The money conversation

With every recruit we have helped, the biggest criterion that comes up is cost (duh!). When you look at the cost of college today, it is insane how expensive school has become. The good news is that there is usually lots of help along the way.

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In-state & out-of-state

The first thing to note is that public universities offer two different types of tuition: in-state and out-of-state. You will find this on each school’s page in CGR if there is a difference.

Many times, coaches who only have a few roster spots to fill prioritize in-state students because they will need less scholarship money for an in-state student versus an out-of-state or international one. If you have an in-state school, or a few, on your school list, then great! If not, maybe take another look to see if any look interesting. It never hurts to have backup options.

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Differences across schools

It’s important to note that scholarship availability varies across Division-1 and Division-2 schools, but it also varies across programs. Some coaches prefer to keep scholarship levels the same for all players so they don’t prioritize players over others. While other coaches take the opposite approach and only provide scholarship (usually in the form of full-ride scholarships) to a select number on their roster.

While it is impossible to keep up with all scholarship opportunities available at any given time for each school, coaches are pretty quick to offer their options (they usually use the term ‘budget’ in reference to the total amount spent). One of the best times to ask about this is in your first phone call or second message.

Other funding options

Regardless of how coaches use their athletic scholarship funds, they also have other financial options at their disposal. The first is academic scholarships and grants. For most schools, this involves applying once (sometimes once a year) and getting a chunk of your tuition covered. We’ve found that these are usually little work for easy gain.

If you have higher grades or test scores, those also can earn you academic scholarships. Some schools also have outside academic scholarships and student-work opportunities to cover remaining costs. Of course, financial need demands are an option too if that qualifies for you and your family.

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The Full-Ride Myth

Working with many recruits and their families, a question that usually pops up in this conversation is how to get a full-ride scholarship. While full-rides are uncommon in the golf world, there are plenty of options to cut your college costs tremendously as long as you’re willing to ask.

Coaches aren’t afraid to have this conversation with you. It’s a big deal for every family involved, and they want to be clear from the get-go. If they aren’t, then they probably aren’t going to be a great fit.