You can learn much more about how to afford college by enrolling in my upcoming online course - Cutting the Cost of College. I designed this course to help you save money by making you a smart college shopper. Lynn O’Shaughnessy
I wanted to share an email from a dad who is interested in his son getting an athletic scholarship.
Goucher College in Maryland is looking for my son to play soccer, but it is expensive. Here is my question: How should I approach the college about an athletic scholarship?
The Scoop on Athletic Scholarships
There is no need to approach Goucher College or any other Division III about athletic scholarships. Division III schools, which are primarily private colleges and universities, do not give out athletic scholarships. That, however, should not be a deal breaker.
These schools routinely offer merit scholarships to their students and/or need-based financial aid. Being an athlete can make a student more attractive to a Division III school. These schools care deeply about their teams and are eager to attract good players.
What many parents don’t understand is that in the vast majority of cases, merit scholarships are bigger than athletic scholarships. If your child earns a merit scholarship he enjoys a financial advantage because whether or not he plays soccer, basketball, lacrosse or any other sport, he will still keep his merit scholarship (some schools have a requirement that a scholarship recipient must maintain a certain GPA such as a 3.0).
In contrast, if your son gets an athletic scholarship from a Division I or II school, he could lose it if the coach no longer finds him valuable 
to the team. There are no four-year sports scholarships.
Merit vs. Athletic Scholarships
The average merit scholarship (non-need based aid) at Goucher College is $13,867, which is bigger than the average NCCA athletic scholarship of $11,000. You can check these merit aid statistics yourself by looking at an institution’s profile on the College Board. Most parents should not just focus on merit aid because the more expensive the school is, the more likely the student would qualify for need-based aid.
What families also don’t realize is how difficult it is to secure any kind of athletic scholarship whether it’s football, basketball, swimming, lacrosse or all the other sports. Roughly 2% of high school athletes capture an athletic scholarship.
And what about the odds for a soccer scholarships?
It’s grim. According to the most recent figures that I can find, about 330,000 boys compete in high school soccer, but there were just 2,357 soccer scholarships available. These scholarships were split among 6,047 students. The average award was just $8,533.
Bottom Line:
Families often end up shopping for athletic scholarships rather than for schools that represent a good academic fit.
If you are a gifted athlete or the parent of one, I’d recommend that you first identify schools that would be a match academically and then inquire about the sports. Getting a college education is infinitely more important than playing a sports. And remember, the money you receive for academic accomplishments is usually more than a sports scholarship.