Protect Your Scholarship for College

It is an incredibly rewarding experience to be offered a scholarship for college to attend the school of your choice to earn a degree and participate in one of the highest levels of hockey in the world.

Now the real work begins. You are entering a lifestyle with many demands. You will be a full-time student and a full-time athlete. You are incredibly fortunate that the cost of your education is being eased by a scholarship for college, but there are some things you need to know to protect yourself and your scholarship.

Firstly, understand that the athletics award you receive is only a one-year renewable contract. That means that it is not guaranteed for all four years of school. It is the school’s obligation to notify you by July 1 prior to the next school year if your athletics based award will be renewed, increased, or canceled.

It is possible for the coaching staff to reduce the amount of your award during the school year for any of the following 4 reasons:

1. You are no longer eligible for competition - Make sure you understand the academic and progress toward degree requirements to remain eligible to play hockey.

2. Misrepresent any information on the application, letter of intent, or financial aid agreement.

3. Engage in serious misconduct warranting substantial disciplinary penalty - If you get in trouble, you are in jeopardy of losing your scholarship.

4. Decide not to play hockey anymore.

What does all this mean? It means that as a student-athlete you need to understand the expectations that are placed on you. It is your responsibility to take care of your academics, after all that is the most important thing about going to school. It is also up to you to be truthful and behave with respect and integrity. Your athletic department and coaching staff will count you on to represent your program positively. If you routinely get in to trouble and break the law, you will likely lose your scholarship.

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