The same endurance and drive used to run long distances can also be applied when searching for scholarships. Long-distance runners are known for being in it for the long haul, and college coaches scope for talent and drive when recruiting and offering cross country scholarships. When recruiting, coaches tend to come watch championship meets or big invites if you possess the skill they want for their collegiate team. However, the competition is heavy, as thousands of runners compete at the college level, so improving your 5k time, as well as maintaining a strong academic record is crucial for impressing coaches.
Since cross country is an equivalency sport when it comes to scholarships, the NCCA limits how many scholarships are allocated per school. Some students may receive only partial scholarship while others may land a full scholarship, and this is based on athletic ability and academic success. Each school has their own time standards, so if you want to know if you're fast enough to run at a particular college, check the school's team website and see what times their current college runners are posting. Coaches often want an impressive cross country team, so most of the scholarships you would be offered by the college will be partial scholarships so that the college is able to entice more than a handle of athletes with scholarship funding.
Check out some examples of where to find cross country scholarships below. For additional
information about awards based on different criteria, try conducting a free college
scholarship search at Scholarships.com.
To supplement that financial aid package, don't forget about scholarships based on other criteria. You'll need to have and maintain a minimum GPA not only to land a scholarship but to be on a team, according to NCAA regulations, so seek out awards based on your academic achievements, as well. Don't rule out looking outside your college, either. Are you part of a long distance running group outside of your high school already? Try contacting them to see whether they provide any funding for cross country runners looking to land money for college. Look locally and to your state, and you may find several awards just for participating in cross country in high school. You don't need to have the best running time to land scholarship money to supplement that financial aid package.
NJCAA Scholarships
Although the NCAA is the most well-known association when it comes to collegiate sports, the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) also awards full and partial scholarships to talented athletes. If you're a runner interested in community college, consider contacting those schools about potential scholarship opportunities in cross country. If you're at a high level of skill with a decent academic record, consider your options on the junior college level, but know that if you transfer to an NCAA college after two years, the GPA and standardized test score requirements may be stricter. Just like the NCAA or NAIA, the NJCAA has its own time standards for men and women to increase their chances in winning athletic scholarships. For these specific time standards, make sure to check out the NJCAA's website or talk to your coaches.
College-Based Scholarships
If you plan on running cross country in college, your intended college could have funds and endowments for the sport, often set up by alumni who played the sport when they attended. Some colleges may require their runners to compete in track as well so be sure to do your research and talk to your financial aid office and athletic departments about local and college-based awards you could be eligible for. And don't forget to keep on track with scholarship deadlines while you are out on the track trying to cut your 5k time.
Established by Alliance Pipeline in 2001, this scholarship will be awarded on an annual basis to a student-athlete who demonstrates strong academic performance. The student must maintain a 3.0 GPA and participate in an intercollegiate sport. The amount of the scholarship will be determined by January of each year by the Director of the University Advancement based on the interest earnings in the [...] More
To be considered for scholarships at Augustana based on academic performance and/or talent requires a completed Application for Admission and Scholarship. Students must earn at least a 3.0 GPA while enrolled at Augustana to maintain these scholarships in subsequent years. Augustana Athletic Grants are awarded to outstanding student-athletes; NCAA Division II, Northern Sun Intercollegiate [...] More
The Athletics Scholarship is available to student-athletes in CCU's College of Undergraduate Studies who are recommended for scholarship consideration by the CCU Athletics Department. Recipients must maintain satisfactory academic progress, unless otherwise noted by the Athletics Department. Prospective student athletes should contact their specific coach for further information. Must be a [...] More
Nominees of the Delaware Open Cross Country Championship Scholarships must be Delaware residents who have participated in high school cross country program(s) during junior and senior years; have an unweighted, cumulative GPA of 2.5 in high school core curriculum; and, plan to enroll full-time in a two- or four-year program of study at a regionally accredited college. In the event of two (2) [...] More
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. For more information or to apply, please [...] More
The Sean Patrick French Memorial Scholarship Fund was created by the family of Sean Patrick French following his tragic death as a passenger in an underage drunk driving car wreck on January 1, 2002, and is administered by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Sean was a popular junior at Chatham High School, an honor roll student, and a record-setting runner. The scholarship fund, in [...] More
ACT, Inc., the college admissions testing company, has agreed to pay out $16 million to 65,728 California students with disabilities to settle a class-action lawsuit. The class-action federal lawsuit filed in California in 2018 alleged that ACT, Inc. violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act by disclosing test-takers' disability status to colleges and scholarship organizations on score reports, and denied certain examinees with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in its Educational Opportunity Service. [...]
In response to the coronavirus pandemic and the way it has made it harder than ever to take the SAT and ACT, many colleges and universities, from large state universities to small liberal arts colleges, have announced that their admissions for next year’s Class of 2025 will be test-optional. Test-optional admissions mean that schools won’t require a submission of a standardized test score as part of the admissions process. But how will admissions officials judge applicants without a score? Will a student who doesn’t submit a standardized test score be penalized in any way? And will a student who does submit a score be chosen over one who doesn’t? [...]
Getting a college degree is part of the American Dream. College graduates generally earn more money and have a better quality of life. So it’s not surprising that students from immigrant families or who are immigrants themselves are making up an increasingly larger percentage of associate’s, bachelors and masters-seeking students in America. [...]
