My son got one offer that was somewhat confusing. Just for an example that is easily divisible let’s use 60% of one year’s scholarship spread over 4 years. The coach said the amount could be different amounts for each year, e.g. 15% a year, 30% the last two years, 60% the last year. This did not sound like a good idea to me as the coach could put most of the % in the last years. The coach might not have to pay anything if a player transferred after 1-2 years.
Can an offer like that be put on a NLI?
Also, even if the coach is using x% of 1 year over 4 years, when the student actually enrolls 9 months after the November NLI, wouldn’t the coach have to convert it to a single year counter for equivalency sports? I can understand why this coach may be using this type of offer as he has a young team without many senior graduating. It probably sounds better than 0% freshman year which is probably the reality. Regardless of which year is what %, the overall % was not enough even if it was divided equally over 4 years. I am asking the question because is this the direction offers are going or is this type of offer uncommon? My son has one other offers so far and hints of offers after visits and all the rest are a set % for each year. or at least the freshman as I assume they would be annual renewals. My son talked to coach, and if it had been an affordable offer, his dad or I would have Emailed the coach to ask how he thought the %s would have been split. We didnt since it was a mute point, but I wanted to be prepared if son gets a similarly styled offer from another college.
Personally, my coach always told anyone whoever got an offer to avoid percentages and to try to get a locked in number of the years. Also make sure the offers is guaranteed over 4 years not contingent upon something. You never want a coach to pull an offer because an athlete didn’t meet expectations after freshman year. Those are my two cents.
I read something, I think it was South Carolina was doing four year scholarship only for head count sports. For the equivalency sports, scholarships at that school are still year to year, just like they’ve been for 40 years.
Was this coach offering a 4 year scholarship? I think the percentages could be put into a 4 year Grant in Aid, no different than a $$ amount. I haven’t actually seen a 4 year Grant in Aid, so I don’t know how they read. Is there one on the NCAA site? It would have to spell out 20% of what (tuition, books, room and board? just tuition?), and the percentages for each year. It is also required for the NLI that there be something for year one, at least book money, or it isn’t binding. Also, some sports have specific minimums (baseball) so the coaches have to meet those requirements if the sport requires it.
My daughter’s coach promised her that her scholarship (a flat $$ amount) would not go down any year as long as she plays, is eligible, etc. and so far that promise has been kept (we’re in year 3). We had to trust the coach to honor that because at the time 4 year scholarships were not allowed by the NCAA (and I’m not sure they are allowed in D2 yet). I would have liked the % because the tuition goes up every year, so if we were getting 1/4 or 1/2 of tuition, we’d get more each year; it’s not an insignificant amount as tuition has gone up $8000 in those 3 years. It is definitely a one year NLI/Grant in aid, not a 4 year one. She resigns her Grant in Aid every year.
I think it is common for offers to be made for a %. When they are making offers to sophomores in high school, they don’t even know what the COA is going to be but they do know how many scholarships they have to give out, so they can take the 12 equivalency scholarships, decide that 3 are for the freshman class of 20xx, and then (verbally) offer 1/4 scholarships until they run out. When they sign the NLI, it’s for one year.
I did see a Grant in Aid for 50%, and it read across the top “Tuition 50%” “Room and Board 50%” " Books 50%" Sadly, that wasn’t my daughter’s!
I would assume this has to do with running. If you enjoy running go to your desire college and walk on. If you don’t enjoy running you will be at your desire college with no scholarships. If a coach wants you they will get you a full scholly. If they leave/fired the next coach will decide your destination, including no scholarship. Also an injury they will cancel the scholly. Private University will offer full guarantee for 4 years.
@twoinanddone Yes this was a Power 5 school, and it sounded like a 4 year scholarship, but the confusing part was that it sounded like each year the coach could decide on the % but the %s would add up to one 4 year total. It was not like he listed yearly %s to add up to guaranteed %. For example if it was 50% of one total expenses scholarship, he did not say 1st 5% 2nd 10% 3rd 15% 4th 20%. Could a NLI actually say 50% of a total scholarship to be spread over 4 years with each year’s % to be determined each fall? Wouldnt coach at least have to decide the 1st year % on NLI? This coach has very low turnover on his team; guys stay all 4 years. That was one of many reasons we liked the college. However, it seems like it would be hard to manage. A coach could keep pushing back the %s on several players, and then end up with %‘s he owed that added up to more than his equivalency headcount when it came to players’ jr or sr years.
It is really a mute point in this college’s case as the total for the 4 years would not be enough due to OOS tuition. We were willing to spend somewhat more than our budget as this was a high ranked selective university with great facilities that son would not get into on his own, and he would get in with the coach’s support. However it is hard to justify spending more than twice as much as going to a midmajor. However, I wonder if all Power schools are now making similar offers. He had been offered some OVs to other power schools, but after hearing this offer, I told son to focus on midmajors. It is dangerous to let kids see the big schools and their facilities, because after seeing those, it is hard to get excited about midmajors. I guess the Power schools figure they get kids in on a OV, have them fall in love with the school, and then offer them low $ or %s for nonrevenue sports with the high %s saved for just a few. The coaches of the midmajors have been more upfront about potential athletic %s even before visits.
