Overview of College Ice Hockey Scholarships

Ice Hockey is among the many sports that has a lot of fans in campuses today. Many campuses maintain varsity teams that go against other schools. Players of ice hockey have some sort of popularity similar with the other jocks from different fields of sports. Thus, with that amount of popularity, many men and even women try to get into varsity teams to get into a scholarship program from various academies around the country.

Scholarships are among the ways of assisting students into finishing their education. Even if their funds for schooling is lacking or depleted, the students can apply for an ice hockey scholarship. It will enable one to continue studying while playing in many intercollegiate contests and matches.

College Ice Hockey Scholarships in the United States

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has rules and regulations regarding having a scholarship for ice hockey in each division. Both the members of the 1st and the 2nd divisions have a scholarship program for ice hockey. This makes the divisions have around 1,188 scholarships available from 31 colleges. Of these scholarships, 558 of them are offered for women players for ice hockey. Aside from the NCAA, there are also other institutions that offer ice hockey scholarships to deserving players in college. These are listed below:

UCLA Ice Hockey Scholarships

Among the many different universities throughout the United States, the University of California at Los Angeles is known for offering a diverse range of programs in academics. The said university has more than 100 fields to major in and it also gives its enrollees the option to come up with the kind of interdisciplinary major they would take. The faculty of UCLA is said to be among the premier scientists and scholars in the United States of America. Notable in their own fields, some of the university's professors are recipients of Nobel awards and the sports coaches and instructors are among the best in the century. Among the members of the NCAA, UCLA have won the most awards in sports each year. UCLA's ice hockey team is indeed strong, and only the students who are qualified are awarded with the scholarship.

Ferris Foundation

Formed by Solid Ice, Inc., a non-profit organization, in 1993, Ferris Foundation assists the hockey team of the State University of Ferris by providing the school with a scholarship fund to assist the players in finishing their education. Alumni students of this school also shell out funds to improve the playing conditions for the players. Thus, students who are playing for the State University of Ferris can avail of scholarships that will enable them to finish their college education without worrying where they would get their tuition fee.

Qualifying for a College Ice Hockey Scholarships

For a student who wants to pass an application for an ice hockey scholarship in college, the first thing that they must do is to look for an organization or campus that offer such program. There are many available ice hockey scholarships that an athlete can apply for. From universities, colleges, and even private organizations, the opportunities for scholarships are plenty. This is especially true for those who show impressive play during contests. By searching the Internet, a student can immediately check out different organizations that offer these scholarships. Asking a guidance counselor in your high school is also a good bet, as they can give advice as to which school one can apply a scholarship to.

What Are the Requirements in Applying for an Ice Hockey Scholarship

Before applying for a scholarship, a student must first take into consideration the requirements that must be met:

1. Age

To qualify for an ice hockey scholarship, the applicant must be within the ages of 18 to 24 and is in not more than the 5th or 6th semester before getting a license to play at a college or university officially. For those who are in high school, it is advisable to submit an application for an athletic scholarship at least a year before graduating.

2. Excellent Performance on Ice

Among the main conditions that must be met is that the applicant should be proficient as an ice hockey player. The said applicant must be able to project a total picture of a well-rounded athlete before he can be granted a scholarship.

3. Academic Background

Contrary to what people think, athletic scholarships are not only for those who perform well in sports. An applicant must first be able to get into a university or college, and this means that the applicant is able to pass examinations and have a maintaining grade that is satisfactory. Aside from that, scholarship applicants for ice hockey are required to be high school graduates and have good SAT scores.

For those students who want to be given an athletic scholarship in ice hockey, they should start applying early on so they would be able to get a chance of being granted with one from a reputable school.