From the NU Financial Aid website: “Northwestern offers aid based on demonstrated financial need.” I have always taken this to mean that there are no academic “merit” scholarships at NU other than NMF scholarships. Of course there will be plenty of academic scholarships for those with demonstrated financial need and that is fine. But can an athletic recruit receive an NU athletic scholarship where there is no demonstrated financial need?
Looking at NU’s Q&A section, the following is asked and answered: DOES NORTHWESTERN OFFER MERIT AID?:
“Northwestern scholarship funds are awarded in accordance with our need-based financial aid policy. However, Northwestern is an institutional sponsor of National Merit Scholarships. In addition, the School of Music awards a number of talent scholarships to incoming students with outstanding performance in auditions.”
So NU gives NMS and music talent scholarships. All explained very clearly. But what about merit athletic scholarships? NU is D1. However, so are the Ivy’s and they don’t give athletic scholarships unless there is financial need, but that is based upon the league rules all the Ivy’s have agreed to follow. That is common knowledge. Anyone know whether there is a similar Big 10 prohibition? How about a institutional prohibition at NU? Can an NU recruit receive a pure merit athletic scholarship where there is no “demonstrated financial need?” It is pretty clear to me that schools like Vanderbilt (whose website clearly states that merit aid is possible) can give athletic scholarships where there is no demonstrated financial need … so what about NU? Any comments generally? I could not seem to get an answer from the Northwestern Forum.
I don’t have personal experience but I believe NU follows the NCAA rules for D1 athletic scholarships. So they do give out athletic money without regard to need.
The B1G does not have the same rules as a conference as the Ivy League. I could be wrong though and if others have direct experience I am happy to be corrected.
Thanks, @BobcatPhoenix. That seems logical. That was also my assumption until I started visiting the NU website. Really, I don’t see how NU could compete without giving non-need based athletic scholarships. Still, I hope to hear from someone with more personal experience if they are out there so I can know for sure. Anyone?
An athletic scholarship is based on athletic merit. It is not based on academic merit.
If the OP question is – does Northwestern have athletic scholarships? The answer is “yes.” Ivy League rule = N/A.
Thanks @TomSr and @Illinois79. I am almost there… I know NU has athletic scholarships. I know they are not in the Ivy League, that was just an example to show that D1 schools no not have to give athletic scholarships. Just to firm this up… NU athletic scholarships can be received by someone with no demonstrated financial need, correct? Assuming, of course, that they are good enough athletically and are offered an athletic scholarship. I hate to seem like a blockhead but CC has taught me to ask many questions and the cost of attendance is in the neighborhood of $70K.
http://www.nusports.com/sports/2015/3/18/GEN_2014010152.aspx
I hope this answers your question.
Athletic scholarships are based on athleticism. In other words, finances will not impact an athletic scholarship.
Thanks @Jpgrainier! I did see that list at one point (list of many athletic scholarships). However, those could be reserved for athletes where there is financial need. We have substantial income and our EFC would be the entire cost of education. That does not mean we really have $140K+ to put two kids though college at the same time with anything left for additional siblings to say nothing of our hoping to retire some day. I know I can have this talk with the coach, but that talk would be premature at this point and I’m hoping for a clear answer before allowing my athlete to fall completely in love with the program and school before I understand athletic scholarships better at NU and elsewhere. Thanks for all the responses so far!
Just to add, I do think that since the B1G is a Power 5 conference, B1G schools also supply athletes with additional stipends.
You should check out the NCAA site and other scholarship site, as the scholarship offerings are very different by sport.
Google “NCAA equivalency head count”.
If you are in a head count sport and offered a scholarship, it is 100% full-ride (plus the above for Power 5 conferences) no matter what your income is. Equivalency is more complicated but the upshot is that you can be offered a partial scholarship (ranging from 1-100% of COA) but also without regard to your income.
Ah…I think you bring up a very good point, @BobcatPhoenix. My kid is in an equivalency sport so I do think I have to be more cautious. Many of the scholarships listed on the webpage that @Jpgrainier posted are for headcount sports like football and basketball, though not all. I know there are athletic scholarships and that the NCAA rules allow for non-need based athletic scholarships. But what about NU’s own rules? Their website says you can receive non-need based scholarships for being a National Merit Finalist or a really good musician. But they don’t say anything about non-need based athletic scholarships. It makes me concerned that this ambiguity remains; now more so since I realize my athlete is in an equivalency sport. Can anyone else help me pin this down?
@Sam-I-Am, you are (IMHO) conflating two things:
- Are athletic scholarship independent of financial need?
- What athletic scholarships are available at NU?
Regarding #1, the answer is unequivocally “Yes”. I know this for sure.