You know, I think the Power 5 top programs can do almost anything they want and still be able to fill their teams 10x over. I do think they have to ‘balance the books’ every year and the number (or percentage) of scholarships has to add up to the limit allowed by the NCAA for that year. This year Texas picked up 4 of the Baylor football players. Texas didn’t have 4 scholarships left, but by magic they made room, some scholarships ‘opened up.’ Sort of like The Godfather had a hand in it.
The money can only increase each year or stay the same; if they are the student has the right to a hearing. I don’t remember if the NLI actually has a dollar amount on it or just refers to the Grant in Aid that is signed at the same time. I don’t think the coach in your example could do 30%, then 15%, then 30%, then 15% - it can only go up or stay the same, not down.
I just checked the NLI/Grant in Aid my daughter signed when she was in high school. The NLI doesn’t contain any mention of percentages or amounts of scholarships, just that a Grant has to be offered. The NLI said she was committing to that school, and any other terms (eligibility). It’s an NCAA form. Because she’s at a D2 school, the form is set to only include one year. There must be a new one for 4 year scholarships.
The Grant itself had a list of things the student could receive aid for: Tuition ___, Room _, Board , Books , Insurance . Again, just for one year. It is a school form, not NCAA.
Did your daughter receive both forms at the same time-the grant form with the NLI? I guess the Power schools that offer 4 year scholarships will start low and then increase %/$ if players do well. However, once a coach has a player on campus, it seems the coach would want to use $/% to get new recruits as he knows players dont want the hassle of a transfer. Coaches may only decide to increase the next year if a valuable player says he may quit team and just attend school as a normal student if athletic $ are low.
Yes, she received her Grant in Aid at the time she signed NLI. If you are looking at 4-year scholarship schools, you should contact them and ask if you can just see how such a scholarship is worded. There may be someone in the athletic office you can talk to who knows even more about the scholarships than the coaches. It’s easy for the head count sports, but the math gets complicated for the equity sports. The coach was pressuring my daughter to sign at the early signing period (just as the D3 coaches pressure for ED), and I asked what would changed if she waited until April. The coach answered honestly ‘nothing’ but pointed out it was nice to have the recruiting over with, to be settled. She was right, it was wonderful to be done in Nov. It was also important to my daughter to be with ‘the group of 7’ freshmen signing in the fall. That ultimately grew to 9, but those other 2 weren’t in the original core group with their pictures on the webpage, getting in the same housing suite, being in on the twitter and instagram conversations. Silly stuff, but important to her. We’re glad she signed in the fall even if there may have been other, even better, options.
A friend’s daughter was a swimmer at Fordham. She started with a small scholarship but had a full tuition one by senior year. A lot of schools do reward juniors and seniors with more money. One coach we talked to doesn’t give any money to freshmen, it all goes to upperclassmen. There must be students willing to wait for the money. We couldn’t afford to do that but she has 10-15 ‘recruits’ every year (don’t know if they receive a minimum for the NLI or they are all walk ons).
I found it was best to just be honest with the coaches and ask how the scholarships work, if there would be more money in later years, what does it mean to sign early, ask if the money can be used for non-billed costs like room and board off campus. I wasn’t ‘playing dumb,’ I really had no idea. D’s coach was also new and didn’t understand all the school’s awards or the state scholarships available. We stumbled through together.
The NLI does not typically have specific financial terms in it, but it does reference that a separate financial agreement exists. The NLI is also a one year agreement, so it does not dictate terms of any agreement for future years.
What you are describing puts all the financial risk on you and your family, Is the coach willing to give you a firm minimum number for year one? Make sure you can handle the worst case scenario as coaches and athletic directors change. My son’s scholarship (track) is a one year renewable, and while it has always been renewed, we never got anything beyond a first year written agreement.
It sounds like the coach is sharing with you how he will manage future year dollars, but when comparing this plan to other possible offers, keep in mind that it is unlikely that you will get a 4yr guaranteed amount from anyone. (I think only PAC12 has started 4 year agreements for all sports) So other coaches may only share with you the first year offer anyway…
Pac 12 and B1G 10 for all sports, and I think the ACC for some sports are giving the 4 year scholarships.
The OP’s son was the person who discussed it with the coach and OP said it was a 4 year scholarship at a D1 Power Five school. I think the coach was talking in a general way of how it works, but when it comes time to write it down on a Grant in Aid, he’s have to be more specific. However, the family didn’t want to continue negotiations as the overall offer wasn’t enough.
OP is now considering other schools, and it is likely the scholarships will be for one year only.