Getting a baseball scholarship is a big accomplishment. Players work hard for many years to develop their game into the type of player that a college coach will recruit and ultimately make a scholarship offer. The offer is considered a verbal agreement until the player signs his National Letter of Intent in November of their senior year. Up until the NLI signing date, the player or the school can back out of the verbal agreement. However, this does not typically happen unless the player has not met all of the criteria they have to fulfill or if the school has undergone a coaching change. Players that receive an athletics scholarship will be required to sign the National Letter of Intent if the school is registered in the NLI program. A player does not sign a NLI for receiving an academic scholarship.
Take a few minutes to read the scholarship information below from the NCAA.org website.
NCAA Divisions I and II schools provide more than $2.7 billion in athletics scholarships annually to more than 150,000 student-athletes. Division III schools do not offer athletics scholarships.
Only about 2 percent of high school athletes are award- ed athletics scholarships to compete in college. Of the student-athletes participating in sports with professional leagues, very few become professional athletes. A college education is the most rewarding benefit of your student- athlete experience.
Division I schools may provide tuition and fees, room and board, books and other expenses related to attendance
at the school. Division II full scholarships cover tuition and fees, room, board and course-related books and supplies. Most student-athletes who receive athletics scholarships receive an amount covering a portion of these costs. Many student-athletes also benefit from academic scholarships, NCAA financial aid programs such as the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund and need-based aid such as federal Pell Grants. You must report all financial aid you receive to your NCAA school’s financial aid office. If you have questions about what financial aid can be accepted,
you should contact your NCAA school’s financial aid office and athletics department for help.
Division I schools may provide you with multiyear scholar- ships. Additionally, Division I schools may pay for you to finish your bachelor’s or master’s degrees after you finish playing NCAA sports. NCAA rules require you to be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center in order to go on an official visit, receive a written offer of financial aid or sign a National Letter of Intent.
If a school plans to reduce or not renew your aid, the school must notify you in writing by July 1 and provide an opportunity for you to appeal. In most cases, the head coach decides who receives a scholarship, the scholarship amount and whether it will be renewed.
Contact the NCAA school you hope to attend for more detailed information about NCAA financial aid rules.
Source: www.ncaa.org