If you are a competitive swimmer and plan on continuing with your favorite sport while you are in college, it’s nice to know that you can get some financial aid to help fund your tuition. Nearly all swimming scholarships are school-specific, though there are a few national opportunities.
Here are some great examples:
NCAA Divisions Scholarships
Amount: Varies — up to full tuition
Deadline: Varies
Athletics scholarships are provided by NCAA Division I and Division II schools for high school athletes. The competition for these scholarships is very high, with only about 2% of high school athletes winning an Athletic scholarship.
When it comes to swimming, there is a cap on the number of full scholarships that can be awarded. For NCAA Division I Schools, the number of scholarships allowed for women is 14, while it is 9.9 for men. For Division II Schools, the number comes down to 8.1 for both men and women. Division III schools do not provide any athletic scholarships but may assist students in other ways.
Even among the schools which offer these scholarships, some of them may not have the budget allocated to offer the maximum number of scholarships, while others- like several Ivy schools simply choose not to do so. Additionally, swimming shares scholarships with diving and the two sports share the amount.
Being an ‘equivalency sport’, coaches divide the scholarships offered in any manner they see fit. For example, if a coach holds 5 funded scholarships, they may choose to give the full scholarship to 5 students, or half the amount to 10 students, or any combination which falls within the maximum cap. These scholarships spread across all years, so the number of scholarships available to freshmen varies depending upon the available number of scholarships.
The basic requirements, apart from excelling at swimming and performing well at major meets are that the student must have graduated from high schools, and completed 16 core courses with a minimum GPA of 2.5 in each.
New York Ramblers Scholarship
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: June 1
The New York Ramblers Scholarship supports LGBTQI student-athletes. The award goes directly to the winner’s school and towards their tuition. Open and self-identified LGBTQI student-athletes should definitely check out this scholarship. Along with a completed application, students must also submit five essays, two letters of recommendation, a transcript, and a list of relevant activities. Both graduating high school seniors and undergraduates are welcome to apply.
The CSUB Bob Black Memorial Scholarship
Amount: Varies
Deadline: December 1, 2020
This scholarship was instituted by friends and family of the L=late Bob Black and is intended to support the CSU Bakersfield Women’s Swimming Program. The award amount varies and may only use it for the CSU Bakersfield Women’s Swimming Program.
Augustana Athletic Grant
Amount: Varies
Deadline: Contact head coach
This scholarship is to be awarded to students enrolled at Augustana University. They need to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA to receive this scholarship in the continuing years. The scholarship awards high performing student-athletes in the NCAA Division II, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
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| Lender | Rates (APR) | Eligibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
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5.34%-15.96%* Variable
3.99%-15.61%* Fixed
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Undergraduate and Graduate
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4.92% - 15.08% Variable
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Undergraduate and Graduate
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Undergraduate and Graduate
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3.99% - 13.75% Fixed
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Undergraduate and Graduate
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3.69% - 14.41% Fixed
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Undergraduate and Graduate
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Undergraduate and Graduate
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3.69% - 16.49% Fixed
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Undergraduate and Graduate
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5.00% - 14.22% Variable
3.69% - 14.22% Fixed
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Undergraduate and Graduate
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