Find a ESports Scholarship

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Am I Strong Enough For a Scholarship?

The criteria for receiving a scholarship at a U.S. university can vary widely depending on the sport, division and the specific university. However, most scholarships are awarded based on a combination of athletic ability, academic merits, as well as other factors such as your work ethic or leadership qualities.

Athletic Ability

Your athletic level is the first thing which comes to mind when considering applying for a sports scholarship. And yes, your skill level will play a significant role, when it comes to the value of your future scholarship.
No matter the sport, it is mostly assessed through your track record in high school, club events, or any other tournaments and competitions.

Academic Merits

Universities can award both an athletic as well as an academic scholarship. Good grades in high school & test scores (SAT test or ACT test) will help you gain a tremendous advantage when submitting your college application. While many schools have gone test-optional, admissions officers still factor in strong SAT or ACT scores, depending on the school and its athletic division.

Recruiting Advice

As soon as you are certain that you’d like to go to college, start the recruiting process.
Coaches recruit early on & you can build a relationship with coaches over a longer period of time - allowing them to follow your development.
The sooner you get things on track (studying for exams, getting on coaches' radar, etc.), the more scholarship opportunities you are going to have.

Why Is College ESports a Good Option?

Higher Education Combined with Sports

College sports provides athletes with the opportunity to earn scholarships, which can significantly reduce the cost of higher education, or in some cases, fully cover tuition and expenses. Nowadays, recent developments (“NCAA Settlement”) even enable athletes to get paid beyond receiving scholarship money. Athletes can obtain a college degree while continuing their athletic development. This opens the door for professional growth and ensures a solid academic foundation, even if the athletic career doesn’t progress all the way to the professional level.

Athletic Development

College athletes have access to top-tier coaching, training facilities, nutrition plans, and medical staff, which help them stay in top physical condition. In addition, college sports offer highly competitive environments that can challenge and develop an athlete’s talent further. Bear in mind that the college sports landscape looks like a pyramid, with state-of-the art programs on top (NCAA D-I) all the way down to lower-tier, weaker programs, which are far from being a stepping stone into the professional sports world.

Life Skills

College athletes - compared to regular students (non-athletes) - must balance academics and athletics, teaching them time management and discipline. Invaluable skills in any future career. Furthermore, college athletes are always part of a team, which can foster leadership qualities, accountability, and the ability to work in a group. Lastly, college life offers athletes the opportunity to experience a vibrant, diverse social environment where they can forge lifelong friendships and connections.

Parts of a college soccer squad.

Are You Ready to Get Recruited?

Start out by getting much more detailed information about your specific chances to earn a scholarship. We look forward to reviewing your athletic & academic profile. Free of charge, no strings attached.

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How High a Scholarship Can I Get?

The amount of sports scholarship you can receive depends on various factors, specifically, your sports level, the level of competition you are targeting (NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, or junior colleges), and the specific college or university you dream of.

Full-Ride Scholarships

Covers full tuition and fees, housing, meal plan, books, and sometimes other expenses such as travel costs and personal costs. This is the maximum scholarship amount. Only a very limited number of athletes receive full-rides in any given year. They are usually offered by large programs and some of the best teams within the respective College {0} divisions.

Partial Scholarships

Covers only a portion of your college expenses (e.g. tuition). The rest needs to be covered by you. This is the most common type of scholarships, which are awarded to student-athletes. Coaches often have been given a pretty good idea by the school, how much aid may be awarded and how much the team needs to contribute in out-of-pocket expenses.

Academic and Other Financial Aid

Some schools may combine athletic scholarships with academic scholarships or other financial aid to help reduce costs and entice athletes to commit to the school.

How Do I Get Recruited?

There are different ways to get recruited depending on where you are from, your academic background and the sport you play.
However, here are some important steps that all of these different approaches have in common:

  1. Athletic Profile: Build a strong athletic profile.
  2. Academics: Focus on your GPA and prepare for college entrance exams.
  3. Eligibility: Focus on your GPA and prepare for college entrance exams.
  4. Contact Coaches
  5. Commit to a College
  6. Final Steps: The lengthy college admission process needs to be completed successfully. For example, housing application, enrollment deposits, or medical paperwork to name a few.

Here at Smarthlete, we offer to help you with every single step of the way. While we cannot study for you and build great, meaningful relationships with coaches, having us by your side makes a massive difference when it comes to getting on coaches’ radar, communicating well, getting certified to play (your eligibility), as well as receiving strong offers. For more information on the recruiting process with us specifically, please click here.

