Tag Archive for: Athletic Scholarship Agreements

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Why Student-Athletes Should Keep a Copy of Their Scholarship Agreement

If your son or daughter is on an athletic scholarship, do you have a copy of their scholarship agreement for this year?

It’s very important to read through the scholarship agreement and know what expectations have been placed on your son or daughter.

  • We all know that they’re expected to stay academically eligible, conduct themselves properly, and work hard in practice every day.
  • But how do you know if there are team rules or athletic department policies that could cause them to lose their scholarship if you haven’t carefully reviewed the scholarship agreement?

It’s much better to get a copy of the agreement at the time of signing as it can be an uncomfortable conversation to ask the coach or athletic department for a copy later if:

  • You feel that things aren’t going well for your son or daughter, or if they are being threatened with the cancellation of their scholarship, it will be important to know what is stated in those rules or policies.
  • In addition, if your athlete is thinking about a possible transfer to another university, it can be important to know the impact on his or her athletic scholarship if they decide to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and when they might do that.

Here are a few potentially concerning examples that I’ve recently seen in scholarship agreements of our clients:

  1. The scholarship can be cancelled if the student-athlete “Refuses to participate or provides a positive test result in the NCAA or University drug-testing program.” (At some universities a positive drug test results in required drug counseling but not necessarily the cancellation of the athlete’s scholarship.)
  2. If an athletic scholarship agreement is written as 100% of a full athletic scholarship for the freshman year but then “0% of a full athletic scholarship” for the three following years, then there will be no notification of a scholarship reduction and no appeal opportunity because the student-athlete knew when they signed the scholarship agreement that there was no scholarship given after the first year.
  3. A student-athlete could have their scholarship cancelled due to “…actions that are deemed detrimental to the team that I am a member of.”But, if the coach does not provide his or her athletes with a detailed list of what those “detrimental” actions are, how can the athlete know that what they may consider a very minor discretion (perhaps being a few minutes late for a team meeting or making a disparaging remark about a teammate) may end up costing them their scholarship?

If you have concerns or questions about your student-athlete’s scholarship agreement or you want to have a proactive discussion about what to look for or be aware of in a scholarship agreement, we can help.

Schedule a confidential Scholarship Strategies Consult online for a confidential 1:1 consultation. We’ll answer your questions and provide accurate information, objective advice and guide you through potential issues that could possibly create problems in the future.

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Why All Student-Athletes Should Fill Out the FAFSA

The FAFSA form (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for the 2022-23 academic year becomes available on October 1.

Here is why you should fill out the FAFSA form even if you don’t think you will qualify based on family income or because your athlete is being offered a substantial athletic scholarship:

  • Some coaches and athletic departments require that the FAFSA be completed by ALL student-athletes.
  • Coaches and athletic departments are trying to stretch their scholarship allotments for each sport as far as possible.
  • Having their athletes qualify for other types of scholarships and aid assistance that might be available is a way for them to do this.
  • That’s true in any year, but even more true now with loss of revenue and fewer donations from alumni at many colleges and universities due to the pandemic.
  • Furthermore, to maximize their financial aid “reach” some colleges have policies that prohibit ALL students (not just athletes) from accepting more than one scholarship or grant so that more students can receive financial assistance.

When your athlete’s recruitment is becoming “serious” with a coach be sure to ask them about campus scholarship policies during a recruiting call or when you’re on a campus visit.

It’s also important to note that some states award financial aid on a first-come, first-served basis so the earlier you apply the better your chances might be to receive some aid.

Financial Aid and Scholarship Issues Can Be Confusing!

For more information on scholarships and financial aid agreements, visit our website: https://informedathlete.com/how-we-help/scholarship-strategies/

If you have questions about your athlete’s specific situation, we provide confidential phone consultations to answer questions and discuss options. Schedule a Scholarship Strategies consult online, or you can send an email to rick@informedathlete.com or call 913-766-1235.

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Scholarship Athletes: Be sure you Understand your Scholarship Agreement Terms!

We encourage athletes receiving athletic scholarships (and their families) to review all scholarship documents, as well as any athletic department student-athlete handbooks and/or team policies regarding the conditions under which an athlete’s scholarship can be reduced or cancelled during the academic year.

Once the academic year begins, an NCAA athletic program can only cancel an athlete’s scholarship for limited reasons.

Because a “violation of team rules” can be vague and open to interpretation, it will be important for athletes and families to be knowledgeable about any athletic department or team rules provided to the athletes.

Here’s a recent example of some key wording from a scholarship agreement issued to one of our clients from an NCAA university:

“I am aware the amount of my athletics grant may be immediately reduced or cancelled during the period of the award if:

  • I miss an excessive number of classes, fail to complete an excessive number of academic assignments, fail to take examinations, miss meetings with the Academic Service Coordinator for Student-Athletes or otherwise neglect my academic responsibilities;
  • I break team rules, miss treatment sessions with the Athletic Training Staff, violate the Student-Athlete Code of Conduct, do not fulfill the terms of a behavioral contract or engage in serious misconduct bringing disciplinary action from XXX University.”

Need Advice?

If you have questions about your athlete’s scholarship agreement or other questions, schedule a confidential scholarship strategies consult online, or by calling 913-766-1235 or sending an email to rick@informedathlete.com.

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