The history of martial arts dates back millennia and the true roots of the sport are still hard to piece together. Despite its antiquity, it has remained a popular sport of mock combat - not only in Jet Li, Bruce Lee, or Jackie Chan films - but as a club and competitive sport. Finding a martial arts scholarship may be a bit more challenging than landing a basketball or football scholarship, but certainly isn't as difficult as earning a black belt. Of course, the higher your skill level, the more scholarship money you may earn. Local martial arts schools understand the lack of funding for the sport on the college level, and often hand out annual awards to their college-bound students. While these awards often require a minimum GPA, the competition for local scholarships will be much less fierce than that of college-based scholarships for more high profile sports.
While martial arts scholarships are rare, majoring in it is even more so. Nonetheless, the University of Bridgeport is the first American institution of higher education to offer a B.A. in martial arts studies. It teaches the historical background and philosophical roots of the martial arts, the languages, and cultures of the societies in which the martial arts originated and developed, an in-depth study of at least one of the martial arts, and explores the psychosocial dimensions of the martial arts and their impact on personality and society. If you not only love to participate in the sport but also want to study the art of "mind over body," check out the university's website for detailed information.
If you're serious about continuing your martial arts career in college and finding
ways to participate in competitions while you're there, consider colleges that either
have a history in the sport or that have relationships with nearby martial arts
schools. Many schools also have martial arts clubs for different disciplines like
judo or karate, or intramural teams that have an established connection to
nearby schools and gyms. Once you've narrowed down your college choices, start contacting
martial arts schools near your intended college to determine whether they have a
scholarship program for students attending that nearby school.
Check out some examples of where to find martial arts scholarships below. For additional
information about awards based on different criteria, conduct a free college
scholarship search at Scholarships.com.
College-Based Scholarships
If you plan on pursuing martial arts in college, your intended college could have
funds and endowments set up by alumni who have participated in the sport before
you ever set foot on that campus or in honor of relatives and important figures
to your school. Make sure you do your research, and talk to your financial aid office and athletic departments about local and college-based awards you could be eligible for.
The Helen Gee Chin Scholarship Foundation was founded on March 7, 2011, to honor the memory of Helen Gee Chin, wife of Sifu Chin of Calvin Chin's Martial Arts Academy, Inc. Simo was the administrator at CCMAA for 15 years and was involved with preserving the history and promoting the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts. She was beloved by her husband, the students of the Academy that she [...] More
To be eligible for an award from the Kyle R. Magoto Scholarship Fund, the applicant must be a Russia High School (Shelby Co., Ohio) graduating senior pursuing an associate's or a bachelor's degree as a full-time student at an accredited educational institution. Applicant must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and must've participated in at least five athletic seasons throughout high school. The scholarship [...] More
This scholarship fund was established in 2013 by family and friends of Coach Lozano. The 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 [...] More
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