College Aid:

Colleges award grants and scholarships from the private funds available to them. The source of money may be general endowment funds or scholarships that are named after the donor or in honor of another person. Grants and scholarships may be based on need, merit, or a combination of the two. A scholarship donor may specify that the money should go to a student who needs aid and who is outstanding in a certain field. The scholarship will become part of the student’s aid package. Clearly, colleges with large endowments can afford to be more generous than schools with less money. It’s not only private colleges that can give grants. Some state universities have substantial funds of their own for athletic and other merit based scholarships.

Athletic Scholarships:

One of the best-known types of merit aid is the athletic scholarship. State schools, as well as private schools, often have money to award to athletes. Check for information and lists of colleges that offer athletic scholarships. If you’re an athlete, choose a college that you would like to attend even if you were not involved in sports. Be sure to complete aid application forms.

High school coaches can provide ideas. They may have contacts at the colleges. Check out making a video that shows you playing at your best. Communicate with coaches at colleges of interest. If possible, plan to attend a game. Let the coach know ahead of time that you’ll be there, then introduce yourself. You will be evaluating the coach at the same time that she or he is evaluating you. The college coach may want to come to one of your games to see you play. Coaches want the best players to come to their school. They may be able to help you win an athletic scholarship–let them know that you need financial aid.