Equestrian sports require a lot of hard work and dedication over several years. The good news is, the effort you put in will pay off huge dividends in the form of financial support towards college. Several organizations offer generous scholarships for equestrians aspiring to get a higher education.
Check out these scholarships for equestrians that you can apply to:
The NCAA Varsity Equestrian Scholarships
Amount: Varies
Deadline: Varies
The National Collegiate Athletic Association offers scholarships through its Division I and Division II schools for equestrian sports. Currently, each University can offer up to 15 Equestrian Scholarships. Since equestrian programs come under the Equivalency Sports category, schools and coaches can decide if they want to split the scholarships among a larger number of students. This means that there can be 15 full scholarships or 30 scholarships, where each student is awarded half the tuition, or even 60 students being awarded 25% of their tuition fees as scholarship, or any other combination of the above.
Although the scholarships are facilitated by the NCAA, each college has its own set of requirements for selecting prospective candidates. Hence, students need to decide which colleges they want to apply to and check out their requirements.
The Jockey Club Scholarship
Amount: $15,000
Deadline: March 31, 2020
Current or prospective college students studying in an equine-related field should definitely consider applying for the Jockey Club Scholarship. The scholarship awards $7,500 per semester. The Jockey Club Scholarship gives preference to students pursuing a career involving thoroughbred horses. Taking academic standing into account, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA to receive both halves of the scholarship.
Race for Education Scholarships
Amount: Varies
Deadline: May 1, 2020
The Race for Education foundation has a number of scholarships for equestrian-enthusiasts, with awards ranging from $500 to $5,000. Each scholarship has its own requirements. Some are dependent on major, others are dependent on location, and some are intended for specific universities.
For example: students applying to the 4-H ‘Leg Up’ Scholarship must be graduating seniors who are members of their local 4-H horse chapter in Kentucky. For the Dr. Judy G. Willard Scholarship, students must be attending Morehead State University studying Animal Science with a focus in equine studies.
Be sure to check out 9 scholarships available!
The Anson W.H. Taylor Memorial Scholarship
Amount: $1,500
Deadline: March 31
The United States Pony Club and The Equestrian Land Conservation Resource co-sponsors this scholarship. The recipient of the award must be a current member of the Pony Club and must be either active in or have been part of efforts towards land conservation.
Applicants must be in senior year of high school and have been accepted at an institute of higher education at the time of applying for this award. They must also have maintained a minimum 3.0 GPA and achieved a C-2 certification or above from the club. A repeat scholarship may be offered if the recipient continues to show promise, but the scholarship may not be awarded more than 2 times consecutively to the same person.
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5.34%-15.96%* Variable
3.99%-15.61%* Fixed
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