Can’t speak to women’s rowing programs but I was very glad my son’s FA was need based. While he certainly is committed to rowing all four years and already loves his team, we all know our kids are in college to get an education first. I would hope coaches at competitive women’s programs understand that and support their student athletes in keeping the priorities straight.
@sculla I know recruits who have de-committed before freshman year and matriculated elsewhere because of change in financial circumstances. (Not enough financial aid offered at Ivy and full athletic scholarship offered elsewhere) I also know athletes who have transferred after freshman year. That can be a complicated proposition, particularly if you have signed an NLI. Lots of hoops to jump through and paperwork, exacerbated if you’re staying in conference. Depending on the circumstances, the athlete could have to sit out a season.
Thanks. All of these posts are very helpful. So if an NLI is signed that’s a four year commitment?
@Lovesrowing We have the reverse situation – the Ivy offers are looking better than the non-Ivy but the child’s first choice is a non-Ivy. The best overall fit is unfortunately, in our hometown, and that appears to be a deal breaker.
@tonymom The child is in school to get an education first – try telling that to a strong-willed 12 grader.
@sculla no an NLI is not a four year commitment. You can switch schools, it’s just not as simple as transferring without an athletic commitment.
@Sculla
TRUE! really about anything, not just rowing and college 
The Ivies don’t give athletic money at all, so all their aid is different and almost all of it is need based. They have their own rules. I don’t know how they could justify ‘money for women’ when they claim it is all based on need, but I’m sure they have a way.
The benefit of taking the athletic money over need based, if you are given a choice, (sometimes you aren’t) is that it might be more. Some schools just don’t have a lot of need based aid to offer anyone, and if there is athletic money, grab it. My daughter gets much more in athletic aid than she would get as financial aid (not at a ‘meets full need’ school). HS classmates of my daughter took rowing scholarships from schools like Kansas and Kentucky, and they weren’t going to get need based aid from those schools as the girls were from middle class families.
@twoinanddone
Good points. I’m sure D1 women’s programs have more leverage but keep in mind Ivies have a high ceiling for need based aid. And…most programs will match each other so you can float the best offer amongst interested programs. Having said that you need to have filled out a FA pre-read at some point in this process to get an offer. Coaches can’t just offer up money (at least in the Ivies) unless they’ve run it by their FA office.
All the paperwork is in.
Someone is trying to leverage need-based offers from Ivies with another D1 school, pushing for more athletic money, and whatever other aid has been offered. Coach hasn’t received great reviews, and we are well connected.
This child may not have these educational opportunities again. You can always step down, it’s harder to step up.
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If this is the wrong choice (and it’s not mine) will equal or better educational opportunities still be available provided everything including rowing stays continues on an upward trajectory?
The ‘Ivy Line’ is that the financial need is what it is. If a D1 school offers an athletic scholarship for say $30k, there is no way to know if an Ivy can/will meet that or better that without knowing the financial situation of the family. If it is a wealthy family, no, that athlete is not going to see need based aid. If it is my daughter? Yep, the Ivy is going to give her a lot more. It doesn’t really work to leverage an athletic scholarship against a need based one.
Ivies do match each other, but that is comparing need based to need based, not to merit or athletic aid. Students, even non-athletes, often have to decide if they want to go to Yale at full pay or Georgetown with a merit scholarship or to the USMA where they pay the students.
Can the student transfer in future years? That is entirely up to the school and there may be an NCAA waiting period of one year before the student can participate in sports. I’d imagine if the Ivy allowed the transfer, the student would get the need based financial aid she qualifies for and not the amount she was receiving from the other D1 school in athletic aid.
Coach asks your S if he is willing to go ED- I assume this is a very positive sign- assuming it’s a top tier school- I really don’t see a downside ?
on another note - coach asked us to do financial calculator- it came back with a minimal loan, whats next ? do we ask the coach if there is an opportunity for athletic aid?
Coach’s offer is definitely a positive sign. The only downside is if the school has a binding ED process, so S is giving up the chance of getting into other top tier schools, if he is accepted at this one. So before he applies, he should ask the coaches at the other colleges he’s considering if they would make the same offer. And definitely also ask about the possibility of financial aid based on his contributions to the team.
First you should figure out if there is athletic aid at the school at all. D3 and Ivy? No. Men’s rowing? It’s different at each school because it is not an NCAA sport, some schools have some private scholarships that support athletes, others do not. Women’s D1 and D2? I’d think the coach might have mentioned it, but if not, definitely ask.
This is probably the week where recruits will be asked to commit. Coaches have been saying that they are trying to wrap everything up by HOCR. We are expecting to hear from 1 school tomorrow, and hopefully, another later this week. Some of my son’s friends have already received offers, others have been told that they could not be supported, and others are waiting. Seems like musical chairs. This week should be interesting.
I apologize if this has been answered but, here it goes. Are parent’s travel and accommodations expenses paid for on official visits?
This is our first rodeo, so just learning the ropes.
Not that I’ve ever heard of - because the visit is really intended for just the athlete, not the family.
If it helps, the coaches will expect to handle the logistics - they will pick up your kid at the train station/airport/etc., and get them back on their train/plane/next visit.
I found the below article and was wondering if colleges have adopted this or not.
Proposal 2015-52 will allow institutions to pay the actual round-trip costs for a prospective student-athlete’s parents or legal guardians to accompany the prospect on his official visit and will be implemented August 1, 2016.
The vote passed 14-1 with only the Sun Belt Conference voting against it, according to the NCAA’s Division I Council report.
The current rule allowed for only the prospect’s travel and accommodations to be paid for and prohibited schools from paying for transportation costs incurred by relatives, friends or legal guardians. Under that rule, prospects were either taking official visits by themselves or parents, guardians or high school coaches were taking on the costs to accompany the recruit on the visit.
The new rule specifies the funds will be available for transportation and meals for the parents or guardians. Prospective student-athletes are permitted to take five official visits starting on the first day of classes of the prospective student-athlete’s senior year, so this rule will be in place for the Class of 2017.
The school my daughter attends did pay for the lodging for the athletes, at a hotel, and I stayed with her. The team was just starting so there weren’t any teammates for the kids to stay with, and the dorms are always full to capacity, so no where to just have them sleep. There were 5 kids doing the overnight and I think we were the only ones instate (drove). I don’t know what the school paid for for the others, but for us just the hotel and one meal for my daughter (not for the adults). The other kids all had 1-2 parents with them.
On another overnight, daughter stayed in the dorm and ate meals on campus, but I paid for everything else - our airfare, car rental, my hotel and meals.
Thanks for the details on the new policy - very helpful.