Getting recruited is the result of years of hard work.
Hard work you have put in both as an athlete and as a student day-in, day-out.
And hard work put in by yourself and your recruiter through the recruiting process - identifying the right athletic program & university for your future goals.

A Typical Day as a Student-Athlete

A Typical Day as a Student-Athlete

Depending on the time of the year, most student athletes start their day with morning practice, which means getting up early. These practices might include strength and conditioning workouts in the gym and typically last 1-2 hours. After the early workout or practice, athletes go to the cafeteria to eat breakfast, followed by classes, usually between 8:00 a.m. and noon. After that, it’s lunch time together in the dining hall with their teammates or other friends.

Teams typically have a 2-3 hour practice session in the afternoon. This is often the primary training session of the day. If not in practice, athletes may use this time for additional classes, attending labs, or study hall. Student athletes can also be scheduled for ice baths, stretching, or physical therapy to prevent injuries and recover after training.

In the evening there is plenty of time to do homework, relax, and socialize. While you have a meal plan in college, you will most certainly also go out for dinner at times and find some other fun things to do with your friends.
Game days or competitions can be scheduled to take place over the weekend, but also during the week.

What Does The Team Look Like?

Obviously, the college team consists of student-athletes but there is a bit more to it.

Within the group of student athletes, you have underclassmen and upperclassmen. Freshmen and sophomores across the board (both junior colleges and four-year college), as well as juniors and seniors (four-year schools). A team usually has a captain who is selected by coaches or teammates and serves as leader. Captains are often responsible for speaking on behalf of the team, running practices if need-be, and serving as an anchor to tie the team together; a liaison between athlete and coaches.

The coaching staff is responsible for the team. Every team has a head coach, who is is responsible for the overall team strategy, leadership, competition schedules and ultimate recruiting decisions. The assistant coach helps the head coach with specific duties, such as practice and recruiting. Large teams (football, basketball, track, etc.) may also consist of several special coaches or volunteer assistant coaches, and strength and conditioning coaches, who focus on the athletes' physical fitness.

In addition to trainers, athletic departments often employ trainers and doctors who specialize in sports medicine. They are available for injury assessments, surgeries, and other medical needs. The largest colleges even provide academic advisors or nutritionists for their sports teams.

The atmosphere within a College ESports Team is something very special. There are so many different characters and each of them contributes in their own way, ensuring that the team is successful together.

