A coach from a college contacted my son via telephone today. I googled the school and it says NCAA division III? I thought only Division I and Division II schools were a part of the NCAA? Are some Division III schools a part of NCAA? Do athletes still go through the eligibility center for those colleges?
Also, do private Division III colleges have the ability to offer more aid (other than need based or the typical leadership scholarships for top scholars)? I know they can’t offer athletic scholarships. Just concerned because this particular school is expensive. My son will most likely (reports will be mailed tomorrow) finish up his junior year with a 3.2 GPA but his standardized test scores are low. We are in the process of researching the school now. Website indicates that 99% of their students qualify for aid.
Yes D3 is part of the NCAA along with D1 and D2 (NAIA is separate). From what I recall the NCAA eligibility center is just for D1 and D2 and schools directly assess eligibility for D3.
Thank you.
Bluewater is correct. While D3 is part of the NCAA they can’t offer scholarships and are pretty much self-monitored. I would still have your son complete NCAA certification so that he is ready for any possibility. You might also look at NAIA schools which are governed by a different body and can offer sometimes very large athletic scholarships. Just another option financially…
D3 doesn’t offer specific athlete scholarship. So it depends on the school. Some offer ‘need based’ aid only. You can run the Net Price Calculator to get an estimate of that. Net price calculator will give an idea of what they think your family contribution should be regardless of any merit aid (some will ask gpa and sat and give some idea of merit based on that.) Some give merit scholarships and I believe they are able to define what that is based on internally and certainly there are academic and talent considerations. So you will have to apply to see what you get. Unless they look at you before actual application and look at your qualification and financials to give you an advance estimate. That is my understanding.
Thank you for the replies. Initially, my son did not intend to go through the eligibility process. He just started the process about a week ago. It was a last minute decision. His travel soccer team won the state cup so they are headed to Regionals. I thought it might be a good idea to be certified because there will be so many eyes on the boys. You never know what coach could be at the games.
Anyway, I was initially puzzled when I noted the NCAA on that website. Mainly because originally he was not going to complete the process. I am glad he decided to apply just in case…
Thanks again for the replies…