Are you searching for bowling scholarships? You’ve come to the right place! For students with a passion for bowling, there are scholarships available to help you perfect your game and further your education. From competitive bowling scholarships to academic awards, there are a variety of options to choose from. So, don’t let your finances keep you from reaching your full potential – roll on over to the scholarship application!
Let me begin by clearing any doubt you may have about the existence of bowling scholarships. Yes, bowling scholarships exist and they are made available to both men and women. However, collegiate bowling in the NCAA is only open to women which means bowling scholarships at the college level are only for women. But it is not only colleges that offer scholarships for bowling, certain bowling associations also offer scholarships.
Bowling scholarships are among the college sports scholarships with competitions in the NCAA divisions 1-3, NAIA, NJCAA, and USCAA. Some of the best colleges for bowling are Wichita State University, the University of Nebraska, New Jersey City University, and Vanderbilt University, these schools also award scholarships based on talent.
If you’re considering a career in bowling, you’ll be happy to know that the competition at the college level can be quite fierce. In particular, Divisions I and II offer some of the most talented bowlers a chance to earn significant scholarship money. So, if you’re serious about your bowling career, it’s worth looking into these divisions. With hard work and dedication, you could find yourself rolling your way to success.
While the competition in college bowling is intense, academic achievement is also a major factor when it comes to earning scholarships and not just athletic ability/performance alone. This is because many of the organizations that provide funding, like the NCAA, have strict requirements for academic performance. So, in addition to being a top-notch bowler, you’ll also need to be in good academic standing to be considered for these scholarships.
If you are passionate about bowling and you can provide proof of your bowling abilities or performance, you can receive scholarships from colleges and different bowling organizations to support the cost of your college education. It is one smart way of receiving financial aid and the interesting is that you can also be eligible to receive other scholarships such as entrance scholarships and other merit and need-based scholarships and grants.
Most of these bowling scholarships are in the US and you need to learn how to apply for sports scholarships in the US and also be aware of some college athletic scholarship facts to gain a better understanding of how athletic scholarships for colleges work. Learning these basics would make the process of applying for bowling scholarships much smoother for you.
We have curated the scholarships for bowling you should apply for in this blog post to save you the stress of searching for them. Further details like the requirements and amount of the award were provided as well to help you go for the ones that suit you best. Without any further ado, let’s get into these scholarships.
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Scholarships for Bowling You Should Apply
The following are bowling scholarships provided by associations and colleges:
- UH Bowling Team Scholarship Program
- The University of Olivet Bowling Scholarship
- Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Scholarships & Awards
- The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Youth Scholarships
- Sir Frank Bowling Scholarships
- Wen-Guidry-Blackburn Scholarship Fund
- USBC Wisconsin State Scholarships
1. UH Bowling Team Scholarship Program
The University of Houston has a bowling team with scholarships offered at the tryout process to eligible athletes. Recipients are selected at the discretion of the bowling coach and/or scholarship committee, the scholarships are made available to both men and women’s teams. The amount varies from year to year but it does not exceed $250 per semester.
2. The University of Olivet Bowling Scholarship
The University of Olivet is a private Christian higher institution located in Olivet, Michigan, USA offering a wide range of academic programs leading to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The university houses a men’s and women’s bowling program and every year, incoming bowlers are considered for scholarships of up to $2,000.
The bowling program at the University of Olivet is still growing and this is an opportunity for incoming bowlers to expand their horizons and explore the opportunities available. Recipients for the bowling scholarships are selected at the discretion of the coach.
3. Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Scholarships & Awards
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) provides various scholarships and awards to its members. So, if you are looking for bowling scholarships to support your college education, simply become a member of the PBA and you will have access to various scholarship opportunities. The scholarships are offered every year.
Among the annual scholarships is the Billy Welu Scholarship offered every year to male and female PBA members who demonstrate exemplary qualities and compete in the sport of bowling.
4. The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Youth Scholarships
The USBC is the national governing body for bowling and a membership organization that provides standardized rules, regulations, and benefits. Every year, the organization provides scholarships worth over $6 million to youths in bowling who want to get a college degree to support them financially.
The scholarships are awarded both to males and females based on academic excellence, leadership, and on-lane performances. There are different scholarships namely; USBC Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow which offers $6,000 to a female high school senior or college student who competes in the sport of bowling and has not reached 20 years old before August 1.
There is also the USBS Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow same as above but in this case, it is offered to a male. The USS Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship offers $5,000 to a high school or college student with a strong community involvement and academic achievements as well as financial need. The USBC Annual ZEB Scholarship offers $2,500 to a USBC member who is in their junior or senior year of high school, achieves academic success, and gives back to their community through service.
These are just a few of the scholarships offered by USBC to youths who are members and have a strong participation in bowling in their respective communities.
5. Sir Frank Bowling Scholarships
The Sir Frank Bowling Scholarship is one of the scholarships for bowling in the UK offered by the University of the Arts London (UAL). To be eligible, you must be accepted into the full-time MA Fine Art course at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL and you have to be a domestic student as well. The scholarship value is £12,650 each offered to two qualifying students.
6. Wen-Guidry-Blackburn Scholarship Fund
The Wen-Guidry-Blackburn Scholarship Fund was established by the Southern Bowling Congress (SBC) to support the future of youth bowlers. The scholarship is aimed at supporting the education of youth bowlers, male or female, who are members of the SBC and meet the scholarship requirements.
