Scholarships

And now the moment you've been waiting for (drum roll, please) … Scholarships! Here at the Hub, we love to talk about scholarships because (newsflash) college is expensive.

And given the financial importance of scholarships, it's useful to understand the basics of how they work in the college golf world. In this article, we'll answer questions such as: How many scholarships are there per team? How do full scholarships work vs. partial scholarships? How does it vary by division? Are scholarships guaranteed for all four years? Are there any general rules of thumb to consider as they relate to scholarships?

It's a worthy mission. Let's start at the top.

The first thing to understand is that the number of scholarships on a team varies by (a) division and (b) whether it's a men's or women's program. Here are the maximum number of full scholarships (includes tuition, fees, room and board, and books) by division and gender:

Note: As of June 6, 2025, NCAA D-1 schools who have "opted in" will be bound by roster limits and scholarship limits — 9 for both men's and women's golf (exception: SEC roster cap of 8). It's important to remember that not all schools will have opted in, and that funding levels still vary by program. For example, a D-1 school may have opted in but may only have 6 scholarships and carry 6 players on its roster.

Maximum # of Scholarships for College Golf

As always, remember to use the Hub. Our Find a College tool conveniently lets you screen and search by division, so you can understand whether the school you have your eyes set on has the potential to offer athletic scholarships. For example, NCAA D-III schools are not able to offer scholarships, and NCAA D-I schools can offer up to 9 scholarships.

It's also important to understand that scholarships generally come in two types: fixed amounts or percentage amounts. Fixed amounts offer a set amount (say $10,000) per year, whereas percentage amounts are calculated as a percentage of a benchmark like full tuition. Both types are commonly used in college golf. It's important to understand that in periods of rising tuition costs (very likely!), percentage-based scholarships grow right along with them. Not bad! If college costs decrease, it works the other way. In addition, fixed-amount scholarships may not be "fixed" for every year, and the amount can be increased on an annual basis for performance reasons. We recommend checking with the coach to understand the types of scholarships the college offers and the ways the scholarship amount can be increased.

Keep in mind that for NCAA D-I and D-II programs, the scholarship offer is typically formalized through an athletics aid agreement. This applies to most D-I and D-II programs, although there are some notable exceptions, like the Ivy League, which does not offer athletic scholarships. The agreement comes with a guaranteed one-year scholarship to the college or university.

Next, here are some Hub rules of thumb for college golf scholarships:

1. Full rides are rare. We love hearing stories of players getting full rides. The reality, though, is that full rides are rare and quite often limited to the top junior players in the country. It is worth noting, however, that full rides are more common in women's college golf than men's.

2. Equivalency is the norm. How do you get 3.6 scholarships for D-II men's programs? The magic word is "equivalency," and it's the norm in college golf scholarships. Basically, equivalency allows a program to offer partial scholarships to team members. Take D-II, for example: if there are 10 members on the college golf team, and the coach decides to spread the 3.6 scholarships equally across all players, then each player receives a 36% scholarship. Exact statistics aren't published, but our Hub experience is that the typical college golf scholarship falls in the 25-50% range for men and 50-75% range for women, though this varies by division. 

3. Not all teams are fully funded. Remember our table above? Those are maximum amounts of scholarships, and many teams fall short of that number. Therefore, when meeting the coach, it's useful to understand whether their scholarships are fully funded or not.

4. Scholarships are generally one-year agreements. If a player continues to meet team requirements and expectations, they are likely to maintain or even increase the scholarship. If the student's academic or golf performance falls short of par, there is a risk that the scholarship can be reduced, or in some cases, withdrawn.

5. Women's scholarships are available, but need to be earned. Women's scholarships are more plentiful than men's, and the supply of women's golfers is more limited. This has created an environment where scholarship opportunities are often available for aspiring talent. However, the road is not paved with gold. Scholarship opportunities at top D-I programs are very hard-fought, as the competition is intense. And even scholarship opportunities at less competitive programs need to be earned through solid play.

6. Don't write off D-III. It's true that NCAA D-III programs do not offer athletic scholarships. Be careful, though, before discrediting them completely. NCAA D-III colleges can often offer academic scholarships or grant money that puts them on par (or better) with other divisions. Keep this in mind during your college search.

There you have it, the Hub's "inside scoop" on college golf scholarships. Wishing you the best of luck as you talk to coaches and receive scholarship offers. Now get out there and start working on your game!

Enjoy your Journey!