Everyone has heard about NCAA Scholarships (unlike NAIA Scholarships), typically through news reports about Division I basketball players and Division I football players. What doesn't get discussed as often are the rules around NCAA athletic scholarships and realities that most athletes are up against.

Let's pull back the curtain and reveal the myths surrounding NCAA scholarships.

1. The NCAA Clearinghouse - As long as you're doing fairly well in school, you'll probably be eligible. Everyone's heard about Division I basketball players with 0.2 GPAs who are ineligible. The key is to just take good classes in high school and do well in them. If you do that, you'll fly over the Clearinghouse eligibility hurdle.


2. No Division III scholarships - Division III teams aren't allowed to offer NCAA scholarships. This doesn't mean that there aren't other scholarships available. In fact, the average Division III athlete receives more financial aid than the average Division I athlete.


3. NCAA Scholarships are heavily restricted - Division I and Division II teams are only allowed a certain number of NCAA scholarships listed below.


4. Budgets are tight - Just because a team is allowed to have, say 12 scholarships, doesn't mean that the college necessarily has the money to fund them. That team may actually only have 8 scholarships.


5. There are NCAA scholarship limits - There are very few full rides. Even some of the top athletes in the country are on partial scholarships. For instance, colleges coaches get a strange number of soccer scholarships: 9.90. Obviously, someone isn't getting a full ride. Most coaches take the few scholarships they have and divide them among a number of players.

Men's NCAA Scholarships Allowed By Sport in Division I

NCAA Baseball Scholarships: 11.7

NCAA Basketball Scholarships: 13

NCAA Cross Country/Track and Field Scholarships: 12.6

NCAA Football Scholarships: 85

NCAA Golf Scholarships: 4.5

NCAA Gymnastics Scholarships: 6.3

NCAA Ice Hockey Scholarships: 18

NCAA Lacrosse Scholarships: 12.6

NCAA Soccer Scholarships: 9.9

NCAA Swimming and Diving Scholarships: 9.9

NCAA Tennis Scholarships: 4.5

NCAA Water Polo Scholarships: 4.5

NCAA Wrestling Scholarships: 9.9

Women's NCAA Scholarships Allowed By Sport in Division I

NCAA Basketball Scholarships: 15

NCAA Cross Country/Track and Field Scholarships: 18

NCAA Field Hockey Scholarships: 12

NCAA Golf Scholarships: 6

NCAA Gymnastics Scholarships: 12

NCAA Ice Hockey Scholarships: 18

NCAA Lacrosse Scholarships: 12

NCAA Soccer Scholarships: 14

NCAA Softball Scholarships: 12

NCAA Swimming and Diving Scholarships: 14

NCAA Tennis Scholarships: 8

NCAA Volleyball Scholarships: 12

NCAA Water Polo Scholarships: 4.5