Scholarships, grants, and bursaries: Sports
Sports scholarships, grants, and bursaries can open up a wealth of resources to promising student athletes, as well as a financial top-up. Learn more about how you can get a sports scholarship.
Sports scholarships, grants, and bursaries can open up a wealth of resources to promising student athletes, as well as a financial top-up. Learn more about how you can get a sports scholarship.
Sports scholarships, grants, and bursaries are awarded to undergraduate students on the basis of their athletic ability and potential. They’re available for a long list of sports, from archery and hockey, through to sailing and triathlon. Scholarships for coaching are available, too.
While student loans have to be paid back, extra funding like this doesn’t have to be.
Sports scholarships aren’t just for students studying a sports degree. So if you’re a chemistry student who can explain the molecular make-up of iron as well as pump it, you might be in luck.
Sports scholarships are offered by universities and colleges which may have top-class facilities, like a centre of sporting excellence for a particular sport. Scholarships can also be offered in collaboration with the National Governing Body (NGB) for your sport through a government-backed programme, such as the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) in England and Wales, or Winning Students in Scotland.
Sports scholarships are offered to help students progress in their chosen sport, while they pursue a degree. Training and competing at a high level is a huge demand on students’ time, body, and even wallet. Funding of this kind – along with the extra benefits that come with it – can relieve some of the pressure, and make balancing everything more manageable.
Plus, student athletes can get excellent exposure and experience, especially if they wish to compete professionally once they’ve graduated.
In return, universities are able to attract and nurture young talent, who can represent them in competitions, and raise their profile.
Sports scholarships are often awarded at different levels or ‘tiers,’ depending on students’ level of performance and ability. The higher the tier, the greater the award and benefits available. We go into more detail about different tiers when it comes to eligibility below.
Students may receive a cash award, plus one or more of the following (which may be equivalent to a certain cash value):
Worried about money at university? Check out our guides to creating a student budget, and managing your money.
There’s some basic criteria you can expect to have to meet for any sports scholarship:
Many universities offer sports scholarships at different tiers, depending on the level students have competed at already, and that which they’re expected to in the future, based on their current ability. There will be specific criteria which will vary from tier to tier. You may spot patterns across different universities or sports, but it’s always best to check this exactly.
That said, not all universities use this tier system when allocating scholarships, though they may still set out certain requirements, like achieving a podium or points position at the BUCS championship, or be a European, Commonwealth, or World level competitor.
BUCS, Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth sports are a major focus for many universities, who may prioritise these in the financial awards they offer, or when assessing scholarship applications:
Universities and colleges will be open about what they look for in scholarship applicants – you can usually find this on their websites. Several talk about candidates who ‘demonstrate a commitment to striving for personal excellence,’ or emphasise 'Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound (SMART) sporting and educational goals’. Look out for clues like this, and keep them in mind when applying.
Watch out for any terms or conditions that come with a cash award. For example, you might be restricted to spending it on sports-related items, rather than general living costs.
In return for a scholarship, it’s generally accepted that recipients commit to representing their university competitively. This might be as part of an ongoing league, or at particular events over the course of the year, like the British Universities and Colleges Sport Championships or World University Games.
This may extend to an ambassador type role at special events or engagements, or be available for media interviews or appearances, on an ad hoc basis.
Being a sports scholarship student is a bit like being a walking advertisement for a university or college, in the same vein as a professional athlete signed to a team or sponsored by a brand – only on a much smaller scale, and unfortunately, without the salary. That said, if you have ambitions to pursue an athletic career, it can be great preparation, allowing you to pick up skills like public-speaking and talking to the media.
You might be required to keep your university – or scholarship donor, whether an organisation, or individual – informed of your progress too, so they can see how that award has benefited you. Usually this is through an end of year report, or meeting(s).
You can normally apply for a university sports scholarship online, by completing a short application form that covers the above eligibility criteria.
This may involve writing an essay style answer about your top sports achievements, your sports goals for the future – including rankings or medals you’re aiming for – and how a scholarship will help you achieve these.
You’ll need to provide a reference or supporting statement from an appropriate individual, such as a National Governing Body (NGB) coach or performance director, team manager, or sports teacher.
Your application will be reviewed by a panel, who’ll make a decision.
In the case of government-backed initiatives like TASS or Winning Scotland, you’ll have to be nominated for a scholarship by your NGB.
Learn about other additional funding available, including academic and low household income scholarships.