Collegiate Eligibility Initiatives - College Sports Eligibility 101: Understanding Athletic Aid

Perhaps the most confusing issue for high school student-athletes and

their families is the issue of athletic aid. Coaches may offer a high

school

student-athlete a scholarship to cover many college expenses

including

tuition, room, board, fees and books. This is music to the ears

of many

parents who worry about how they are going to afford these

college bills.

However, there are circumstances under which a student-

athlete is

awarded an athletic scholarship that covers most educational

expenses

but the student-athlete and his or her family still owe a

balance on tuition.

A student athlete may be good enough to walk on to

a college team but

the coach says the student has to give up a non-

athletic scholarship to join

the team. These scenarios are baffling to

student-athletes and families.

These issues are baffling to NCAA coaches as well and many times

coaches will not bring these issues up with the families because they are

so confusing and better explained by either a compliance coordinator or

financial aid expert on campus. However, in order for high school-

student athletes and their families to have an intelligent conversation

about such financial aid matters, it is necessary to have a very basic

understanding of some of the NCAA legislation that will have a great

impact on where a high school student-athlete can afford to go college.

NCAA legislation requires limits on the amount of aid that is available as

team and a limit on the amount of aid that is available as an individual.

Secondly, certain types of aid are considered countable (that is, counts

toward the team limit, the individual limit or both) and non-countable.

The circumstances are unique to each school’s team and thus all

questions regarding financial aid should be addressed with the college

university administrator responsible for keeping track of the aid.

This

person on campus is usually the compliance coordinator or the

financial

aid officer. Questions regarding aid should be addressed well

before the

student-athlete shows up on campus for their first semester

so that there

is time to prepare for any surprise expenses that student-

athletes and

families did not anticipate.

In the meantime, below are a couple of very basic definitions of financial

aid terms and examples of situations that student-athletes with which

they may have to dea

A student-athlete can be classified as a counter if he or she receives
athletic aid or is recruited and receiving some other kind of institutionally
administered grant or scholarship.

A full grant in aid is classified as tuition, room, board, fees and books.

Student-athletes may not exceed individual limits (i.e. beyond the cost of
attendance which includes tuition, room board, fees, books,
transportation and other educational expenses. This is determined by
each institution).

Teams cannot exceed a legislated team limit and is different for each
sport. This value is the cost of tuition, room, board, fees and books
multiplied by the numerical limit set forth by the legislation.

Aid that is or can be classified as countable include:

Aid based on athletic ability (the athletic scholarship)
Institutionally administered grants or scholarships
Outside aid based on athletic ability (i.e. academic church
scholarship for athletics is a major criterion or outside scholarship
for which only athletes can apply)

Aid that is not considered countable include:

Contributions from parents or legal guardians
Legitimate school loans with repayment schedule

College A is an NCAA Division I institution. Tuition, room, board, fees

and books are $15,000. Cost of attendance is $20,000. The team limit

for women’s tennis is 7. Therefore, College A cannot exceed 7 counters

and the countable aid for the women’s tennis team at College A cannot

exceed $105,000 – (7x$15,000 = $105,000).

Student-athlete #1 only receives a full grant in aid ($15,000)
Student-athlete #2 only receives a full grant in aid ($15,000)
Student-athlete #3 only receives a full grant in aid ($15,000)
Student-athlete #4 only receives a full grant in aid ($15,000)
Student-athlete #5’s expenses are paid entirely by her parents
Student-athlete #6 receives a full grant in aid ($15,000) and a
parental contribution ($6,000)
Student-athlete #7 receives a full grant in aid ($15,000) and a Pell
grant ($5,000)
Student-athlete #8 receives a full grant in aid ($15,000) and a
private academic/athletic scholarship from her church ($7,500)

Student-athletes #1 through #4 are not going to have any issues
inasmuch as they are not receiving any aid beyond the athletic
scholarships that they receive.

Student-athlete #5 also does not have any issue because her parents are
paying all of her educational expenses from their own pocket.

Student-athlete #7 must examine whether the Pell grant may be an issue.
Pell grants that are received by student-athletes do not count toward a
team limit. Thus, for Student-athlete #7, the value against the team limit
is $15,000. However, a Pell grant is countable toward her individual limit.
Inasmuch as the individual limit is $20,000 the entire Pell grant can be
received because the value of the full grant in aid ($15,000) and the value
of the Pell grant ($5,000) do not exceed the maximum for the individual
limit (i.e. the cost of attendance of $20,000 for College A). Both amounts
combined equal $20,000.

Student-athlete #6 is not going to have any issues because though the full
grant in aid ($15,000) is countable toward the team limits, the parental
contribution of $6,000 is not. The parental contribution is also not
countable toward the individual limit.

Student-athlete #8 is going to have an issue. She is receiving a full grant
in aid ($15,000) and a private academic/athletic scholarship from her
church of $7,500. This outside scholarship from the church will cause the
team limit to be exceeded by $7,500. Further, Student-athlete #8 will
exceed her individual limit by $2,500. Therefore, the family of Student-
athlete #8 is going to have to make a choice – either turn down the
church scholarship of $7,500 or have the athletic scholarship reduced by
$7,500.

Though families are not going to have access to what other student-

athletes receive, what the college coach and the college athletic

administrators will see is this:

Again,

each issue of athletic scholarship aid is specific to each student-

athlete, each school and each sport. During spring of the senior year or

during the summer before enrollment at the college or university of the

student-athlete's choice, please visit with the college or university

athletic

compliance coordinator or financial aid officer.

Sources: NCAA Division I Manual Bylaw 15, figures 15-1, 15-2.

Understanding
Athletic Aid

Athletic aid, outside aid, team limits and individual limits

Quiz Question #4

Example: Women's Tennis at College A

Student-Athlete
(counter or
non-counter)

Amount of
Scholarship

Amount
Countable
toward
Team
Limit

Amount
Countable
toward
Individual
Limit

Student-athlete #1
(counter)

$15,000

Student-athlete #2
(counter)

$15,000

Student-athlete
#3(counter)

$15,000

Student-athlete #4
(counter)

$15,000

Student-athlete #5
(non-counter)

$0.00

Student-athlete
#6(counter)

$21,000

$15,000

Student-athlete #7
(counter)

$20,000

$15,000

$20,000

Student-athlete #8
(counter)

$22,500

$22,500*

Total countable Aid

$112,500

Exceed total permissible countable
aid for Team limit by:

$7,500

* Student-athlete #8 must reduce countable aid by $7,500 to
meet team limit and $2,500 to meet individual limit.

rue or False - Any monetary

contributions from parents or legal

guardians are considered "countable"

aid and thus must be counted toward

the team and individual financial aid

limits.

True

False