2008 Woodie Awards
Behind the scenes of the NCAA scholarship system
By: Tamara Neely
Issue date: 5/21/08 Section: Sports
For college hopefuls, money can be a huge factor. For student athletes, the factor could be lessened with the possibility of acquiring a sports scholarship.
Arielle Kann, 23, went through a similar plight as she decided which college she would attend in the fall of 2003. Kann is a track and field athlete who began her athletic career her sophomore year in high school.
"When I was looking for a college, I based my decision primarily on the track programs but it was greatly influenced by the scholarships the schools could offer," Kann said.
Kann attended a couple of colleges before settling at California State University, Stanislaus; however, she likes this one the best, not because of the money, but it does help.
CSU Stanislaus offers its student-athletes scholarships whenever the funds are available.
To be a member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association for Division II schools, a college must distribute a minimum of $250,000 in scholarships among its student-athletes.
"This year alone, we distributed over $300,000 in scholarships amongst our student-athletes," Robert Harris, associate athletics director, said.
Scholarships may come from sponsors such as Taco Bell, Wal-Mart or Target, but fundraisers also build up scholarships.
CSU Stanislaus offers several fundraisers to help pay for the scholarships offered.
A few of the fundraisers offered are: the crab feed, a golf tournament, softball tournaments, sports camps and hosted track meets. Depending on what sports team hosts the fundraiser, that team gets a greater percentage of the profits before the rest is distributed among the other teams.
The factors that determine how much a team gets depend on the success of the team, the success in fundraising, and how much the coach may ask for.
All athletes do not receive the same amount in scholarships; therefore, athletes are not allowed to discuss their scholarship amounts with other athletes.
Arielle Kann, 23, went through a similar plight as she decided which college she would attend in the fall of 2003. Kann is a track and field athlete who began her athletic career her sophomore year in high school.
"When I was looking for a college, I based my decision primarily on the track programs but it was greatly influenced by the scholarships the schools could offer," Kann said.
Kann attended a couple of colleges before settling at California State University, Stanislaus; however, she likes this one the best, not because of the money, but it does help.
CSU Stanislaus offers its student-athletes scholarships whenever the funds are available.
To be a member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association for Division II schools, a college must distribute a minimum of $250,000 in scholarships among its student-athletes.
"This year alone, we distributed over $300,000 in scholarships amongst our student-athletes," Robert Harris, associate athletics director, said.
Scholarships may come from sponsors such as Taco Bell, Wal-Mart or Target, but fundraisers also build up scholarships.
CSU Stanislaus offers several fundraisers to help pay for the scholarships offered.
A few of the fundraisers offered are: the crab feed, a golf tournament, softball tournaments, sports camps and hosted track meets. Depending on what sports team hosts the fundraiser, that team gets a greater percentage of the profits before the rest is distributed among the other teams.
The factors that determine how much a team gets depend on the success of the team, the success in fundraising, and how much the coach may ask for.
All athletes do not receive the same amount in scholarships; therefore, athletes are not allowed to discuss their scholarship amounts with other athletes.
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