College football players bring notice to their schools by participating in intercollegiate games. In addition to taking classes, these students travel across the country to play football games against teams from other universities. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and Division II member universities with football programs offer scholarships to outstanding student-athletes playing on their teams.
Academic Eligibility
To qualify for NCAA football scholarships, students must apply to the NCAA's Eligibility Center, which determines their academic qualification for university enrollment and athletic amateur status. Specifically, to be eligible for scholarships, students must take SAT or ACT tests, complete at least 16 credits (14 if enrolling at a Division II school) each of high school English, mathematics, social studies and elective courses and receive satisfactory grade point averages in their core subjects. Additionally, prospective college football players must meet their universities' academic admission requirements, which are often more stringent than the NCAA's academic guidelines. Also, once enrolled in college, students must make satisfactory academic progress to maintain their scholarships.
Athletic Eligibility
In addition to being academically eligible, prospective college football players must meet the NCAA's athletic eligibility requirements to receive and maintain scholarships. These rules state that students must have "amateur status," which means they must not take payments of any kind, hire agents, receive any form of compensation in exchange for their athletic performance or attempt to begin professional athletic careers. Additionally, football players at NCAA schools must remain free of drug use and undergo testing for illegal and performance-enhancing substances to obtain and remain on scholarship.
Athletic Skill and Character
In addition to academic prowess, college coaches and athletic directors look to sign high school football players with high levels of athletic skill. Typically, universities with larger, more well-known Division I football programs offer scholarships to star players with top athletic talent, while lesser-known Division I and Division II schools recruit solid players with good skills who were not necessarily high school stars. In addition to on-the-field success, many college coaches and athletic directors consider students' character and personalities when making scholarship decisions.
Amounts
A college football scholarship from an NCAA school covers the full cost of university tuition and administrative fees for the entire time a student-athlete is enrolled in classes. Students can use a football scholarship to pay the entire cost of earning a four-year college degree, saving them thousands of dollars upfront and removing the need to take out costly student loans, allowing them to save more in the long run.
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