How do college scholarships work for athletes?

I'm considering trying to get a college scholarship for sports, but I'm not exactly sure how the process goes. Do only top athletes receive these scholarships, or are there opportunities for different levels?

Colleges award scholarships to athletes under one of two systems: headcount or equivalency.

Headcount scholarships are available at NCAA Division I institutions for men's and women's basketball, football, women's gymnastics, tennis, and volleyball. These are full scholarships that cover tuition, room, board, and textbooks. The "headcount" part comes from the NCAA's rules that limit the number of scholarships to the "headcount" roster spots on the team.

Equivalency scholarships are available for all other sports (including all sports at NCAA Division II institutions and all at Division III, though DIII does not offer athletic scholarships). These scholarships can be divided among athletes in any manner the coach chooses, meaning that a coach has a certain amount of scholarship money to distribute as they see fit, and many athletes receive partial athletic scholarships.

Additionally, some athletes may be able to take advantage of academic scholarships, which can be combined with athletic aid. This can be complex given the rules about combining different types of aid, so it's recommended to speak with each college's financial aid office for clarification.

Athletic scholarships are usually given on a year-to-year basis, although some schools offer multi-year scholarships. They're also primarily based on athletic ability, but academics and character can play a role.

Finally, the reality is that it can be very competitive to earn athletic scholarships. There are many talented athletes, and even very good high school athletes are not always recruited by colleges. It's highly recommended to make a strategy for reaching out to college coaches and marketing your skills effectively. Remember, if your ultimate goal is to play a sport in college, don't just focus on scholarships - there are many opportunities to walk on to teams or play at DIII, NAIA, or junior colleges.