As the new normal takes effect in our society as a result of the presence of COVID-19 and its various strains, athletes throughout the world must reconsider the pathway to a college education that may be influenced by a reduction in athletic scholarships in chosen sports, an ever-present online component to attain a degree, and the increasing lack of affordability of a traditional 4-year degree. Those who are currently affected by the many restrictions imposed on campuses and within sport environments may already be making difficult decisions about how they will attain their degree with or without participation in a collegiate sport. Others are entering the period of time when they may be considered recruiting material for the many programs that continue to be viable for the foreseeable future. Younger sport participants may be denied participation in sports that become enjoyable and interesting pursuits. Regardless of age or involvement, those who participate in sports and look toward securing financial support will find the path increasingly tortuous and difficult. In order to plan for future involvement, it may be wise to broaden the thinking of those who are focused singularly on the pursuit of the almighty athletic scholarship. Herein are several thoughts regarding the planning for financial support of college education that may not require an athlete to compete for a full ride through sport involvement. Bradley differentiates the athletic from the merit scholarship as follows:
Sports scholarships and academic scholarships share two very important commonalities -- they're offered as a reward for superior performance, and they help to fund education. Sports scholarships are offered to athletes who excel in the athletic arena, while academic scholarships are offered to scholars who excel in the academic arena. However, there are some distinct differences. For instance, the level of objectivity in the selection process and the retention criteria are vastly different (1).
An article on the Varsity.com website points to the difficulty regarding getting athletic scholarship and/or merit aid (given to students with high grade point averages) as follows:
We believe the best path to success in the college selection and athletic recruiting process is to be the very best academic student you can be, the very best athlete you can be and then try to find colleges where those attributes will be a better fit. If you are able to find colleges off the beaten path that are trying to attract successful academic students and college coaches that are trying to attract good athletes from your region (yes coaches like to recruit in new or different regions), then you will increase your chances of receiving Merit aid and you will potentially increase your chances of playing meaningful minutes as a college athlete (2).
1. There are many other ways to pursue a college education and afford the costs. For example, as mentioned in an earlier blog, parents and guardians are wise to set up a college fund upon the birth of their children. Investing regularly and wisely in this fund can offset the fiscal challenges of a college education. These college savings funds can gain interest over the years and be very useful to pay for the many costs of attending college. If parents and guardians invested one half of the total funds set aside for their children’s sport involvement, the college savings fund may be enough to allow for the child to have many options for where to attend school.
2. Academic scholarships for good grades are much more plentiful than athletic scholarships, and there are many more varieties available for full rides or partial support. Many college scholarships are not awarded due to a lack of applicants, or many are easy to secure if grades have been reasonable in K-12.
3. Redesigning what comprises getting a good college education is also important. With the rise of online courses and the continuance of advanced placement courses in high school, students may be able to pursue part of their college education without actually having to attend a campus in residence. This may allow students to be employed while they simultaneously pursue 1-2 years of college, perhaps at a local community college or online with the campus where one eventually wishes to reside. The advantages of this arrangement are numerous: lower costs due to lack of residency fees, working while learning in order to save funds for eventual college residency, and being able to develop maturity while still in a support network of family, friends and community. Options for sport participation are not denied because a local community college may have sport participation opportunities, or one may participate in advanced levels of sport offered by clubs and agencies in the community.
Re-evaluating the path to a degree that is less dependent on a sport scholarship has many advantages: 1) It takes a great deal of pressure off the athlete, family, coach and others to win and succeed for a scholarship alone, 2) It resets the original purpose of a college education as EDUCATION, and 3) It may offset the many disappointments that occur when an athlete does not make the grade for an athletic scholarship.
Granted, rethinking what comprises a well-funded college degree is in order. Difficulties with establishing new models of how to get a degree will certainly prevail; however, colleges and universities will also be adapting to the need to provide all students with an affordable path to a college education, and many changes are anticipated as we all adjust to a NEW NORMAL in sport and academic goal setting.
References
1. Bradley, K. Sports scholarships vs. Academic Scholarships.(2021) The Classroom (Retrieved02/22/21atfile://Sports%20Scholarships%20vs.%20Academic%20Scholarships.html.
2. No Author. (2019). Merit aid vs. Scholarship Money. Varsity Edge. (Retrieved 02/22/21 at Merit%20aid%20vs.%20Athletic%20Scholarship%20Aid%20%7C%20Varsityedge.html#. YDQQoi2cZBw