My opinion is that coaches, particularly those at schools that don’t give athletic money, will make sure the student athlete gets every dollar they can get from all the other sources because athletic money is limited. My daughter’s coach made sure all team members got two small grants available to all students, ‘knowing’ an alum (the coach could introduce you!) and visiting the campus before applying. If there was a band, art, dance scholarship you could qualify for, she was on it and getting you to fill out the app. Helped her stretch her money but also helped students who couldn’t otherwise afford an expensive school and who she wanted on the team.
Daughter interviewed at a D1 school and the coach was the same way, helping D figure out how much she’d get in merit and other little awards that could stack. At a D3 school, the coach wouldn’t even talk to me about money but said to contact admissions The coach wouldn’t have known if we could afford it or not because she didn’t want to discuss it. Umm, we didn’t really pursue it because it seemed like the coach would be no help (and daughter didn’t like the school).
I know D3 coaches in New England are particularly helpful in recruiting Canadians and making sure their income and assets are evaluated in Canadian dollars so they can qualify for more financial aid from the school. They know the tricks.