Recruiting Tip: College budget can be a big factor in recruiting

By Fred Bastie, Playced.com | January 4, 2016 9:15 am

The USA TODAY High School Sports Recruiting Tips are provided by our recruiting partner, Playced.com.

(Photo: Playced)

If you are seeking a scholarship in an “equivalency sport” then your family college budget is a big factor. The difference between a head count scholarship and an equivalency scholarship is significant. A scholarship in a head count sport is a guaranteed full-ride for at least one year, while an equivalency scholarship is typically a partial scholarship ranging from 25-60 percent.

The head count sports are all at the Division I level and include Football (D-I FBS only), Basketball (Men’s and Women’s), Women’s Tennis, Women’s Gymnastics and Women’s Volleyball. All other Division I sports are equivalency sports. Division II, NAIA and Junior Colleges also offer equivalency scholarships.

Another budgeting factor to consider is the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition. Generally, while the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition can be significant, there are states like Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, New York and New Jersey that actually make it affordable for a student from another state to attend.

Also, tuition reciprocity programs between regions of the country and individual states make attending certain out-of-state institutions more affordable. If you are seeking a scholarship in an equivalency sport, do your homework on the “all-in” costs to attend each college you are considering. Remember, in-state tuition is significantly less expensive than out-of-state tuition. For that reason, you might want to start your college search in your home state or states such as the ones listed above that have reasonable out-of-state tuition.

Finally, check out the tuition reciprocity programs between regions of the country and individual states. They can make a difference.

Here’s the point: if you are seeking a scholarship in an equivalency sport then do your homework on the “all in” costs before you decide which schools to consider.

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