Do Ivy League Schools Offer Athletic Scholarships?

This is a frequently asked question because there are many conflicting resources out there. Do Ivy League Schools offer athletic scholarships?

The answer is actually quite simple, but people like to juggle with the truth in order to sway peoples opinion. Ivy League schools are some of best academic institutions in the world and what an advantage it would be to use sports to land yourself there.

Before reading, please take these details in to consideration:

• Ivy League schools compete at the Division One level
• They often carry larger rosters compared to other schools
• Traveling is similar to other D1 schools, just not as far in most cases
• You are still demanded the same athletically as other D1 programs
• The academics are more rigorous compared to most other Universities

Do Ivy League Schools Offer Athletic Scholarships. Yes or No?

The straight up answer to this question is no; Ivy League programs can not offer you an athletic scholarship to attend their University.

However, Ivy League schools do have very enticing financial aid packages that can save you a lot of money. More on this below.

Why Ivy League Schools Can’t Offer Athletic Scholarships?

The most basic reason Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships is because they sell themselves to potential future student-athletes on the fact that they are the best academic schools in the country. They strive to have a nice balance of academics, athletics, and social life – similar to division three schools.

If they were to offer athletic scholarships then that partially takes away from the true academic experience – according to them. Many Ivy League schools still compete at a high level though.

As part of NCAA Division One, they are enticing for athletes who want to get an amazing academic experience and still play a sport at the highest level in college.

(Related: Want an Athletic Scholarship? Avoid These 7 Mistakes Most People Make)

The College Recruiting Guidebook

The college recruiting guidebook is the ultimate manual to earning an athletic scholarship for student-athletes and parents.

How would a $50,000/year athletic scholarship change your families life?

Inside the guidebook you’ll have access to:

• step-by-step instructions freshman through senior year
• every single college coaches email in the country (broken up by division and school)
• sample email/dm/text templates you can use
• a manual for parents on how to negotiate scholarships/financial aid with college coaches
• access to an array of bonuses you won’t find anywhere else

 

Parents will pay $20 just for admission in to their kids game. You can get this guidebook for the same price.

The college recruiting guidebook could literally change your families future! 

Download the Guidebook

What Ivy League Schools Do Offer

Ivy League schools might not offer true athletic scholarships, but to compensate for that many athletes receive tremendous financial aid packages. I am aware of some individuals who went on to play Ivy League sports at some of the top universities and did so at a fraction of the cost.

So in a way, Ivy League sports do have scholarships they just don’t classify them that way. A lot of this will depend on your grades and the financial status of your parents as well.

Will Ivy League Schools Offer Athletic Scholarships in the Future?

To be honest, I cannot envision a future where athletic scholarships are being offered at the Ivy League level. These Institutions take pride in academics first and don’t want to let sports jump ahead of that.

On top of that, Ivy League schools carry a hefty tuition price. It would not be in these schools best interest to give up that money for athletes, as the class sizes at most of these Universities is smaller as well.

Financial aid packages and other grants will continue to be offered, but don’t expect an Ivy League coach to be calling your house offering a full athletic scholarship anytime soon.

Conclusion:

The “4 for 40” saying really applies to the Ivy League. Four years of tough academics, athletics, and managing all that, but you are set up for a great 40 years after graduation.

With Ivy League schools offering more and more money these days and the ability for sports to get more kids in with lower GPA’s and ACT/SAT scores than before, Ivy League sports are definitely taking a step forward on the athletics side of things.

If given the opportunity you should really consider attending an Ivy League Institution.

I was recruited by several Ivy League schools for basketball, but chose Boston University because of the full scholarship I received.