Do Community Colleges Give Scholarships for Sports?

If you’re about to go to community college, you may be worried that your sports dreams are over. Do community colleges have sports? You may be surprised to learn that’s some community colleges – also called junior colleges, which is shortened colloquially to juco – have athletics programs that rival four-year institutions. There are even community college athletic scholarships to support athletes while they go to school. Do your research and you may be able to continue your sports dreams at juco with funding.

Do Community Colleges Have Sports?

If you have ever wondered do community colleges have sports, the answer is yes. Common sports include football, basketball, swimming and soccer. Other sports you may find are very similar to the ones you would see at a high school. These include volleyball, wrestling, tennis and many more. Some schools even offer scholarships for players.

How to Get a Juco Sports Scholarship

Getting a scholarship at the junior college level is very similar to how you might get a scholarship at a larger school. Local coaches may come to practice at your high school to recruit players. However, if you’re interested in a school that is not in your area, you may have to get in touch with the college or coaching staff directly. The coach of your high school team will be able to help, as well.

Community College Athletic Scholarships

Depending on your school, a number of community college athletic scholarships may be available. Schools with scholarships available will belong to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Schools that are part of the NJCAA can choose at which level a college competition may wish to compete. These levels are Division I, Division II or Division III. These levels usually relate to the size of the school, with Division I schools being the largest. However, smaller schools can choose to compete at higher levels.

NJCAA schools that compete at the Division I level can offer full-ride scholarships that cover tuition, in addition to room and board and other necessary supplies. Division II schools may not cover room and board, and Division III schools do not have athletic scholarships.

If you want to receive a full-ride scholarship, choose an NJCAA that competes on the Division I level. Many community colleges in Florida, for example, compete on the Division I level. Some of these include Daytona State College, Palm Beach State College and Miami-Dade College.