The requirements include attaining a minimum GPA of 2.50 on a scale of 4.0, a personal letter of recommendation from either your high school principal or your counselor, you must be currently bowling in a USBC Certified Youth league and must be a high school senior, having attained an ACT score of at least 20 or 1410 on the SATs.
To apply, follow the link below, download the scholarship form, fil it out and follow the instructions, then send it via a mail you will find on the scholarship website.
7. USBC Wisconsin State Scholarships
The USBC chapter in Wisconsin state offers scholarships to graduating seniors worth between $25 to $2,000. This practice began in 2021 and it has been ongoing to date, and who knows, you might be the next recipient.
These are bowling scholarships for male and female bowlers to apply for but we have also curated other scholarships for bowling specifically for females. Find them below.
5 Special Scholarships for Bowling for Females
Collegiate bowling in the NCAA is only open to women therefore the bowling scholarships at the college level are only for women as well. When it comes to sports scholarships, only colleges in NCAA divisions 1&2 offer sports scholarships and it is for across all sports including bowling. The colleges in these divisions offer full-ride and partially-funded scholarships across all sports including bowling.
What this means is that if you enroll into one of the colleges in the NCAA Division 1 or 2 with a bowling program there is a high chance you will receive a full-ride or partial scholarship as a bowler. So, if you are looking for bowling scholarships specifically for women, look for colleges in the NCAA Division 1 and 2 with a bowling program but the colleges in these divisions are very competitive to get into.
But hey, you don’t need to go through all that stress, do you? We already curated a list of the colleges and organizations with bowling scholarships for females, so, let’s dive in. Before that, you should know the number of colleges with women’s bowling by division.
There are 35 colleges in NCAA Division 1 with women’s bowling, 39 colleges in NCAA Division 2, 26 colleges in NCAA Division 3, 61 colleges in the NAIA with women’s bowling, and 32 colleges in the NJCAA. In total, there are 193 colleges in the US women’s bowling programs, and out of these numbers only a few offer bowling scholarships, let’s look at them below.
The scholarships for bowling for females are:
- Wichita State University Bowling Scholarship
- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Vanderbilt University
- USBC Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow
- Texas Southern University
1. Wichita State University Bowling Scholarship
Wichita State University is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, USA offering over 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study across 9 colleges. The university has a bowling team known as the Shocker Bowling Team, one of the most accomplished collegiate bowling teams in the US with a record of 23 national championships.
The Shocker Bowling Team competes under the NCAA Division 1 which means there are scholarships for women in the program. If you have a good academic record and excellent performance in bowling, you may want to consider applying to WSU and be eligible for a bowling scholarship. The school has an acceptance rate of 91.1%. You will need to complete a bowling scholarship application form in the Spring before attending Wichita State and trying out for the bowling team.
2. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln
This university is the flagship public research university in Nebraska and a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Nebraska Cornhuskers bowling team represents the University of Nebraska-Lincoln competing in the NCAA Division 1. This team has won 11 national championships and if this is where you want to be, then begin processing your application to the university and schedule a tryout for the team.
Since it is under the NCAA Division I, scholarships are awarded to student-athletes with exceptional academic performance and outstanding athletic abilities. Female bowlers who demonstrate both can receive bowling scholarships to support their education.
3. Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, USA with more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs as well as other professional programs. Vanderbilt University has a women’s bowling program known as the Vanderbilt Commodores. The athletic team competes under the NCAA Division I and therefore is offered sports scholarships annually to support students across various sports including bowling.
However, Vanderbilt University is a highly selective school with an acceptance rate of 7% according to the US News & World Report. And as a Division I school, getting into the bowling team will also be difficult and highly competitive as well. To increase your chances of getting into the school and the bowling team, you must be in good academic standing, participate in community service as well as in extracurricular activities at your former institution, and achievement in bowling.
4. USBC Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow
This is one of the bowling scholarships for females established under the USBS Youth Scholarships. USBC Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow is awarded annually to a female high school senior or undergraduate student who competes in bowling. The candidate must be a non-professional USBC member in good academic standing and below 20 years old.
Other eligibility requirements include distinguished bowling performance on the local, regional, state, and national levels, academic achievement, and extracurricular and civic involvement. Selected applicants will receive a $6,000 scholarship.
5. Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University Tigers is the bowling team representing Texas Southern University in regional and national competitions. The team competes at the NCAA Division I therefore bowling scholarships are available to team members which comprises only women. There are full-ride and partial scholarships available as well for deserving student-athletes. You are welcome to try out for the bowling team and be eligible for the scholarship as well.
Conclusion
Bowling is not only a fun sport, but also a great way to earn a scholarship. Here are the key takeaways from the article:
– Bowling scholarships are available at both the college and high school level.
– They can be found through a variety of organizations, such as the USBC
– They can provide funding for tuition, books, and other related expenses.
– Many scholarships require a minimum GPA and/or SAT score.
– Most scholarships are based on merit, but some are need-based.
Bowling scholarships are an excellent way to finance your education and launch your career. With so many opportunities available, there’s no reason to hold back. So, lace up your bowling shoes, brush up on your GPA, and start applying! With a little luck and determination, you could find yourself on the path to bowling success. And remember – no gutter balls allowed
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