310 schools offer a College ESports program
Bergen Community College
Florida Southern College
Holy Family University
King University
Lander University
Lees-McRae College
Lubbock Christian University
Malone University
Mars Hill University
Molloy College
Newman University
Oklahoma Christian University
Pace University-New York
Palm Beach Atlantic University
Purdue University Northwest
Roberts Wesleyan University
Saint Edward's University
Southern Nazarene University
Southern New Hampshire University
Southwest Minnesota State University
Spring Hill College
St Mary's University
Thomas More University
University of Montevallo
University of New Haven
Adrian College
Albion College
Albright College
Alma College
Alvernia University
Anna Maria College
Arcadia University
Augustana College
Benedictine University
Bluffton University
Centre College
Coe College
Saint Elizabeth University
College of Staten Island CUNY
Concordia University-Chicago
Concordia University-Wisconsin
Defiance College
DeSales University
Eastern University
Elmira College
Fontbonne University
Franklin College
Gallaudet University
Greensboro College
Heidelberg University
Huntingdon College
Hendrix College
Hood College
Illinois College
Immaculata University
Kean University
Keuka College
King's College
Lakeland College
Lebanon Valley College
Marian University (WI)
Marietta College
Marywood University
McMurry University
Misericordia University
Mount Saint Joseph University
Mount Saint Mary College
Muskingum University
New England College
New Jersey City University
North Park University
Olivet College
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Principia College
Roger Williams University
SUNY Cobleskill
SUNY College of Technology at Canton
Wisconsin Lutheran College
The Sage Colleges
Thomas College
Trine University
University of St Thomas (TX)
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Utica University
Wartburg College
Waynesburg University
Virginia Wesleyan University
Aquinas College
Baker University
Bellevue University
Bethany College (KS)
Bethel University (IN)
Bethel University (TN)
Brescia University
Brewton-Parker College
Briar Cliff University
Bushnell University
Campbellsville University
Carlow University
Central Christian College of Kansas
Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies
Clarke University
Cleary University
Columbia College (MO)
Columbia International University
Concordia University-Ann Arbor
Cottey College
Dakota State University
Cumberland University
Florida National University
Grace College and Theological Seminary
Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana University-Kokomo
Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion
John Brown University
Mid-America Christian University
Midland University
Midway University
Missouri Baptist University
Northwestern College
Oakland City University
Ohio Christian University
Loyola University New Orleans
University of Rio Grande
University of Saint Francis
University of Saint Mary
Wayland Baptist University
Kansas Wesleyan University
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale
Lawrence Technological University
Louisiana State University-Shreveport
Lourdes University
Ottawa University-Ottawa
Park University - Parkville Campus
St. Thomas University
St. Andrews University
Nelson University
Warner Pacific College
Southeastern University
Missouri Valley College
Rochester University
Saint Ambrose University
Saint Xavier University
Savannah College of Art and Design - Savannah
Shawnee State University
Siena Heights University
University of Jamestown
University of the Cumberlands
West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Westcliff University
Point Park University
University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy
Anne Arundel Community College
Atlantic Cape Community College
Blinn College
Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach
Carl Albert State College
Central Community College
Cayuga County Community College
Catawba Valley Community College
University of Arkansas Community College Rich Mountain
Utah State University Eastern
St Clair County Community College
State Fair Community College
SUNY Westchester Community College
Sussex County Community College
Bryant & Stratton College-Wisconsin
Hocking College
Iowa Central Community College
Jefferson Community College
John Wood Community College
Johnston Community College
Kishwaukee College
Lackawanna College
Lakeland Community College
John C Calhoun State Community College
Laramie County Community College
Madison Area Technical College
North Central Missouri College
North Iowa Area Community College
Patrick & Henry Community College
Pensacola State College
Pratt Community College
Rockland Community College
Seward County Community College and Area Technical School
Shelton State Community College
Coastal Bend College
Coffeyville Community College
Corning Community College
Dallas College - Brookhaven Campus
Dallas College - Cedar Valley Campus
Dallas College - Eastfield Campus
Dallas College - Mountain View Campus
Dallas College - North Lake Campus
Dallas College - Richland Campus
Dawson Community College
Daytona State College
Dutchess Community College
Eastern Arizona College
Finger Lakes Community College
Gogebic Community College
Harrisburg Area Community College
Hawkeye Community College
Heartland Community College
Highland Community College (IL)
Howard Community College
Highland Community College (KS)
Hudson Valley Community College
Iowa Western Community College
Lorain County Community College
Jamestown Community College
Northern Essex Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
Northland Community and Technical College
Northwest College
Vincennes University
Wake Technical Community College
Walters State Community College
Waubonsee Community College
Western Technical College
William Rainey Harper College
Ocean County College
Onondaga Community College
Potomac State College of West Virginia University
Snow College
Southwestern Oregon Community College
Sullivan County Community College
Monroe College - New Rochelle Campus
Mountain Gateway Community College
Navarro College
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College
Massachusetts Bay Community College
Marshalltown Community College
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College
Clinton College
Long Beach City College
NHTI-Concord's Community College
University of Maine at Augusta
Villa Maria College
York County Community College
Assumption University
Michigan Technological University
Cleveland State University
D'Youville University
Daemen University
Dallas Baptist University
Lindenwood University
Winthrop University
Post University
Oakland University
St Lawrence University
Ashland University
Barry University
Belmont Abbey College
Chowan University
Colorado Mesa University
Concordia University-Saint Paul
Converse College
Davenport University
Drury University
Eastern New Mexico University
Florida Institute of Technology
Western Colorado University
Goldey-Beacom College
Roosevelt University
Seton Hill University
Anderson University (IN)
Bethany Lutheran College
Carthage College
Edgewood College
Gustavus Adolphus College
Cornell College
Keene State College
Lesley University
Lyon College
Otterbein University
Widener University
Southern Virginia University
Culver-Stockton College
Huntington University
Freed-Hardeman University
York College
Columbia College (SC)
Bismarck State College
Clinton Community College
College of Lake County
Columbia-Greene Community College
Nassau Community College
Suffolk County Community College
Southeast Community College
Grayson College
Tiffin University
Nichols College
The College of Saint Rose
North Carolina Wesleyan University
College of Mount Saint Vincent
Webber International University
William Penn University
Spring Arbor University
Governors State University
Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Hastings College
Montgomery County Community College
Des Moines Area Community College
Hesston College
Central Maine Community College
Five Towns College
Centralia College
Umpqua Community College