The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), is a non-profit association comprised of more than 1260vschools and conferences. The NCAA membership is divided into three legislativevand competitive Divisions (I, II, and III). Colleges select and apply for a classification level that best meets their institutions educational and athletic mission. There are currently 1006 active member schools, 325 in Division I, 270 in Division II, and 411 in Division III. The most notable difference between the divisions is that Division I and II institutions may offer athletic scholarships while Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships.
Division I
NCAA Division I institutions are comprised primarily of large schools with enrollments that range from 3,500-50,000+ students. College institutions in this classification can, if they choose to, offer athletic scholarships for student athletes. The NCAA sets the number of full athletic scholarships a school can fund. Presently the limits for Division I swimming scholarships is as follows:
Women’s Scholarships: 14
Men’s Scholarships: 9.9
Number of Division I Swimming Programs:
Women’s Programs: 188
Men’s Programs: 140
Athletic scholarships are limited to one year and can be renewed annually for up to five years out of a six-year period. There is no such award as a four year scholarship. Athletic aid can be increased, reduced or even canceled annually. Programs may offer full scholarships (includes tuition, room, board, fees and books) or any type of partial aid such as tuition only or money for books. The total financial aid package (athletic scholarships, grants, student loans, booster club or civic scholarships) an athlete can receive cannot not exceed the total cost for attending an institution for one year.
Ivy League Conference: Ivy League member institutions include the following: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton and Yale. These Division I programs do not offer athletic scholarships and acceptance to any of these institutions is based upon a rigid academic standard. All Ivy League student athletes are rated upon an Academic Index rating scale that each member institution must follow. Students are rated based upon their G.P.A., Class Rank, College Board SAT and ACT Scores, high school course load, and community service involvement. Financial aid awards are offered after a student athlete has been accepted on a need based assessment that has no bearing whether a student will be accepted or not.
Division II
NCAA Division II institutions are comprised primarily of small to medium sized schools with enrollments that range from 1,500-15,000 students. College institutions in this classification can, if they choose to, offer athletic scholarships for student athletes. The NCAA sets the number of full athletic scholarships a school can fund. Presently the limits for Division II swimming scholarships is as follows:
Women’s Scholarships: 8.1
Men’s Scholarships: 8.1
Number of Division II Swimming Programs:
Women’s Programs: 67
Men’s Programs: 50
Division III
NCAA Division III institutions are comprised primarily of small colleges and universities with enrollments that range from 600-5,000 students. Division III institutions cannot offer athletic scholarships for student athletes. Financial Aid can be offered on a need based assessment only and primarily is in the form of academic scholarships, grants, and student loans.
Number of Division III Swimming Programs:
Women’s Programs: 235
Men’s Programs: 191
Student Athlete Division III Information Website
