Outstanding athletes in major sports are sought after by colleges that entice them with generous scholarships. However, even just better, than average athletes in both major and minor sports can tap into a considerable source of financial aid from colleges that are seeking students with ability along with required academic achievement. In addition to football, basketball, baseball, tennis, hockey, and track, decent jocks in sports such as: gymnastics, sailing, archery, fencing, rowing, swimming, skiing, volleyball, hockey, golf, lacrosse, bowling, marksmanship, soccer, cross-country skiing, badminton, rodeo riding, table tennis, sailing or crew may have a good chance of receiving an athletic scholarship.

We recommend finding out about individual programs by contacting the college coach at the schools you are applying. A school's coach can play a strong and important role in influencing an award of financial aid through an athletic scholarship. Work with your high school guidance counselor and coach to choose colleges best suited to your academic and athletic abilities. Recommendation letters from those who have seen you in action should be sent to the coaches at the schools to which you are applying. Work on building a relationship (through letters, phone calls, interviews) with whoever is most likely to decide on who receives a school's athletic scholarships.

TIP: Several good sources of information about athletic award opportunities are:

The National Directory of College Athletics
has separate editions for men and women and is available as a print or electronic edition. Order through www.collegiatedirectories.com.

Lovejoy's College Guide
Edited by Charles T., II Straughn, with contributions by Barbarasue Lovejoy Straughn.
Buy it from Amazon.com.

The Winning Edge: A Complete Guide to Intercollegiate Athletic Programs
By Frances and James Killpatrick. Octameron Associates. (http://www.octameron.com/productsframe.html)

Chronicle Sports Guide: Intercollegiate Athletics and Scholarships
Chronicle Guidance Publications.
Buy it from Amazon.com.

Directory of Athletic Scholarships
By Barry Green and Alan Green. G.P. Putnam's Sons.

The Athletic Guidance Center
(800) 562-5800 is a specialty athletic scholarship counseling service that charges a $250 fee for their services. They offer a money-back guarantee and do the research, letter writing, and distribute your resume to a network of athletic coaches. As with other scholarship services, check with free sources of information before spending your money.