Excellence in shooting hoops does not only bring goals and championships, but also a probable scholarship grant to a prestigious college or university in the United States. It is time to put those skills and talents into good use by making them a passport towards a good college education. A lot of people often underestimate varsity players mainly because of how television portrays them: good in sports and bad in academics. Now is the time to prove them wrong as basketball athletes dribble their way to college degrees through basketball scholarships.

A lot of universities and colleges today offer varsity scholarship programs, such as basketball scholarships for men and women, to athletes all over the country. As a matter of fact, the popular college sports association, NCAA offers an estimated number of 14,000 scholarship grants—7,000 for men and 7,000 for women.

Choosing Your Team

Generally, universities and colleges all over the nation offer varsity scholarships to their athletes who excel both in sports and in their studies. All in all, there are about 1,000 universities and colleges offering such grants to underprivileged student-athletes of the United States. In Colorado for example, Mesa State University offers grants such as a full coverage of tuition and other school expenses to their athletes who have maintained a GPA of 2.5. To take advantage of this grant, a student must either be a sophomore, junior, or senior full-time student of School of Business and residing in Colorado.

Basketball athletes of Kentucky, on the other hand, have a chance to take advantage of the $14,500 grant the Campbellsville University offers. Only one basketball athlete can receive this generous financial aid, which will cover his tuition and other expenses. To qualify for the grant, an athlete must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or better. In addition, he or she should be recommended by the head coach for the athletic director's approval.

Aside from specific universities and colleges offering scholarship grants to outstanding basketball players, there are other organizations willing to fund financially-incapable students who are both good team players and students. An example of this is the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Every year, this organization awards scholarship grants to two outstanding college basketball players from the women's division. The two lucky athletes will each receive an award of $1,000, which they can use to either finance their bachelor's degree or pursue graduate school.

Although most basketball scholarship programs include excellence in basketball as one of the major criteria for choosing their recipients, there are a few organizations that don’t. One example of this is the National Basketball Retired Players Association, Incorporated. This association provides a bright future to full-time undergraduates—but not necessarily basketball players—with good academic standing. Its requirements include a great need for financial assistance, participation in non-academic activities, and an impressive GPA. In addition to these, there should also be a recommendation letter from one of the association’s active members.

Setting the Play

There are two ways to get a basketball scholarship grant. The first one is through a recruiter who will recommend you to a university or a college basketball team. Once you’re already part of the university’s or college’s varsity team, you will immediately be put under a scholarship program. To get noticed by a recruiter, you should do your best in every basketball game.

The second way to obtain a scholarship grant is to apply for one. The first thing you should do is to know when and where scholarship programs can be found. Ask the people around you if they know of any scholarship program you can apply for. Generally, the best places to look for scholarship grants are the sports departments of various academic institutions and local basketball associations.

Once you have found a scholarship program, the next step is to impress the selection panel. Have an excellent academic standing by maintaining good grades in all your subjects. Keep in mind that acquiring a basketball scholarship requires both brawn and brain. Be as good in academics as you are in the court. Aside from your school record, a well-organized and well-written profile also matters. When submitting your profile, sure to proofread it first. Remember that bad writing will always give you a bad impression.

When it comes to the application process the key is to be always on time. Know the deadlines and always abide by them. All the needed documents should be prepared beforehand to avoid missing their end dates. When filling out application forms, make sure that you have read and understood their directions before writing in them. Unknown to some, not knowing how to follow instructions can spell the difference between a rejected scholarship application and an accepted one.