Rowing at a top-level is a very physically demanding sport. Rowing is a difficult sport. Balancing an oar taller than you are against the weight of 7 other oars to keep a relatively narrow hard plastic shell on even keel while at the same time trying to turn it slowly in your hand while controlling your body's weight so as to slowly maneuver up to the catch, followed by ferociously wrenching with your whole body as the oar locks into place while simultaneously being completely synchronized with your crew bodily and mentally. These sorts of skills are not easily learned, and take years of practice to perfect. But once you know-how.

There is the smooth glassy feel of the water in the morning, the one clunk as every oar is feathered at the same time. There is the exhilarating feeling of watching your opponent try to beat you, them unable to see you. The fact of how much you trust your boat-mates to stay stable in a blow for blow race. The endless hours spent perfecting form and strength. Physically, your legs and back will become stronger and your stamina will go through the roof.

So, pretty much a lifetime sport. From grade school through advanced old age there are rowing clubs and competition events available.

  • There is U19 (under 19) racing for the best young rowers.

  • There is U23 (under 23) for the best collegiate rowers.

  • Senior rowing is for the best rowers of any age.

  • Masters rowing is for rowers 27 and older (up through 90+).

Also, there is Division I, II, and III, rowing depending on the size of the school. There are college scholarships available for the best rowers.

Procedures To Get Rowing Scholarships?

  • Do research of various colleges which offer college rowing programs along with the area of study for your desired educational ‘major.’

  • Search the website of the rowing program and fill out the ‘Recruiting Questionnaire.’

  • You can directly introduce yourself to the college rowing coach via an introductory email after a few weeks of filling out the recruiting questionnaire.

  • You can include your 2k ERG Score as a high school or club rower

  • Rowing coaches also consider athletes from other sports, particularly endurance sports. You must include information regarding your athletic abilities if you didn’t have a rowing team in your high school.

To Get A Rowing Scholarship, How Good Do You Need to Be?

Generally ERG is used by various coaches to get an idea of an athlete’s capabilities and it is not the only measure of a rower. There are many other coaches who recruit a candidate based on their academic history combined with the athletic. A good rower needs to have a lot of strength and stamina, good balance, and timing. Other college sports need experience to join a team in college, but in rowing, you don’t need any experience to join a Rowing team in college. You can be part of a team as a beginner, as long as you are willing to put in the hard work and the time.

NCAA: Women’s Rowing Scholarships

As a woman if you want to pursue the sport at the collegiate level, the benefit is in your favor when it comes to being offered college rowing scholarships. As women’s rowing is a sanctioned NCAA sport. It is one of the major reasons for a woman to pursue the sport at the collegiate level. Women’s rowing is also an NCAA ‘equivalency’ sport. This means that partial to full women’s athletic scholarships are available for them. 

NCAA Division I

  • Women’s Scholarships: 20

  • Women’s Teams: 88

  • Average Team Size: 47

NCAA Division II

  • Women’s Scholarships: 20

  • Women’s Teams: 16

  • Average Team Size: 26

NCAA Division III

  • Women’s Scholarships: Null

  • Women’s Teams: 41

  • Average Team Size: 26

NCAA- Men’s Rowing Sports

Collegiate men’s rowing competitions are governed by the Intercollegiate Rowing Association. NCAA isn’t sanctioned men’s rowing as a sport. American Collegiate Rowing Association governed the college men’s rowing program as a club sport. The ACRA was formed after the IRA eliminated club rowing teams from competing for the IRA Championship.

Men’s Rowing Scholarships

There is a very few number of colleges or universities that offer men’s rowing scholarships. Men’s college rowing scholarships are limited as compared to women’s college rowing scholarships. The actual total of men’s rowing scholarships nationwide would not match the total number of women’s rowing scholarships within some major college conferences. Some of the major Division-1 universities such as Boston University, Stanford University, Northeastern University, and the University of California which offer men’s rowing scholarships. Ivy League schools such as Harvard and Princeton do not offer men’s rowing scholarships, but there are financial assistance grants available if you qualify for these.

Example of College Scholarship

Mike Lozano Scholarship

  • Amount: $2,500

  • Deadline: February 10, 2021

  • Scholarship Description: The Mike Lozano Scholarship is given annually to a graduating high school senior athlete from the northernmost 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle. A minimum 2.0 GPA is required and students must be interested in pursuing a degree in education and/or coaching for the purpose of teaching and coaching at the high school level upon graduation from college. 

However, there are a number of scholarships available for women rowers as compared to men rowers. This doesn’t mean that there is no scholarship for men rowers. But yes as compared to women, it’s less. There are several college scholarships available for you. You just need to search for the better one for you as per the choice of your college or university.

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...