Multi-Year Athletic Scholarships – 6 Things to Know
For NCAA Division I student-athletes who are currently on a multi-year scholarship or recruits who are considering a DI multi-year scholarship offer, here are 6 things you should know:
-NCAA Division I is the only level of college athletics that CAN offer a multi-year scholarship. While they can do so, very few Division I coaches and teams actually do offer multi-year scholarships. Many are prohibited from doing so by their athletic department policies.
-Always be sure to read the fine print on the back of the athletic scholarship agreement to understand the conditions under which a coach is allowed to either cancel the scholarship in the midst of the academic year or not renew it for the following year.
-Make sure your student-athlete shares any team or athletic department team rules and conduct policies so you are aware of the means by which a coach may try to take away a scholarship if your athlete is not performing as expected.
-A scholarship that is touted by a coach as a multi-year scholarship, but provides NO scholarship in the first year, is NOT a valid multi-year scholarship.
-A multi-year scholarship may be renegotiated during the period of the scholarship award. BUT, the renegotiation must result in an increase in the total amount of the scholarship provided.
-If a proposed restructuring of a multi-year scholarship doesn’t result in an overall increase, it is not permissible.
If you have questions about multi-year and athletic scholarships and how they affect your student-athlete, contact us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com to schedule a confidential consultation.
