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. 

Different types of Lacrosse scholarships and leagues

Let’s look at the different types of scholarships in detail. 

NCAA Scholarships

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. 

NJCAA Scholarships

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.

Local Lacrosse Leagues

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.

How to get a 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.

How Good do you Have to be?

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.

Men’s Lacrosse

 

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’’

 NCAA  D1

  • All-American

  • All-State

  • All-League/District

  • Extensive club/travel team experience

  • Attends camps and showcases

  • 4-year high school varsity starter

  • Team MVP

NCAA D2

  • All-State

  • All-League/District

  • 3-year high school varsity starter

  • Club/travel team experience

  • Attends camps and showcases

  • Team MVP

NCAA D3

  • All-League/District

  • 2-year high school varsity starter

  • Club/travel team experience

  • Attends camps and showcases

Women’s Lacrosse

 

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’’

NCAA D1

  • All-American

  • All-State

  • All-League/District

  • Extensive club/travel team experience

  • Attends camps and showcases

  • 4-year high school varsity starter

  • Team MVP

NCAA D2

  • All-State

  • All-League/District

  • 3-year high school varsity starter

  • Club/travel team experience

  • Attends camps and showcases

  • Team MVP

NCAA D3

  • All-League/District

  • 2-year varsity starter

  • Club/travel team experience

  • Attends camps and showcases

Who are the Top College Lacrosse Programs in Each Division?

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. 

Men’s Lacrosse

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

Women’s Lacrosse

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

Application Deadline

March 01, 2023

Award Amount

$1

Awards Available

1

Website

Link

Contact Number

214-750-4222

About the Scholarship

The scholarship is awarded by the Communities Foundation of Texas, an organization that has paid over $100 million in grants in the year 2018. The organization has a history of over 60 years in assisting students to achieve their educational goals. CFT works side by side with committed nonprofits, civic leaders and philanthropy-focused businesses to help out c...

Application Deadline

March 01, 2020

Award Amount

$1,250

Awards Available

1

Website

Link

Email Address

[email protected]

Contact Number

410-332-4171

About the Scholarship

The scholarship is awarded by the CollegeBound Foundation, an organization that started with a grand vision of granting financial aid for students in need. CollegeBound now employs Program Specialists in Baltimore Public schools, who work year-round to assist students with the college application process. The Arthur Elder, II Scholarship, established to honor&...

Application Deadline

March 15, 2020

Award Amount

$500

Awards Available

Varies

Website

Link

Email Address

[email protected]

Contact Number

610-685-2223

About the Scholarship

The scholarship is awarded by Berks County Community Foundation, an organization that was founded to help individuals, families, businesses and other organizations to achieve their charitable objectives and improve the quality of life for those residing in Berks County. Their main mission is promoting philanthropy. This scholarship is for supporting graduating...

Application Deadline

April 01, 2023

Award Amount

$1

Awards Available

2

Website

Link

Email Address

[email protected]

Contact Number

845-338-2535

About the Scholarship

The scholarship is awarded by the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, an organization that facilitates philanthropy and works to strengthen their community and administer funds and provide when it is needed for the charities. The organization even provides technical support to help nonprofits institutions operate more maximum. The Jay Lamando Scholarsh...

Application Deadline

April 01, 2023

Award Amount

$1

Awards Available

1

Website

Link

Email Address

[email protected]

Contact Number

845-452-3077

About the Scholarship

The scholarship is awarded by the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, an organization that facilitates works to strengthen their community and monitor funds and provide when it is needed for the charities. The organization even provides technical support to help nonprofits institutions operate more maximum. The scholarship is provided in the memory of Lisa More...

Application Deadline

April 01, 2023

Award Amount

$3

Awards Available

1

Website

Link

Email Address

[email protected]

Contact Number

845-452-3077

About the Scholarship

The scholarship is awarded by Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, an organization that is dedicated to strengthen their community and administer funds to support charities and for social cause. They even provide technical assistance to help nonprofits to operate more productively. This scholarship was first introduced and was established by the Maynard...

Application Deadline

April 01, 2020

Award Amount

$2,000

Awards Available

4

Website

Link

Email Address

[email protected]

Contact Number

845-452-3077

About the Scholarship

The scholarship is awarded by the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, an organization works on strengthening the community by helping individuals, organizations and monitor funds to support charities, social causes, and non-profit organizations. This scholarship was established by the Nussbickel family and the Greater Southern Dutches...

Application Deadline

April 01, 2020

Award Amount

$1,000

Awards Available

1

Website

Link

Email Address

[email protected]

Contact Number

304-346-3620

About the Scholarship

The Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley is the institution that provides the scholarship to the applicants whose father or mother is suffering from a serious illness. The scholarship is giving financial assistance to the applicants who are affected emotionally, physically and academically. CFHV also works to strengthen the community by helping the people who are in great need of fu...

Application Deadline

March 15, 2020

Award Amount

$2,000

Awards Available

Varies

Website

Link

Email Address

[email protected]

Contact Number

949 553 4202

About the Scholarship

Mark P. Tiner Scholarship is started by Sean Tiner in the honor of his brother\'s ambition to pursue higher education. The Orange County Community Foundation is awarding this scholarship to help the students financially to enroll in an un...

Application Deadline

February 14, 2020

Award Amount

$750

Awards Available

1

Website

Link

Email Address

[email protected]

Contact Number

513-4247-369

About the Scholarship

The scholarship is sponsored by the Middletown Community Foundation, an organization that is ranked on top as the most active community foundation in Ohio for assisting students in easily paying for their education. This scholarship is provided yearly to an African American student at Middletown High School who demonstrates high academic performance, participa...