Lacrosse is a very popular and equivalency sport in the US, especially on the East Coast where Division I lacrosse play is concentrated. So is the competition for college scholarships for lacrosse with top athletic programs. First of all one should know the level at which they are playing and prepare yourself for that kind of a competition. Many times you may not get a full-time scholarship as many schools offer only partial scholarships to players as they are more focused on building a successful team rather than coaxing one excellent player to a school.
Lacrosse is a sport with a great history and is also considered as a legacy in the United States. Many college-based awards have got ties to alumni who have played that sport in their university. There are many famous lacrosse scholarship programs offered by NCAA, NJCAA and local leagues. Students often focus on NCAA scholarships and tend to overlook local leagues. But being a player at a local league also grabs you a good amount of scholarship.
Let’s look at the different types of scholarships in detail.
NCAA Scholarships is one of the famous scholarships which many athletes look up to. Each year around $1 billion scholarships are awarded to athletes by NCAA both in Division I and Division II. Though these scholarships are granted by each academic institution you will be required to meet NCAA eligibility criteria to receive a scholarship.
The NCAA is not the only option for Lacrosse Scholarship seekers, the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) also awards full and partial scholarships to talented athletes. You can opt for these scholarships in both senior high school years and also in your freshman years in a community college.
Except these two above mentioned Scholarships there are also local Lacrosse Leagues. These scholarships are granted to local lacrosse players. You can always join a local league in case your school doesn't come under NCAA or NJCAA. The Annapolis Youth Lacrosse Association, awards of worth $1,000 annually is one such example of a local lacrosse scholarship.
In a game like lacrosse the position which has the highest impact is the position of goalie as they directly impact the scoring. So usually college coaches give a lot of importance to the position of a goalie. But regardless of your position in a game you can always have chances of receiving a scholarship as a player. So here are a few tips.
Prioritize academics:Lacrosse is an equivalency sport hence coaches prefer to give partial scholarships rather than full-time. So it is always advisable to do well in academics as only playing lacrosse will not help to land up with a scholarship.
Research: Not all schools and colleges offer lacrosse scholarships so do research about your preferred college and their lacrosse scholarship program. But all NCAA Division 1, Division 2 and NAIA do offer lacrosse scholarships. Again not all lacrosse programs are fully funded so make sure that you do research on different lacrosse scholarship programs.
Remain open-minded: Don't stick to only one scholarship program or to one Division, remain open minded towards all programs. The fact is only very few students receive Division 1 athletic scholarships. Scholarship programs are also offered by NAIA whereas it may not be as prestigious as NCAA but it also opens doors for new avenues for a lacrosse player.
Identify and look for different alternatives: There are not only scholarships but also a lot of other ways through which one can cover up the tuition fee and other costs of college. The federal government, states and schools grants, work study are are a few of other alternatives available for students.
As already mentioned in the above paragraphs of the article there is no specific and generic criteria for a lacrosse scholarship it varies from colleges colleges and division to division. But yes, you should fulfill some general requirements in order to be eligible for this scholarship. If you don't fulfill these criterias then also you can get a scholarship but that is going to be a little tough.
The criterias and requirements are different for both men and women lacrosse scholarships. Here is a list of eligibility for both men and women lacrosse scholarships.
NCAA DI |
NCAA DII |
NCAA DIII |
|
Attacker |
5’10’’-6’4’’ |
5’9’’-6’1’’ |
5’8’’-6’2’’ |
Midfielder |
5’10’’-6’4’’ |
5’9’’-6’2’’ |
5’8’’-6’2’’ |
Defenseman |
5’11’’-6’6’’ |
5’10’’-6’4’’ |
5’9’’-6’3’’ |
Goalie |
5’10’’-6’3’’ |
5’9’’-6’2’’ |
5’9’’-6’3’’ |
All-American
All-State
All-League/District
Extensive club/travel team experience
Attends camps and showcases
4-year high school varsity starter
Team MVP
All-State
All-League/District
3-year high school varsity starter
Club/travel team experience
Attends camps and showcases
Team MVP
All-League/District
2-year high school varsity starter
Club/travel team experience
Attends camps and showcases
NCAA DI |
NCAA DII |
NCAA DIII |
|
Attacker |
5’5’’-5’10’’ |
5’3’’-5’9’’ |
5’3’’-5’8’’ |
Midfielder |
5’5’’-5’10’’ |
5’4’’-5’9’’ |
5’4’’-5’8’’ |
Defenseman |
5’6’’-5’11’’ |
5’5’’-5’10’’ |
5’3’’-5’9’’ |
Goalie |
5’7’’-5’10’’ |
5’7’’-5’10’’ |
5’6’’-5’9’’ |
All-American
All-State
All-League/District
Extensive club/travel team experience
Attends camps and showcases
4-year high school varsity starter
Team MVP
All-State
All-League/District
3-year high school varsity starter
Club/travel team experience
Attends camps and showcases
Team MVP
All-League/District
2-year varsity starter
Club/travel team experience
Attends camps and showcases
Here is a list of the top lacrosse programs in the country. You can look at their rosters to j=know about how their athletes have performed in the past and what is expected out of you.
NCAA D1: Virginia, North Carolina, Duke, Maryland, Syracuse, Cornell, Princeton, Stony Brook, Georgetown, Notre Dame, John Hopkins, Loyola Maryland, Army, Denver, Hofstra, Yale, Hofstra
NCAA D2: CW Post, Dowling, Le Moyne, Mercyhurst, Limestone, Merrimack, NYIT, St. Leo, Bentley, Queens (NC), Adelphi
NCAA D3: Stevenson, Salisbury, Cortland State, Gettysburg, Roanoke, Tufts, Dickinson, Cabrini, Lynchburg, Haverford, Rensselaer, Middlebury
NCAA D1: Maryland, Northwestern, North Carolina, Duke, Virginia, Georgetown, Penn, James Madison, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Towson, Stanford, Dartmouth, Penn State, Loyola Maryland, Hofstra
NCAA D2: CW Post, Lock Haven, Adelphi, Limestone, West Chester, Stonehill, Mercyhurst, Gannon, Merrimack, Molloy
NCAA D3: Hamilton, Salisbury, Franklin and Marshall, Gettysburg, Cortland State, TCNJ, Stevens, Trinity, Colby, Williams, Amherst, Babson, Union, Washington & Lee, Tufts, Middlebury
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March 01, 2023
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$1
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April 01, 2023
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April 01, 2023
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$1
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1
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April 01, 2023
Award Amount
$3
Awards Available
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April 01, 2020
Award Amount
$2,000
Awards Available
4
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Award Amount
$1,000
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March 15, 2020
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February 14, 2020
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