How To Win A Sports Scholarship, 3rd edition
   www.winasportsscholarship.com

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