Soccer Scholarship in USA

5 Steps on how to gain College Soccer Scholarships in the USA.

One of the biggest factors for any aspiring student athlete and their family, when deciding what college soccer program they will decide to attend in the USA is cost. It can be extremely costly to attend a USA college, when you factor in that the average cost of attendance for a student living on campus at a public 4-year in-state institution is $USD 25,707 per year or $USD 102,828 over 4 years! That's a lot of money! Now, if you're an international student athlete wanting to head over in the USA college system, you have to factor in the exchange rate...and the cost then becomes very daunting indeed! 

Now, the good news is that via the scholarship system in the USA college soccer system, you can gain healthy scholarships up front, and continuously, via hard work and effort in your chosen sport and in the classroom. These athletic and financial aid packages provided by the school that is recruiting you, will help offset your overall cost of attending a 4 year college soccer program, or a 2 year college soccer program significantly. 

The Upper 90 College Difference: How do we help you gain the best scholarship opportunity possible?

Over the past 13 years, Upper 90 College has worked hard to build a very trusted network of college coaches right across every layer of the USA college soccer system specifically. The advantage for our clients is that they are able to get in front of coaches that are recruiting for their specific playing position on the field, rather than go at the process of contacting coaches and sending our your playing CV directly, with little or no response.

Simply put, we get you in front of the right coaches for your own unique athletic and academic level, at the right time., and this has a measurable difference in the amount of scholarship you will be able to gain. The other factor that sets Upper 90 apart is the trusted relationships we have developed with our college soccer coaching network in the USA over the years. We've travelled extensively across the USA, met with coaches on campus, attended large scale events and networked continuously to build a reputation of trust, that sets us apart from the competition. You can find out more about our services at our consulting services pages.

What are the key steps I need to be able to gain a USA college soccer scholarship?

Gaining a college soccer scholarship in the USA can open doors for young soccer athletes to pursue their academic and athletic goals in the classroom and on the pitch. A scholarship can help cover the cost of tuition, books, and other expenses associated with attending college. Here are the steps to help increase your chances of earning a college soccer scholarship in the USA:

1. Start early: Begin preparing for college soccer early in high school by working on your skills, training regularly, and seeking feedback from your coach. This will give you time to make any necessary improvements before college coaches start recruiting. It's vital to always track your achievements, record and measure your results, and build a repository of full game footage over a period of time to build a great highlight package. Upper 90 can assist with taking all of your key playing information, and build out a strong highlight reel and portfolio for you. 

2. Play at a high level: College coaches are more likely to offer scholarships to players who have demonstrated a high level of skill and athleticism. Consider playing club soccer or on a travel team to showcase your abilities to a wider audience of college coaches. Outside of this, be sure to focus on always playing up a level if you can. The higher the standard of play represented in your highlight reel, the more coaches will be willing to explore playing opportunities with you at their soccer programs across every level of college soccer! 

3. Attend college camps: College soccer camps are a great opportunity to showcase your skills and make a positive impression on college coaches. Make sure to attend camps at colleges you're interested in and follow up with the coaches after the camp. Attending camps can provide that face to face time with a college soccer coach who is actively recruiting you. it also allows you to build your network of contacts and trusted relationships, but start attending camps early, and make sure you attend camps that are of a high quality. Upper 90 can assist you in sourcing the very best camp opportunities, while actively promoting you via our Connect Experience service.

4. Get in touch with college coaches: Reach out to college coaches at schools you're interested in and let them know about your achievements and goals. Provide them with your contact information, highlight video, and schedule of upcoming games or events. While this does sound simple, it can actually be quite a complex process, and if you do send out your details to coaches and college soccer programs that you are interested in, that does not necessarily mean they will have a need for your position in their recruiting class (among a myriad of other pushbacks you may encounter). With Upper 90 College Connect, we work very hard to break through the clutter and assist you in finding the very best college soccer program, that fits your own unique abilities and the needs of coaches that are looking for players just like you. 

5. Maintain good grades: College coaches will be looking for players who are academically eligible to play at their schools. Make sure you maintain good grades and take challenging classes to show that you are a well-rounded student. It's also important to note that sometimes there will be some student athletes who unfortunately don't make the cut to get into a 4 year school academically, and that's OK, not everyone is cut of the same academic cloth! Over the year's Upper 90 college have realised that some of our clients need a good starting point to get to where they want to go, and gain their degree in the USA. A good option is the Junior College soccer system, or the NJCAA. We've had many of our clients over the years, start at an NJCAA school, study for 2 years, excel on the pitch and in the class room and then transfer into a great 4 year college soccer program for a final two years of study and play. 

Where can I source USA college soccer scholarships from & How much scholarship is available to me potentially? 

College soccer scholarships in the USA are available through the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The amount of scholarships available will vary depending on the school and the athletic association.

According to the NCAA, there are over 175,000 student-athletes competing in college sports, and more than $2.9 billion in athletic scholarships are awarded annually. Women's soccer is one of the largest sports for scholarships, with over 7,000 scholarships available each year for female athletes.

The amount of scholarships available varies by organization and individual school. In the NCAA, scholarship opportunities are limited to Division I and II programs, with each team having a maximum of 9.9 scholarships to award. The NAIA and NJCAA have more flexibility in the number of scholarships they can award, but it is important to research the specific rules of each organization.

According to the NCAA, approximately 5% of high school soccer players go on to receive a college soccer scholarship. Of these players, the majority will receive partial scholarships, with only a small percentage receiving full scholarships. It is important to keep in mind that college soccer scholarships are competitive and there is no guarantee of receiving one.

In conclusion, gaining a college soccer scholarship in the USA requires a combination of skill development, building connections with college coaches, researching scholarship opportunities, and understanding the different organizations that offer scholarships. While the process can be competitive, the reward of a college education and the ability to continue playing the sport you love can be well worth the effort.

Upper 90 College has had over 13 years of experience in placing student athletes who are playing soccer at top college soccer programs such as Louisiana State University,  Amherst College, West Virginia University, Trinity University (Texas) to name a very few. Contact us today to gain our expert advice on how we can assist you on your college soccer journey to the USA college soccer system!