Regarding #2, that is a lot more complicated. You should ask the coach what the deal is for their sport at NU. Schools cannot decide if a sport is headcount or equivalency, but they definitely can decide individually if they want to offer that sport and to what level they will fund it.
So if #1 is your original question (I think it is), no worries: If Bill Gates has athletically-talented children, they will be eligible for athletic support just like everyone else.
Thanks…that answers my question!
There is even more to the athletic/need question. NU certainly does award athletic aid per NCAA D1 rules (and B1G rules). So does Stanford, Vandy, UVa etc. In some sports (football, basketball and the 4 women’s headcount sports) students who aren’t on scholarship (full scholarships) are probably not eligible for need based aid either. For example, football allows 85 scholarships to be awarded. There are usually 110 players on the team. Those 25 players do not get need based aid. They can eat with the team, get clothing and other small benefits, but that’s it.
Athletic scholarships are not need based. Children of Snoop Dog, Ed McCaffrey, John Elway have all received full rides. Once the student takes athletic aid, he is no longer eligible for need based aid from the school.
Thanks @twoinanddone! I think Snoop’s kid was quarterback at UCLA? Anyway, it seems crazy those 25 non-athletic scholarship football players cannot get need based aid. But I don’t doubt your assessment. I hope those 25 (and others in their shoes) are eligible for academic need based scholarships … at least if they are equally qualified for it when compared to the non-athlete scholar. This must be a way to prevent abuse of the scholarship limits. Football is a crazy sport with so many players and scholarships … a real outlier is many regards, though a very influential one.
My kid is not in a popular, head count sport. As you know, I don’t have Snoop or Bill Gate’s money. But I am glad that it sounds like anyone’s kid can receive a sports scholarship (assuming sufficient talent) just to reward all the hard work done by the athlete. In that regard, and because our family does not have limitless resources, our athlete could be better off at NU, Vandy, Duke etc than at any Ivy where they cannot give athletic scholarships and we won’t qualify for need-based aid. This exercise has been quite helpful! Thanks to all responders.
Just to broaden the discussion, do any of you think that the desire of NU, Vandy, Duke, Stanford etc to participate and compete in D1 football is the reason that non-need based athletic scholarships are available for other, non-head count sports, particularly on the female side?
Title IX certainly evened out the scholarships and many schools have added more women’s sports with scholarships since the early 70’s. Most schools do award the 85 football scholarships, so have to have women’s scholarships to offset them. They add women’s crew, volleyball, tennis, golf, gymnastics, etc. Northwestern has women’s lacrosse for 12 scholarships. In the next year, FSU has to add another women’s sport and is considering lacrosse.
Don’t kid yourself that things are fair and equal. The football team has much nicer facilities than the women’s softball team ever will. At any school. Ever. And better work out times, and better uniforms, and better food, and better transportation. D’s coach has an ‘office’ the size of a closet and football has an entire building.
Well, @twoinanddone, you have made a pertinent point! Everyone has been very helpful! As the OP, can I now ask how women scholarship athletes are treated at NU and similar institutions where football or basketball are king? Are women athletes today treated respectfully by trainers or physical therapists on campus? I suspect a lot of the student trainers, and perhaps professional trainers feel that they are present merely to support the football team or basketball team. But what if a woman from a non-head count sport walks into the training room asking to be taped or have a muscle pull evaluated? I remember my old high school training room (a one stop shop for tape, ice, heat and rehabilitation). I don’t even know how it works at D1 universities. I can ask in a new thread if that is proper.
i have a freshman kid who’s doing well at a HS sport, (realistically not scholarship material. just dreaming); and i looked up this info recently about D1 schools and how they have such specific limits on scholarships. i know there’s been lots of threads about it all, but again here’s what the list shows for D1 scholarships: http://scholarshipstats.com/ncaalimits.html .
Football with up to 85 scholarships does blow my mind. Thanks for that link, @bgbg4us.
Each school has its own vibe for how it treats athletes, how they treat each other, the respect they get. And there is a hierarchy for how the athletic director treats the teams. I’m sure the women basketball players at UConn get a lot of respect while those at schools much lower in the ranks might not have the same perks or a nice locker room. The players from different sports can also support each other. Or not. You just have to look at each school and see what’s going on.
Most teams do not share trainers, they have trainers assigned to team. At big D1 schools, the top teams aren’t sharing anything - not trainers, not training rooms, not equipment. Do you think Nick Sabin shares anything? At my daughter’s much smaller D2 school, trainers are assigned for a season, and that’s her main trainer for taping and ice baths and such. Another trainer can assist if needed. They all sort of work together.