College Athletic Associations and Recruiting
National Collegiate Athletic Associations: (NCAA) DI, II, III
NCAA Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse Recruiting Calendar:
NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete
Roughly 490,000+ student-athletes compete at more than 1,100+ colleges and universities.
- Division I schools generally have more students and larger athletics budgets than schools in Divisions II or III. Athletic scholarships are available.
- Division II schools emphasize a life balance in which academically gifted students can compete at a high level while maintaining a traditional collegiate experience. Athletic scholarships are available.
- Division III teams have shorter playing seasons, emphasizing life balance and reducing students’ time away from academic studies and other campus activities. Athletic scholarships are prohibited. Schools can and do give financial aid through leadership grants and needs based financial aid.
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
More than 65,000 student-athletes compete at more than 250 member colleges and universities.
- Competitive levels are comparable to the NCAA’s Division II.
Athletic scholarships are available.
NAIA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete
National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)
Approximately 60,000+ student-athletes compete at more than 520 two-year colleges.
- The level of competition varies from conference to conference. Students must transfer to another college to complete a bachelor’s degree and may continue their athletic career at a four-year school. Athletic scholarships are available.
NJCAA Guide for Prospective Student-Athletes
College Planning, Compare and Reviews
Georgia Student Finance Commission – GSFC, HOPE & Zell Scholarships
National Association of College Admissions Counseling – (NACAC)
College Data – College advisor, a favorite site
CollegeScoreCard – US Dept of Education
US News and World Report – Rankings
Sallie Mae – Student Loans, Planning and Banking
College Navigator – National Center for Educational Statistics
College Board – SAT, AP Testing, Khan Academy
ACT – ACT Testing, Free Test Prep
Scholarship Stats – Lacrosse, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track, Volleyball and other sports
Financial Aid Application and Scholarships
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – File by Oct 1
Fast Web – Scholarship and College Search
FinAid – Student Guide to Financial Aid
How to Choose a Student Loan, College Planning – Edvisors
Scholarships – Search Scholarships and Grants
Niche – Find College Scholarships
