What are the rules regarding scholarships all 4 years? Can an athlete lose their scholarship for injury? I was under the impression that once an athlete signed a letter of intent that the scholarship they received (even if partial) would be honored all four years.
Generally athletic scholarships are 1 year “contracts”. Athletes can have their scholarships not renewed due to injury but in many cases that happens when the injury did not occur during athletic events/training, etc. There are hardly any 4 years scholarships any more.
Interesting. When my D went through the process she was told that the NCAA changed the rules for athletic scholarships requiring the University to honor them for 4 years… something about protecting the athletes. However, it was an assistant coach so maybe he had incorrect info.
@jumpermom is incorrect. http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/news/power-5-ncaa-schools-vote-new-scholarship-concussion-proposals-autonomy/mdv2pvwbc6py1e6v16tsa0ew8
Power 5 schools can offer 4 year scholarships, but some of them only offer them to headcount sports. Two conferences, PAC 12 and B1G, require their schools to offer them for all sports.
Many coaches promise to honor the scholarships for as long as the player continues to be eligible and puts in the effort. My daughter’s coach did make that promise and has honored it. Scholarships haven’t increased, but haven’t decreased either. One student was dismissed for behavior reasons and rumor has it she even got to keep her scholarship for that semester and she later transferred schools.
The NLI is only for the initial year. With the NLI there is a Grant-in-aid, and that is the money that can be renewed, increased, decreased.
Really, if the coach wants to get rid of you, they can. If they want to keep you, they can. There was a hockey player at DU who learned he had a heart condition his first year. Coach honored the scholarship for all 4 years, the guy became a coach and he’s still with the team. Good karma.
As noted above, the NLI is not only for the initial year for some sports, typically your headcount sports. Your 4 year scholarship is really a 4 year grant-in-aid contract that shows parents what they can expect to pay for those 4 years. It may say 2 years at 100%, 2 years 0% (the PAC 12, for instance requires a minimum of 2 years given), or any variation thereof including all 4. Once that contract is signed, it is very difficult to get it rescinded, injury or not.
Thanks for the replies. I guess the “guarantees” are only for head count sports. I was thinking it would apply to all sports… even those who have to scrape by …