If you are seriously involved in sports, you might consider athletic scholarships as a way to help cover the cost of your education.

National Collegiate Scouting Association

Scholarship Informaton from NCAA

Requirements

According to federal law, there must be an equal number of scholarships for both men and women in those sports where both sexes participate.

A high school athlete should at least be a starter on their team in order to be considered.

Getting Started

It is best to have your high school coach call, write, or E-mail the coach for your sport at the colleges in which you are most interested.

Also, have your coach send a videotape of one of your games. Do not send a highlight tape. They do not impress coaches; they want to see actual games. The college coach may attend one or more of your games.

Your part is to talk to the coach of the college team you are interested in and find out what they expect.

Common Myths

Be aware that "the common misperception is that [if] you played in high school, you can play in college at any level. Not in Division 1," Clough says. The University of Delaware, where he works, is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 school.

Another common mistake is to think that an athletic scholarship and a spot on an NCAA college team will be a ticket to the pros. Johnson says that "less than 1.5 percent of college football players in Division 1 colleges make it to the draft. And less than half of that make it in the pros."

Academic Requirements

There are no requirements that you study, or major in, any particular subject. As long as you follow NCAA eligibility guidelines, and maintain grades acceptable to the institution you are attending, you can study whatever you want.

Many coaches follow the policy that if "you don't go to class, you don't play."

You do need good grades and SAT/ACT levels to get admitted.

Check out the NCAA website to find out what high school classes you need to qualify.

Do Your Homework

How do you go about getting an athletic scholarship? Research carefully. The best, and safest, way is to do the work yourself. Start at your high school by talking to your coach and your guidance counselor.

Speak to students who are already attending those colleges.

Choose a school that feels comfortable to you. It's more than academics and athletics.

Do not pay someone else to find a scholarship for you.  You'll just get scammed.

Beware of Scams

According to the Federal Trade Commission, tens of thousands of high school students are the victims of scholarship scams every year. Here are ways to avoid them:

• Contact colleges directly; don't pay someone else to do it for you.
• Ignore offers you did not request.
• Avoid offers that contain a lot of promises or a guarantee of getting a scholarship.
• If it says the offer is exclusive to you, or for a limited time, avoid it like the plague.
• Claims of saving you money are false. Scholarships are free.
• If they offer to do all the work for you, say "no thanks."

The U.S. Department of Education website provides information on federal student aid programs and important warnings about scholarship scams. If you're interested in scholarships, be sure to check it out. Don't be a victim; do your own homework.

National Collegiate Athletic Association
http://www2.ncaa.org/