5 Best Track And Field Scholarships In USA

This blog post shares concrete information on the best track and field scholarships in USA. Sit back, relax, grab a can of soda and read through the exciting info provided here.

The United States has to be the best place to become a student-athlete as there are many wonderful benefits that come with it. Student-athletes in the US are well taken care of. They enter some of the best colleges around the country, study on scholarships, get access to quality training and supervision, free gym memberships, and national recognition.

If you are a graduating high school senior in the US with an excellent academic record and outstanding athletic ability at a particular sport getting a sports scholarship is sure for you. Accepting the scholarship means that you have to take both your academics and sports very seriously.

A great number of sports are played at the college level but the most popular are soccer, basketball, swimming, hockey, track & field, and volleyball. Scholarships are offered in nearly all of these sports and many others but this blog post focuses on track and field scholarships in the USA.

Talented track & field athletes are awarded scholarships annually by American universities and colleges to fund their education and whilst they compete in track & field collegiate, intercollegiate, and national championship events. The awarded scholarship could either be a full-ride, full-tuition, or partly-funded depending on your grades, athletic abilities, and the organization which your school falls under.

But first, you have to be accepted into an American university, join the varsity track & field team, and participate in competitions and other related events to be considered for a track & field scholarship. Coaches prefer to recruit younger students who are just completing high school or are between the ages of 18 to 24. This is because coaches get a longer period to work with the athlete.

Also, if you are between 18—24 years old, you can compete in NCAA college leagues while athletes older than 24 may compete in the NAIA.

All colleges in the US with a sports program are divided into NCAA Division I, II, & III, NAIA, and NJCAA. The type of sport scholarship student-athletes will receive as well as where they compete depends on any of the organizations that your school falls into.

What is a US Track & Field Scholarship?

Track and field scholarships in the US are a type of sports scholarships offered to student-athletes who wish to pursue an academic degree at a particular college whilst competing with the school’s track and field varsity team. The scholarship is awarded based on good academic standing and athletic ability. The award can cover up to 100% of tuition.

Student-athletes competing at the national level have a higher chance of receiving a full-ride track and field scholarship. The scholarships are disbursed at the discretion of the coach. Track and field season starts every spring, so you should endeavor to join the college track and field team a year before.

There are over 1,000 colleges in the US with a track & field program in men and women categories. It is important to note that not all of these colleges offer sports scholarships. Many of them offer academic scholarships while some offer both academic and sports scholarships.

Competing in track & field as part of a big team for one of these 1000+ colleges is a dream come true for many student-athletes. The colleges act as a platform that ushers track & field athletes to go pro after college. So, getting the scholarship is like an added advantage and an incredible opportunity as it gives student-athletes the chance to fully invest in themselves and develop as competitors every day.

Track and field scholarships in the US are also a great way for students to finance their education at one of the top colleges or universities in the US while competing in the sports they love.

track and field scholarships in USA

Track And Field Scholarships In USA

The following are track and field scholarships in USA:

  • Tiger Scholarship Fund
  • NCAA Division I Track and Field Scholarships
  • NCAA Division II Track and Field Scholarships
  • NAIA Track and Field Scholarships
  • Junior College Track and Field Scholarships

1.     Tiger Scholarship Fund

Tiger Scholarship Fund is one of the track and field scholarships in the US offered by the University of Missouri to student-athletes participating in track and field and 19 other sports at the university. The funding provides resources to maximize the impact of the overall Mizzou student-athlete experience and to uphold the Department of Athletics’ core values of respect, integrity, gratitude, humility, and togetherness.

Although the TSF is not particularly for track and field athletes, it is actually for athletes competing in all sports on the varsity team and since track and field is one of the sports at the University of Missouri this makes track and field athletes eligible to win the funding.

2.     NCAA Division I Track and Field Scholarships

NCAA Division I track and field is the highest level of college track and field and the level at which some of the best varsity teams compete at. Getting into a D1 college can be very tough though because they are some of the top universities in the US and entry can be very competitive.

Colleges under this division offer several scholarships to track and field athletes who play under this division as well but competing in division one track and field is a tremendous accomplishment that many student-athletes don’t mind getting a scholarship.

3.     NCAA Division II Track and Field Scholarships

This division is nearly as competitive as division one but track and field athletes enter the team at the D1 level because there is a better scholarship package than D1 and they can show their potential. However, this does not mean that the competition level is low division one and division two have nearly the same winning record.

If you have the athletic capabilities of a D1 player, you may decide to compete at the D2 level and win a bigger scholarship package and be much more competitive.

4.     NAIA Track and Field Scholarships

Colleges in the NAIA are either in the Mid-West or Southern parts of the US and one thing they have in common is that their tuition is not expensive and they participate in a lot of outdoor events which include track and field. Even with their cheap tuition, colleges in the NAIA still offer scholarships to support the dream of student-athletes.

5.     Junior College Track and Field Scholarships

Junior colleges include community colleges and vocational institutions. These colleges have talented track and field athletes although they do not participate in international competitions which is the downside. However, if you are looking to join a D1 or D2 school later a junior college is the best place to build yourself and move on after two years to a D1 or D2 school.

Junior college track & field scholarships are not abundant and are often limited but they nevertheless exist. You should speak with your coach to see what opportunities are available.

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